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?"
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"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?"
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"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.
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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.
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"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.
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Instinct told him that wasn't the right word to say.
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"—like something strange. I was curious."
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The man fell silent.
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For a while, he just stared at Voltase with an unreadable gaze. A gaze that made Voltase feel like he was being interrogated.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzx3cEZdKWQ
Then, the man sighed. His face softened again, but his smile still felt stiff.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKUVlC111D
"It's not a wound, kid. It's just... an old accident scar. Nothing to worry about."
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkra4lCSnY5
He pulled his sleeve, covering the bulge completely.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmRALHrs9f
"And no, it doesn't hurt. It healed a long time ago."
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhuJj0YxgD
Voltase nodded.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6swuDB13uu
But in his heart, he didn't believe him.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBndjXEmYgT
An old accident scar?
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CzKuUYwHS
Since when did an accident scar look like a bullet?
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVAyGr1lhw
Since when did an accident scar look like metal lodged beneath the skin?
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWCHxeWfHA
The man seemed uncomfortable. He looked left and right, as if making sure no one had heard their conversation.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DXprb2fUd
"You should get to class, son. Your next exam will start soon, right?"
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjP5VwmWs3V
"Yes, sir. The Social Studies exam."
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOEBdZEKfU
"Well, go on then. Don't be late."
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMFNjjJpe8
The man patted Voltase's shoulder with an awkward motion, like someone not used to physical contact.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6mRX5EkHd
"And next time, look ahead when you walk. Your phone can wait."
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6obsk9xSAg
With that, the man turned and walked away.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi4H6jpl8aA
His steps were slightly hurried, as if he wanted to get away from Voltase as quickly as possible.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6W5nTgz4OT
Voltase stood there.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hsIvm9jOT
Staring at the man's retreating back.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKGYwrbFmB
He lied.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5W9r5b1Rh0
That's not an accident scar.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8409b3d0Ac
That's a bullet.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cMwy5EGXQ
I know it's a bullet.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0dvYumc6e
I just saw a bullet just like that in my dream.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwKBbgJGpP
New questions began to crowd his head.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5Lg1hfHNE
Who is he? Where did he come from? How could he have a bullet in his arm?
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCULB9QPro
And more importantly...
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbjrhPN4L5
Why did I dream about the exact same bullet last night?
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pbAlmgRBu
Voltase bit his lower lip, tasting a hint of metal on his tongue.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YmzGY5gPk
Something is happening here.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbGN77L4yK
Something is wrong.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVtyDK8LtZ
And I have to find out what it is.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxscmIdAKl
He looked down at his cracked phone.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tdPY9egaj
The screen was still on, displaying his last search results: images of bullets of various calibers and sizes.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMf7AfPLYQ0
With slightly trembling fingers, Voltase began typing a new keyword.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrH9g5c0eWP
"Bullet in arm."
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2qV0XLC6m
Search results appeared. Most were medical articles about projectiles remaining in shooting victims' bodies.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Ef8GdhEql
Some discussed removal surgery. Others about infection risks. Others about long term effects.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FQtbQpXSd
Voltase read them all quickly, his eyes scanning every word with razor-sharp focus.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2aVDsUyQu
Then, he found something.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCxzAToZJY
An image.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspAW1SV01M
A bullet with specific dimensions: 9x19 mm.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbtD9CxhB3
Voltase stopped his finger. His heart beat faster.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0HnKMVRhk
This is it.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjy3y5ZEg2
The shape is exactly what I saw on that teacher's arm.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6Kb7WWrHG
The size is the same. Everything is the same.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONXe93awSw
He compared the image on the screen with his memory of the bulge.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz39aEvsq1f
No doubt. No difference.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ENBwhYKJw
This is the same bullet.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3vrC2fKF7
He closed his phone quickly, slipping it back into his pocket.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKZa4rg2sc
In the distance, a bell rang. Break was over. The next exam would begin soon.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAq3nlzPfN
Voltase walked toward his classroom with quicker steps than usual.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00XOPprrpH
His mind swirled like a whirlpool, trying to connect seemingly unrelated dots.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYOYJh0iIb
Dreams about war.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNjWyZPWAL
Dreams about death.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZVkox8GRg
A bullet in a teacher's arm.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRxaovLcx9
I dreamed about the exact same bullet.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlgGMyLmuh
This can't be coincidence.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb66ORu5BJv
But how?
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOf3qs83hgV
How does my dream connect to a teacher I've never even seen before?
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTBtSUZCxM
Or... have I seen him before?
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOUUFyXDt0
The question stopped him for a moment.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4p0pYaauwv
He tried to remember. Had he ever met that man before? Perhaps in the school hallway? In the cafeteria? In the library?
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Pdy2OOq27
No. His face wasn't familiar. He was sure he'd never seen that man before.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0N1BqNqnBP
But how could I dream about the bullet in his arm before seeing him?
