10:17 AM.
The Biology exam was over.
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Voltase set his pen down slowly. His movements were mechanical, like a robot running out of battery.
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The answer sheet before him was filled with neat handwriting.
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Too neat.
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Every letter was formed with unnatural precision, as if his hand moved independently of his wandering mind.
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Outside the classroom window, the Oxford sky was still gray.
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Thick clouds hung low, holding back rain that refused to fall.
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The faint sound of St. Mary's church bells echoed in the distance.
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Ten times.
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Heavy. Resonant. The sound drifted between the old red-brick buildings that had witnessed hundreds of years of history, yet remained silent to the suffering of individuals like him.
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Voltase let out a long sigh.
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His chest felt tight. Not from pain. More from emptiness.
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Like there was a hollow space inside his ribcage. A space that should have been filled by something feeling, meaning, or simply the will to live like other children his age.
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He glanced at the wall clock.
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Still morning.
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And this morning, like the mornings before, his body and mind were on different paths.
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His body sat on the hard wooden chair, in a classroom smelling of chalk and old paper.
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His mind? His mind was still on the blood-soaked battlefield.
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Still feeling the cold hands strangling his neck.
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Still seeing the face of the pale blond man. a face frozen in surprise as the bullet pierced his skull.
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Why do I keep going back there?
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The question spun in his head like a broken record.
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Repeating. Without an answer.
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He rose from his chair slowly. Almost reluctantly.
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The other children had already scattered out, their cheerful voices flooding the hallway with laughter and chatter that felt foreign to him.
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A boy with fiery red hair ran past him, nearly bumping Voltase's thin shoulder.
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Girls in neat uniforms huddled near the window, discussing concerts and celebrities with names he'd never heard.
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They lived in a different world.
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Voltase reached for his canvas backpack. It was black, worn, with stitching beginning to unravel at the bottom.
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He slung it over his narrow right shoulder, feeling its light weight, only a few books and a pencil case.
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I don't carry much.
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I don't need much.
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Outside the classroom, the hallway stretched long and white.
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Tiled floors reflected the flickering neon light. old lamps long overdue for replacement, but never replaced.
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The walls were adorned with portraits of past headmasters, their black eyes seeming to follow his every step.
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Voltase walked without purpose.
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Or rather, he walked with one vague purpose.
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To find answers.
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He pulled his phone from his pocket.
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The screen lit up with a pale blue glow, displaying a row of app icons he'd never touched. His small fingers.
still retaining their childish roundness, not yet hardened and calloused like the ones in his dreams, began typing into the search bar.
Dreams.
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Recurring.
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Death.
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He pressed search. A list of results appeared. Scientific articles, discussion forums, psychology blogs. all offered different explanations.
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But none felt right.
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"Recurring dreams are often caused by unresolved trauma..."
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"Dreams about death can symbolize major life changes..."
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"Some experts believe dreams are the brain's way of processing information..."
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Voltase frowned.
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His black eyes like two bottomless pits scanned every word with an intensity unusual for a child his age.
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But I don't have trauma.
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I haven't experienced any major changes.
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Then why do I keep dreaming about war?
About dying?
His fingers moved again. This time, he typed.
meaning of dreams about war.
More results appeared. Some spoke of internal conflict. Others about fear of failure. Some linked it to feelings of helplessness.
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He read them all.
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None matched what he was feeling.
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He wasn't in conflict with himself.
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Not afraid of failing exams.
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He didn't feel helpless at least, not in real life.
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All he felt was utter confusion.
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Like a detective finding puzzle pieces that didn't connect. With no idea where to begin.
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He walked through the second hallway, toward the east wing.
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Here, it was quieter.
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Only a few students passed by. A girl with thick glasses sat on a bench near the window, reading a thick book. Two boys stood near the vending machine, arguing about football.
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Voltase kept walking, his eyes fixed on the screen.
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"Recurring dreams about death can be a sign of severe stress..."
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"In Jungian psychology, death dreams often relate to self-transformation..."
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"Some studies suggest highly realistic dreams can be caused by sleep disorders..."
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No. No. No.
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All those explanations felt shallow. None touched the core of what he was experiencing.
