Shadow of Death (SOD)

Chapter 73

Asher could be seen standing outside with his hands shoved into his pockets.

His gaze stared straight ahead, while a calm expression rested on his face.

Yet, inwardly, his mind churned with a single thought repeating itself over and over again.

’Simple thoughts.... Written...’

Then, with a small smirk, he began walking forward.

He didn’t know where exactly he was heading to; all he knew was that he needed the cool breeze.

He wanted to keep his head cool and remain level-headed, so he kept walking and walking.

Passing people from his neighbourhood who called out and greeted him with smiles on their faces.

He usually gave some of them curt nods while, at the same time, frowning inwardly.

’Miss Lex has always hated our family. What’s with the smiles and greetings? Hmph...’

The more he walked, the more his mind spun as he thought about the strange impossibilities going on around him.

’Seventy days since we visited the cemetery? How is that possible when it was just yesterday? And what did the notebook mean about me waking up? Nothing is real?’

His brows knitted furiously as he kept walking until he eventually passed his neighbourhood and simply continued wandering forward with a frown on his face.

’Two years.... Two years and I have no recollection of my time here? Nah... I need to— uh... eat,’ he mused inwardly.

Almost instantly, a soothing calm descended upon his mind.

Asher pulled one hand from his pocket and stared at the screen of his phone.

It was almost evening.

Surfing through his apps, he landed on his bank app.

Even though he wasn’t legally an adult yet, he was still able to get an account.

Though the amount of money that could enter and leave the account was incredibly limited, it was still helpful.

Staring back at him was a small figure of $300.

’This should be enough, yeah?’

Heaving a sigh, he shoved the phone back into his pocket.

Pulling out his second hand, he grabbed fifty dollars from his pocket and nodded.

’Enough.’

His mind spun with so many different thoughts and plans.

Plans on what to do next and how to counter anything that came his way.

A few layers of his plans were already set.

But now, he needed something else.

He wasn’t heading anywhere in particular; he was simply wandering about while scanning the different shops, stores, and marts around him.

He let his eyes wander around the whole place.

But then, the deeper he went, the more he realised something that made his brows knit.

’Hang on... I’m just noticing this.’

He lifted a brow and halted at the corner of a street.

Rubbing his temples a few times, he slowly turned around and looked ahead with a small, confused expression on his face.

’It’s weakened? Ack....’

His head suddenly pounded once as an image flashed through his mind.

It was hazy for a brief moment before vanishing almost instantly.

’Escape? Dream?’

Then, his gaze drifted toward his arm.

He stared at it for a few seconds.

Without hesitation, Asher swung the hand toward his mouth with considerable speed.

His mouth was already open as he took a huge bite out of his arm.

"Aaaah!"

A muffled scream tore out of his mouth as blood began rolling down his arm from where his teeth had sunk into his flesh.

And almost immediately, he could feel something lifting from the corner of his mind.

Like a tiny part of a thick veil used to conceal an area.

It lifted slightly, allowing something to seep into his memory.

’A memory?’

It was as clear as day.

It wasn’t blurry or hazy like the strange memories he had experienced before.

But instead of an image—

It was a few words that kept ringing repeatedly inside his head.

[Your Nightmare has begun....]

His teeth slid away from his arm, and his hand proceeded to fall limply to his side.

His eyes widened in horror as a tear slid down from the corner of one of them.

’Ni-Nightmare? Wh-What does that mean? Does that mean that I’m sleeping? Thi...’

He looked around him in panic.

His head pounded.

So did his heart, which thumped violently in fear.

The cars whooshing around.

The soft, clean air.

The roads.

The houses.

The signboards.

Rick....

His family?

’No! No! It can’t be, right? This can’t be fake, yeah?’

But then, the log from Day Four Hundred appeared in his mind almost instantly as if to refute his claims.

{Day 400: Not real. Not real. Not real. They aren’t real. Nothing is real. Something is wrong. Something is crazy wrong. Escape....}

’Does that mean..... Aaaaaah!’

A heavy headache instantly assaulted his mind, causing his vision to almost blur.

’.... This-This is just like when I’m at home, but-but not as heavy as when I’m at home. That clears it.... Something is actively trying to keep me trapped here. But wh— Aaaaaah! Simple thoughts. Simple thoughts.... Home. I need to go home.’

Asher’s thoughts were becoming a mess.

They were beginning to slur.

He could feel himself slowly forgetting the details of the notebook.

Forgetting what he had been thinking about just moments ago.

Staring at the blood rolling down his hand, Asher decided to take things a step further.

He lifted his second arm and then bit down hard on it.

Sinking his teeth into the smooth flesh, a wave of pain hit him almost immediately.

The pain from his arm countered the pain attacking his mind.

And at the same time, it almost felt like the veil over his mind moved once more.

’Pain.... Pain.... Pain... huh? Need to feel pain.’

Asher suddenly stopped.

A flash of memory rushed past his mind.

He saw himself standing inside a store with a few people around him and then....

Then....

His brows furrowed as he tried clearing the hazy memory.

Slowly, the scene began to unfold.

Kids....

Kids were biting their arms the same way he was doing.

As if—

As if they didn’t want to sleep.

Whoosh—!

The memory vanished.

’Sleep? Need to wake up, huh? Pain?’

Removing his teeth from his arm, Asher smirked as a simple idea began forming inside his mind.

Nothing complex.

Just something simple.

"...."

Straightening himself, he clenched his hands before turning around and beginning his journey back home.

His unplanned stretch outside had yielded quite the results.

Hopefully, he wouldn’t forget about his ideas and plans before it was too late.

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