Hao. The Awakening of the Chosen (Finish)

Chapter 5.4

Viktor woke up feeling a bit bruised, his head aching considerably. He had been suffering from nightmares for several nights, always the same ones, preventing him from sleeping peacefully and causing him to wake up frightened.

The first nightmare involved him in the body of a family member standing on a pillar in a lake with crocodiles, having to navigate obstacles and jump to the next pillar. Every time he failed the circuit or fell into the water, the family member suffered terrible consequences. Every time he woke up, he called each of the family members who had died in his nightmare to ensure it had only been a bad dream.

The second nightmare placed him in a pitch-black labyrinth, pursued by his living relatives turned into slow-moving zombies. They shouted things that caused Viktor pain. The only ones to assist him were former enemies or criminals, while his own family tormented him. To escape the labyrinth, he had to find a sword to vanquish all his relatives. He woke up horrified at having to kill his entire family to exit the dream.

Upon waking up, I went to the bathroom, washed my face, and headed downstairs for breakfast still not fully dressed, with my chest bare and only in my underwear. I had forgotten to put on pajamas before getting into the cryo-bed the night before, but I didn't mind. There was no one in the kitchen; Mother had left early for the government council of sages, and Father was busy with one of his morning projects. I still couldn't understand why some people liked to wake up early to attend a performance at the amphitheater when they could go in the evening. It was madness.

I finished breakfast, got dressed in my uniform, and like every day, Lua was waiting for me at the door to go to school together. I loved walking together; it was one of the best parts of the day. We had met at the Chamber of Desires, where parents who wanted a child could request one, and she assessed whether the parents would be good or not, then providing them with a child or children accordingly. Our parents had visited the chamber twice.

This morning, I had industrial chemistry and a life orientation class, focusing on long-term thinking rather than short or medium-term goals. Lua wasn't attending my class; she was clear about wanting to become a physicist or mathematician, although we had promised to try to work for the same company.

After the class, Lua was waiting for me at the corner restaurant near the school where we always had lunch. The rest of our group, Álvaro, Pedro, and Santiago, joined us. That day, we decided to order food from the Samiz world, so we had some porridge with bread, which was delicious. After finishing lunch, we said goodbye and headed home. Lua looked at me with a concerned expression.

"Viktor, I'm sorry to ask, but could I come to your place today? My parents are going through a rough time, and I can't study while they're arguing." "Of course, come whenever you want. My home is your second home." "Thank you, I'll go to my place, get the things I need, and then head to your house." "I'll be waiting for you at my place."

When I arrived home, there was nobody there. The council meeting had extended, and Father was still at the amphitheater. I went up to my room and took a shower; I loved feeling the warm water covering my entire body. Suddenly, the door to my room began to knock, accompanied by a voice asking, 'Can I come in?' I quickly covered myself with a towel from the waist down. I left the bathroom without a shirt on and opened the door, thinking it was Mother, but it turned out to be Lua. Upon seeing me without a shirt, she seemed surprised and examined me from top to bottom, mouth agape, and then greeted me.

"Hi, I came to study, but I'll come back at a better time." "It's okay, come in. Did one of the bobs let you in?" "Yes." "I'll put on a shirt." "Whatever you want, it doesn't bother me."

As I went to get my shirt, I accidentally bumped into her, soaking her completely, and my towel fell to the floor.

"I'm sorry, oh wait, don't look down, please."

It was too late; I saw Lua examining every inch of my body again. We looked at each other, and she slowly approached me until our bodies touched. Our thoughts were interrupted when the mirror started ringing