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He felt the bullet enter his chest.
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His blood flow out.
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The hands choking his own neck.
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It wasn't just a dream. It was too real.
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Like a memory.
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The thought came suddenly. Voltase stopped walking.
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Like a memory.
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Like something that actually happened to me.
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But when?
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He had no answer.
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Only deepening darkness inside his mind.
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Like a bottomless chasm.
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And then, he collided with something.
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Or rather, someone.
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The impact happened so fast that Voltase had no time to react.
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His light body for a child his age, bounced backward like a rag doll. His backpack flew off his shoulder, sailed through the air, and landed with a thud on the tiled floor.
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Voltase himself fell.
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His butt hit the hard, cold floor first.
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A jolt of pain shot from his tailbone up through his lower back.
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"Ouch..."
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He winced, his hand instinctively reaching for the sore spot.
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For a moment, the world spun. The neon lights on the ceiling seemed to flicker faster. The sounds around him echoed from afar.
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And then, he realized something else.
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His phone.
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It had slipped from his grip when he fell. Now, it lay face down on the floor.
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Voltase reached for it with trembling hands. He turned it over slowly.
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And—
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A crack.
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A thin crack spread from the upper right corner of the screen, like a spiderweb creeping across the glass.
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Not too severe still usable but enough to make his chest tighten.
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"I just replaced the screen protector last month..."
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But the complaint soon faded when he heard a voice from above.
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"What are you doing, kids?"
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The voice was deep. Resonant. With a... strange tone.
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Like someone trying to be gentle, but with tension coiled behind the words. A tension he couldn't fully hide.
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Voltase looked up.
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For the first time that morning, his onyx eyes met the face before him.
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The man was tall.
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Not extremely tall, perhaps around 180 centimeters but with an upright posture and broad shoulders, he seemed to dominate the space around him.
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His hair was light brown, almost golden, neatly combed to the side. A bit of gel gave it a professional look.
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His brows were thick and sharp, lending a serious expression to his otherwise handsome face.
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A firm chin. A strong jaw.
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And his eyes.
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Hazel green.
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They looked down at Voltase with a mixture of surprise and... something else.
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Perhaps concern. Perhaps curiosity.
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Perhaps—
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A bulge.
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Voltase's attention suddenly shifted.
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Beneath the man's white shirtsleeve, right near his right wrist, there was a strange protrusion disrupting the straight line of his arm.
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Its shape was oval.
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With a pointed front end.
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And a blunt, rounded back.
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Like—
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A bullet.
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The thought shot through Voltase's brain like a lightning strike.
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The fog that had clouded his mind all morning vanished instantly. His drowsy eyes snapped wide open. Focused. Sharp.
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He stared at the bulge. Couldn't stop staring.
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It looked exactly like what he'd seen in his dream.
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The same shape. The same size. Even the position on the right arm, near the wrist felt familiar.
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But that was impossible.
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There was no way a bullet was lodged in a teacher's arm.
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It didn't make sense.
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It—
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"What are you looking at, kid?"
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The man's voice broke his trance.
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Voltase flinched. He realized his hand unconsciously been reaching toward the man's arm. His index finger was almost touching the strange bulge beneath the fabric.
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Quickly, he pulled it back.
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His face flushed with embarrassment. Or awkwardness. He wasn't sure.
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All he knew was that he'd nearly touched a stranger's body part without permission.
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"Sorry, sir," he said quickly, his voice slightly hoarse.
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"I—I wasn't watching where I was going. I was—"
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He pointed to his cracked phone, then shook his head.
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"I was just... not paying attention."
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The man stared at him with an unreadable expression.
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Silence.
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For a few seconds that felt like an eternity, neither spoke. Only the sound of other students' footsteps in the distance, and the hum of flickering neon lights.
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Then, the man extended his hand.
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"Get up first."
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His hand was large.
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Larger than anyone's Voltase had ever seen up close. His palm was wide with long, strong-looking fingers. On the back of his hand, prominent veins stood out. physical signs of someone used to hard work.
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Voltase accepted the outstretched hand.
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The grip was firm, but not painful. With a gentle pull, the man lifted his light body from the floor.