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ot113FtRT
This doesn't make sense.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMtqq574Sj
This is impossible.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDG9yIgOhI
He entered the classroom, his head still full of questions.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgkJXN6HWy
The room was already half full. Other students sat in their seats, speaking in hushed voices or reading last-minute notes.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7vd1nCv1N
Voltase walked to the desk in the back corner. The same desk he always chose.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdQOMF6Mrc
A place where he could observe everyone without being noticed.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMURvg9gRt
He sat down. Placed his backpack on the floor. Took out his pencil case.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYkB4wwY6Yx
And on the desk, he spread out a blank sheet of paper.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡft092Vglc3
He didn't intend to write anything on it. No.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlgc1xSoDz
All he wanted was to think. Process all the new information.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBzUa4ARmM
A 9x19 mm bullet.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzuiFiMvbg
In a teacher's arm.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8X0W7L4NAE
I dreamed about the same bullet.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5esoefqSB
about war and death.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJT6a39SSF
I died in that dream not once, but twice.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQVa8BJliv
And every time, I felt everything.
Every pain, fear, the last second before darkness came.
Voltase closed his eyes.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqGZ9x3vB9
His head felt heavy, as if an invisible weight pressed down on his skull.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJiv0nJ1f8
Should I tell someone?
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEBaM7nEC9
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.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDclur0LaDa
Or worse, they'll think it's a joke.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVdIYvCKJD
And I don't want to be thought of as crazy.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XU2Bb6mOM
Not here. In this school.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1vELiOdv3
Voltase opened his eyes. He stared at the white, cracked ceiling.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLmjmwN6cg
The neon light flickered again, this time longer.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRXPyuOQpF
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.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUCzSBsh5Y
"The Social Studies exam will begin in five minutes. Please prepare your writing tools."
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAmzUDfl1L2
Voltase picked up his pen. His hand moved mechanically, as usual.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4ci271BBG
But his mind wasn't here.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrer7CHVlH9
Not in this classroom. Not among questions about history and geography.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPvgkR7Pjk
His mind was still in the school hallway.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Mapnn1G0x
Still seeing the bulge on that man's arm.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWIE5gz7N9
Still comparing it to the image on his phone.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEe6aquxKJo
9x19 mm.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKUHto5VXh
The same bullet.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBFYpop1cH
How? Why?
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0jpOxSEyV
And in his still-innocent heart still too young to understand the complexity of the world a seed of new fear began to grow.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczk7ZhD5tt
Not fear of exams.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqj10URdX5
Not fear of angry teachers.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0Q9iVFQ9D
Not even fear of the nightmare that would come tonight.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSMDE3HR3Z
But fear of something deeper. Something he couldn't name.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SJ2edxEjd
Fear that all of this the dreams, the deaths, the bullet, that man were all connected in ways he didn't understand.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QzQG0MZTp
And that the connection might be more dangerous than anything he could imagine.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhmkkkmzUi
The exam began.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52JFiLjqpi
Voltase stared at the paper before him.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpXqejKp3Y
"Explain the causes of World War I and its impact on the European political order."
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJCJ7rvgEu
He knew the answer. He knew history well probably better than most children his age.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0KQ968ByO
But his hand didn't move.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzjTjI5Tnt
All he could think about was the war in his dreams.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvzyOjuqkq
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.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ10XX5dIMl
The war in his dreams felt real.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zAZ4uq3KX
Too real.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZfg5FcqZk
He bit the end of his pen a bad habit he could never break.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTsHBOddk4
Think about the exam, Voltase. Concentrate. This is important.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoy1YT1DJ6D
But his mind refused to cooperate.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsruPYy4rH
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.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VRqjRNNLU
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.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ519Ctktt3F
He let out a long sigh. Tried to calm himself.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ID1GpW1hm
It's not important now. What matters is the exam. Finish this. Afterward, I can find out more.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZ2DlatQzE
He began writing. His hand moved across the paper, forming words about military alliances, rising nationalism, and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjlQZJEBU9
But in his heart, a small voice kept whispering.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFnytxX5zW
You know it's not a coincidence.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJZ045alB9
You know there's a connection.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZAlxixfkx
And you know you have to find out.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmFT2PNhf2
But how? Where to begin?
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMf9jHOaDr
Thirty minutes later, Voltase finished his exam.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYbE7IfQmq
He set his pen down calmly, staring at the paper with a flat expression. His answers were complete perhaps not perfect, but good enough.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgoJamn3Ho
But he didn't feel satisfied.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1KvcXkKbd
He felt empty.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5oLh1HNTs
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.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfqy7KMPt3
He glanced at the wall clock.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IQ1PQsEj3
There was still time left before the exam ended.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvauBl4QgvM
Nothing to do but sit and wait.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoLnPn67Y5
He let his gaze drift out the window. The sky was still gray. Trees in the schoolyard swayed gently in the cold morning breeze.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvltFQxQ30N
In the distance, he saw a group of students playing football. They ran, shouted, laughed living in a way he never had.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZEEpX7CuI
He envied them.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3TydgoN5i
Envied how easily they enjoyed life. Envied their indifference to unimportant things.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmd4CwAnGTS
They never wake up in the middle of the night feeling like they're being strangled.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38Vh5h5XZh
Never feel a bullet enter their chest.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSEvTEZ08B
Never see corpses scattered around them.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xO9lQ2L7w
They don't know how lucky they are.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTv9YrnGGb3
Voltase closed his eyes for a moment, trying to rest his weary mind.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTY4xzzXc5
But rest didn't come.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0sIFcB5Hz
What came was the memory of the dream.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLexn1PBa3
His final moments. The pain spreading from his neck throughout his body. The darkness slowly creeping in, swallowing his consciousness.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TvKO1vOVy
Bang.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDkFigdjmD
He opened his eyes suddenly, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM737vsVEbR
No. