I had a dream.
Thinking back, it was the first time I had dreamed of him.
When I opened my eyes, darkness enveloped my vision like a suffocating void. All colors, smells, and sensations of existence seemed to vanish in an instant. I blinked several times, trying to make sense of the oppressive blackness, and then it hit me: I had been dreaming.
Gradually, memories began to resurface as I started returning to reality. The pitch-black darkness and the confined cell around me became my new world. I recalled the sensation I had experienced just moments before.
It was strange. I rarely dreamed, and when I did, they usually faded from my memory almost as soon as I woke up.
But this was definitely a dream.
My sight, hearing, and touch were still intact. It was the first time my senses had felt so vivid and real within a dream. I had heard of dreams that felt real, but this was the first time I'd experienced one like it. Even after opening my eyes, it took me a while to distinguish between the dream and reality.
Where did he go?
The warmth I had felt in my hand just moments ago, the scent of that person's body brushing past my nose, and the softness of his skin — all vanished in an instant.
I frowned, unable to accept that everything had abruptly disappeared, leaving only this pitch-black darkness where I couldn't even see what was in my hand. It felt as though the world had been flipped upside down and I had been cast out of my rightful place.
A surge of anger, unlike anything I had ever felt before, welled up inside me.
It was as if something I had every right to — something that was undeniably mine — had been snatched away. Where he should have been, there was only darkness.
***
It felt like I was living in a dream.
Instructor Jeong stood before me, a look of confusion on his face, accusing me of having killed someone. They claimed I had killed two people for a trivial reason, and as a result, they decided I needed to spend a few days in the detention section as a formality.
I couldn't remember the details.
I had killed one or two people, but the specifics eluded me. Reflecting on the situation after hearing the news, it seemed plausible that something like that had happened. It felt less like reality and more like a distant dream.
Yes, I had killed someone — at least that's what my hazy memory suggested — but the other incident remained a blur. I didn't recall what had happened. All I knew was that something the first person said had offended me, prompting a reaction that erased that discomfort.
But was that really what had happened?
I was surprised. The vague sensation from that time still lingered in my hands. Unlike the fleeting sensations of a dream, this felt tangible. No, it was as if I were trapped in a dream.
I glanced at Instructor Jeong and clicked my tongue. He must have been quite confused when he officially told me I needed to spend time in the detention section.
I saw him frowning, the corners of his mouth stiffening. It was only then that I realized I had told him that I'd kill him.
I was once again struck by surprise. I hadn't even realized that, for a moment, I had considered killing Instructor Jeong. It had happened unconsciously.