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"Thank you, sir," said Voltase, rubbing his still sore backside.
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The man nodded. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
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A smile that felt... forced.
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Unnatural. Like someone who hadn't smiled in a long time and had to remember how.
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"Are you all right?"
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wEpTXsHpd
"Yes, sir. Just a little startled."
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"Good."
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The man looked down, noticing the cracked phone.
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"Your screen is cracked."
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Voltase nodded, slightly embarrassed.
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"Yes, sir. I just... fell earlier."
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"You should be more careful," said the man, his tone softening.
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Yet there was still something behind his words.
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Something that reminded Voltase of adults talking to small children, hiding things they didn't want them to know.
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"Walking while staring at your phone is dangerous. You could bump into someone, or worse, get hit by a vehicle."
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"I know, sir. I'm sorry."
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Voltase lowered his head.
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His eyes involuntarily glanced at the man's arm again.
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The bulge was still there. Still disturbing. Still like a bullet lodged beneath the skin.
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Questions crowded his head.
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Is that a bullet?
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How could a bullet be in someone's arm?
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Was he ever shot? When? Where? Why?
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But Voltase held back.
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He was still a child, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that asking such questions to a newly met adult was inappropriate. Rude. Even dangerous.
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"Kids?"
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The man's voice broke his thoughts.
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Voltase looked up, trying to put on his usual blank expression.
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"Yes, sir?"
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjP3GEy3tXg
"You look confused. Is something wrong?"
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"No, sir. I was just..."
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He stopped. The words felt heavy on his tongue. He wanted to ask. So badly.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zVLkHiWpg
But what came out was only:
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"...does it hurt?"
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The man frowned.
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"What?"
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Voltase pointed to the man's arm. To the bulge still hidden beneath the shirt.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSiJILhXRek
"The wound on your arm, sir. Does it hurt?"
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For a moment, the man's face changed.
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His neutral expression almost friendly turned rigid.
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His jaw tightened. His hazel green eyes suddenly seemed sharper. More alert.
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"How do you know there's a wound?"
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"I saw the bulge in your arm, sir," said Voltase honestly. "Its shape looks like—"
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He stopped before the word bullet escaped.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIx7QPYXfe
Instinct told him that wasn't the right word to say.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu43Dg1E9Ew
"—like something strange. I was curious."
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The man fell silent.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZVo7DdpbN
For a while, he just stared at Voltase with an unreadable gaze. A gaze that made Voltase feel like he was being interrogated.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WZGegUGcJ
Then, the man sighed. His face softened again, but his smile still felt stiff.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62pBzhUiNz
"It's not a wound, kid. It's just... an old accident scar. Nothing to worry about."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOoxCuEMaNn
He pulled his sleeve, covering the bulge completely.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJ8jvgVe0u
"And no, it doesn't hurt. It healed a long time ago."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsW0Q6XT5SU
Voltase nodded.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ymN5IB0dX
But in his heart, he didn't believe him.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvZu2KrhS2
An old accident scar?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpw6jrrMOz
Since when did an accident scar look like a bullet?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4709YzMABo
Since when did an accident scar look like metal lodged beneath the skin?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ph8AVYzqK
The man seemed uncomfortable. He looked left and right, as if making sure no one had heard their conversation.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvVgwsvwKR
"You should get to class, son. Your next exam will start soon, right?"
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sl5IlU3K2
"Yes, sir. The Social Studies exam."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJ0ecJksAn
"Well, go on then. Don't be late."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxs0JHoVe2
The man patted Voltase's shoulder with an awkward motion, like someone not used to physical contact.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFScs4IKSHd
"And next time, look ahead when you walk. Your phone can wait."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYjSXVEXYb
With that, the man turned and walked away.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FRvBvbT2k
His steps were slightly hurried, as if he wanted to get away from Voltase as quickly as possible.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeT8H0vPjmt
Voltase stood there.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9Vrydh595
Staring at the man's retreating back.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5wk7P9A64
He lied.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbvsEbrRsi
That's not an accident scar.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbPrMkpTcH
That's a bullet.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFkRDPa2iH
I know it's a bullet.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10jrl78yv1
I just saw a bullet just like that in my dream.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarAPA2GmqV
New questions began to crowd his head.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclpBW6XIAa
Who is he? Where did he come from? How could he have a bullet in his arm?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjE0QS5Qua
And more importantly...
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9x75A4ZUaE
Why did I dream about the exact same bullet last night?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwhGxxavBG
Voltase bit his lower lip, tasting a hint of metal on his tongue.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OHtyYNcPK
Something is happening here.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9E4IONdIz
Something is wrong.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYf3gV4vH7D
And I have to find out what it is.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9lbwmczh7
He looked down at his cracked phone.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ89WPRaEnt
The screen was still on, displaying his last search results: images of bullets of various calibers and sizes.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvQpov3hKq
With slightly trembling fingers, Voltase began typing a new keyword.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyPuyUY5Nj
"Bullet in arm."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbgRv0CYJo
Search results appeared. Most were medical articles about projectiles remaining in shooting victims' bodies.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaZ7aZGGtn
Some discussed removal surgery. Others about infection risks. Others about long term effects.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNb1rbAEdg
Voltase read them all quickly, his eyes scanning every word with razor-sharp focus.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQO8sdhh1CC
Then, he found something.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KPNuQKBCF
An image.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSspP89FNV
A bullet with specific dimensions: 9x19 mm.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdczWB2CDO
Voltase stopped his finger. His heart beat faster.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKInHBLujtr
This is it.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qrw9V6Lh5
The shape is exactly what I saw on that teacher's arm.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXWXVAhR9Z
The size is the same. Everything is the same.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrnCFk6P3x
He compared the image on the screen with his memory of the bulge.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYWcnCss0z
No doubt. No difference.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLm7GxtVznr
This is the same bullet.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvU19gfcWS
He closed his phone quickly, slipping it back into his pocket.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5zmpG2HOr
In the distance, a bell rang. Break was over. The next exam would begin soon.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4FGya7RmC
Voltase walked toward his classroom with quicker steps than usual.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOsgiuqzW9
His mind swirled like a whirlpool, trying to connect seemingly unrelated dots.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3XU8mKJLh
Dreams about war.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmgy5e88tw
Dreams about death.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzQ8Bsuej4
A bullet in a teacher's arm.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjJD5KIzXl
I dreamed about the exact same bullet.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8bT3BllSq
This can't be coincidence.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOODuJwSMNd
But how?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8PsUZSSBS
How does my dream connect to a teacher I've never even seen before?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHWGi5EFr5
Or... have I seen him before?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WltvDDjQ4
The question stopped him for a moment.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrK61DaxLx
He tried to remember. Had he ever met that man before? Perhaps in the school hallway? In the cafeteria? In the library?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFIfIjKxin
No. His face wasn't familiar. He was sure he'd never seen that man before.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xkGiuBoWl
But how could I dream about the bullet in his arm before seeing him?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqU1nReCqI
This doesn't make sense.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAKjoDvl62
This is impossible.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTD0w5GkVd
He entered the classroom, his head still full of questions.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10lnfaeAp1
The room was already half full. Other students sat in their seats, speaking in hushed voices or reading last-minute notes.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUAeH3iGyd
Voltase walked to the desk in the back corner. The same desk he always chose.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ktIHJJmf8
A place where he could observe everyone without being noticed.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaLMd0M7Hz
He sat down. Placed his backpack on the floor. Took out his pencil case.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRPIt7OT5k
And on the desk, he spread out a blank sheet of paper.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyY3WQbe6D
He didn't intend to write anything on it. No.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiczobKLjA8
All he wanted was to think. Process all the new information.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6oGnT1mqm
A 9x19 mm bullet.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXwEnCM8MM
In a teacher's arm.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8zku36r8e
I dreamed about the same bullet.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfdPTAXCwL
about war and death.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMKdbOWm26
I died in that dream not once, but twice.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡup4TFf3HME
And every time, I felt everything.
Every pain, fear, the last second before darkness came.
Voltase closed his eyes.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUQWnBrJQQ
His head felt heavy, as if an invisible weight pressed down on his skull.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCIfu8btl7
Should I tell someone?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1ktDTOzXO
But who?
Who would believe a child who claims to dream about the same bullet in a teacher's arm?
They'll think I'm crazy.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVz65zZf1ev
Or worse, they'll think it's a joke.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBonYY7caxt
And I don't want to be thought of as crazy.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lMfsCRa8W
Not here. In this school.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRy7Jjt2ufn
Voltase opened his eyes. He stared at the white, cracked ceiling.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5NVS3mVrS
The neon light flickered again, this time longer.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRI3Yl9A0y
In front of him, exam papers began to be distributed by the supervising teacher a middle-aged woman with gray hair and half moon glasses that always slipped to the tip of her nose.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8zxELt0vt
"The Social Studies exam will begin in five minutes. Please prepare your writing tools."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEZJoOQXAF
Voltase picked up his pen. His hand moved mechanically, as usual.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCmPCoLRME
But his mind wasn't here.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZPK87GRO9
Not in this classroom. Not among questions about history and geography.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fu4LcCMMk
His mind was still in the school hallway.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZfoihf2j2
Still seeing the bulge on that man's arm.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZF3qgepLtS
Still comparing it to the image on his phone.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEGtJxhrzB
9x19 mm.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cturQcuTd
The same bullet.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJrxuzLyyZ
How? Why?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkc4JjAE91r
And in his still-innocent heart still too young to understand the complexity of the world a seed of new fear began to grow.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92x0WS1Vn7
Not fear of exams.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKp97Fi1Fi
Not fear of angry teachers.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnevrGicG4
Not even fear of the nightmare that would come tonight.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5rQbqZLO2
But fear of something deeper. Something he couldn't name.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizW5gVWqbT
Fear that all of this the dreams, the deaths, the bullet, that man were all connected in ways he didn't understand.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghvDSC31v8
And that the connection might be more dangerous than anything he could imagine.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMz3XwAgY6t
The exam began.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhFjmrmTd0
Voltase stared at the paper before him.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83W0oEdkIp
"Explain the causes of World War I and its impact on the European political order."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5YPSnJLvS
He knew the answer. He knew history well probably better than most children his age.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fWL5uOJQq
But his hand didn't move.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3P3tlZ3hr
All he could think about was the war in his dreams.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5q5wFlOP8
The battlefield full of corpses. Blood flowing on muddy ground.
The blond-haired man dying with a bullet in his head.
That war wasn't like what was taught in history books.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuC7sAjnJry
The war in his dreams felt real.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BEgTVm9BQ
Too real.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNkPcDtgYw
He bit the end of his pen a bad habit he could never break.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgpGDndaeX
Think about the exam, Voltase. Concentrate. This is important.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OD6aO8Xn0
But his mind refused to cooperate.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjcwbgbkaz
What he saw behind his eyelids was a 9x19 mm bullet. The wound on that man's arm. The strange bulge hiding beneath the white shirt.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmCaa5ZmrL
What happened to him?
Was he ever shot?
Is that bullet still in his arm?
Why didn't he have surgery?
The questions kept spinning. Like a wheel that wouldn't stop.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRSJyuNz4k
He let out a long sigh. Tried to calm himself.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgn4bYRKmw6
It's not important now. What matters is the exam. Finish this. Afterward, I can find out more.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDSIxYnUpp
He began writing. His hand moved across the paper, forming words about military alliances, rising nationalism, and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBstZnTaO8
But in his heart, a small voice kept whispering.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJmnrw3RBw
You know it's not a coincidence.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3vRt2g60R
You know there's a connection.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOAn7DK7Ju
And you know you have to find out.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXvryCtZuD
But how? Where to begin?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChkMKw3QBk
Thirty minutes later, Voltase finished his exam.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaqcALtLYY
He set his pen down calmly, staring at the paper with a flat expression. His answers were complete perhaps not perfect, but good enough.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzugocz5IT9
But he didn't feel satisfied.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOsdELolYg
He felt empty.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA123FspP1n
Like a part of him was missing. Left behind in the school hallway when he bumped into that man. Left behind in the dreams that kept haunting his sleep.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEhOEO6dqX
He glanced at the wall clock.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaXK8bQCnR
There was still time left before the exam ended.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlKcdpeFRw
Nothing to do but sit and wait.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVPCgU495Q
He let his gaze drift out the window. The sky was still gray. Trees in the schoolyard swayed gently in the cold morning breeze.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg333jRa5bf
In the distance, he saw a group of students playing football. They ran, shouted, laughed living in a way he never had.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXedFBWCXU
He envied them.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCCWevqsZX
Envied how easily they enjoyed life. Envied their indifference to unimportant things.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Jz7Q3p172
They never wake up in the middle of the night feeling like they're being strangled.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDgcHRMzju
Never feel a bullet enter their chest.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡit2CdRFTpL
Never see corpses scattered around them.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPk7nsWVQEh
They don't know how lucky they are.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ILSPeRi2d
Voltase closed his eyes for a moment, trying to rest his weary mind.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRS93KVUUXq
But rest didn't come.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLZ0LKt1Jo
What came was the memory of the dream.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7fppmjIxV
His final moments. The pain spreading from his neck throughout his body. The darkness slowly creeping in, swallowing his consciousness.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrzb6QivqA
Bang.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXVlnRWPsL
He opened his eyes suddenly, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kEJlldjOm
No. Don't think about that.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVa3ZGFzS6
Now is not the time.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthMeVyKqYy
You have to focus.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSuMIlC0Zh
But his mind wouldn't listen.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHIgreU7vv
And in the darkness, the whisper began again.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnD8XWI0hVB
You'll go back. Tonight.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRswIxmbEk
You'll go back to that place.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCSQQCopJf
And you'll die again.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5TlEDZ19Q
The bell rang.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡby1zOWgvkI
The exam was over.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlLIdcJrfZ
Other students began collecting their papers with rustling sounds and quiet conversations. Some looked relieved, others anxious.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81qPaypFfb
Voltase remained seated. Not moving.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElGyqHPPa1
The supervising teacher walked past his desk.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAo7fNe4lb
"Are you finished, Watt?"
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnjZb0IV0l
"Yes, ma'am."
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCX4UG50G0
He handed over his paper slowly.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQzPYairns
The teacher nodded and walked to the next desk.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIDz8k2bCb
Voltase let his gaze go blank for a moment. Then, he stood up.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCt7a3FYpjc
He picked up his backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and walked out of the classroom.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17VqIyBSFl
The hallway was already crowded.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEptpmV0AA
Students scattered everywhere, talking loudly about the exam. Some laughed, some complained, some walked silently while staring at their phones.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWv1wi2GFG
Voltase walked past them all, paying attention to no one.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4kJ3qT7TXX
All he could think about was one thing.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20D8rLT1Gk
I have to find out who that man is.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfHfpTtD03
Find out what happened to him.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUEEHcUTkg
Find out why I dreamed about the bullet in his arm.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5ntanXwIf
And I have to do it before night falls.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHfV8FvCRW
He stopped in front of the bulletin board at the end of the hallway.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuR5rSWuPz
There, hanging, was a list of teachers and school staff. Their photos were neatly displayed in plastic frames, with names and positions beneath.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWl2RxapBF
Voltase scanned the list with his eyes.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImmAHtGoY3
Searching for the face he'd just met.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6B9l8Xa9v
Mr. Anderson—Mathematics.
Mrs. Bennett—English.
Mr. Clarke—History.
Mrs. Davis—Art.
Mr. Evans—Science.
Nothing.
No face of a man with light brown hair and hazel green eyes.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LKEEIwf5D
No name matching his description.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAPkA1ax6N
Maybe he's a new teacher?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBqaHGPscw
Maybe his photo hasn't been put up yet?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7mLTn2jnE
Or maybe...
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfc3TqNSGkj
The thought made his skin crawl.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiRvYOeUL6
Maybe he's not a teacher.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBflAQvyOhB
Maybe he's someone else.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiokNkDiuf
Maybe he—
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVSB5WO9ox
He shook his head, trying to banish those thoughts.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkFo3yRmmi
Don't be too paranoid, Voltase.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbaDQzQJ7N
Maybe his photo just hasn't been put up yet. Or he's a substitute teacher. That's a reasonable explanation.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvi46X7zbl
But even as he thought that, a part of him didn't believe it.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwwOaDZDa8
Nothing made sense anymore. Not since he started dreaming about war. Not since he felt a bullet enter his chest.
Not since he saw that man.
He walked to the school library.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0oMTrvL7By
The room was silent, as usual. Only a few students sat at the long tables, reading or working on assignments.
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The librarian an old woman with white hair and thick glasses sat behind the front desk, reading a novel.
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Voltase walked between the bookshelves. Searching for something anything that could help him understand.
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He stopped in the psychology section.
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Books about dreams. About the subconscious. About trauma and memory.
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He took a thick book titled "The Psychology of Dreams: A Clinical Approach."
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He opened it to the first page and began reading.
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"Dreams are a universal phenomenon that have fascinated humans since ancient times..."
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He read further, looking for sections about recurring dreams. About dreams that felt real. About dreams involving death.
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"Recurring dreams are often associated with unresolved traumatic experiences. The brain attempts to process the trauma through dreams, but because the trauma is too heavy to process all at once, the brain repeats it over and over..."
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Voltase frowned.
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I don't have trauma. Nothing happened to me. My life is ordinary. Boring, even.
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Then why do I keep dreaming about war?
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He read further.
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"Some researchers argue that highly realistic dreams could be manifestations of genetic memory. memories inherited from our ancestors through DNA. This theory is controversial and not scientifically proven, but interesting to consider..."
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Genetic memory?
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Could I have inherited memories of war from someone in the past? From my grandfather? Or my great-grandfather?
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But my family was never involved in war. At least, not that I know of.
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He closed the book in frustration. No satisfying answers. Only unprovable theories.
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He put it back on the shelf, then walked to another section.
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This time, he stopped in the medicine section.
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"Projectiles and Gunshot Trauma: Medical and Psychological Management"
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He pulled the book from the shelf, opening it to the page about bullet types.
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Detailed images of various calibers. Descriptions of size, weight, and effects on the human body.
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Voltase scanned the pages quickly, looking for something that matched what he'd seen.
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And then, he found it.
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"9x19 mm Parabellum. also known as 9mm Luger. One of the most common bullet calibers in the world. Widely used by military and police forces. This projectile has a diameter of 9 mm and a casing length of 19 mm..."
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This is it.
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This is exactly what I saw.
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I'm sure of it.
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He read further about its effects.
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"The 9x19 mm bullet has significant penetrating power. At close range, it can penetrate bone and cause severe tissue damage. Bullets that lodge in the body without hitting vital organs are often left in place because removal surgery can pose greater risks than benefits..."
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So the bullet might have been deliberately left in his arm.
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Because removing it was too dangerous.
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But how did he get shot?
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The questions continued spinning. Without answers.
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Voltase returned to his dormitory at 3 PM.
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His room felt quiet and cold, as usual. The window curtains were tightly drawn, leaving only a small gap for gray light to seep in.
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He took off his shoes. Placed his backpack beside the wardrobe. Sat on the edge of his bed.
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The room felt smaller than usual. More cramped. More suffocating.
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He stared at his cracked phone, still displaying his last search results.
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9x19 mm.
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The same bullet.
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On that man's arm.
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In my dream.
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He gripped his phone tightly, feeling the cold plastic and glass in his palm.
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Something is happening.
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Something is wrong.
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And I have to find out.
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Before night falls.
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Before I go back to that dream.
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Before I die again.
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Outside the window, the sky began to darken.
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Gray clouds moved slowly, covering the remnants of sunlight trying to break through.
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Rain would fall again tonight.
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Voltase could feel it in the air. The rising humidity. The scent of damp earth beginning to seep in.
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He lay on his bed, staring at the cracked ceiling.
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In his head, one question kept repeating.
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Who is that man?
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And what does he have to do with my dreams?
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He had no answers.
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All he had was a bad feeling. A feeling that everything was about to change. A feeling that his ordinary, boring life was about to end.
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And a feeling that tonight, he would return to that battlefield.
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For the third time.
ns216.73.216.243da2 
and then Add to home screen.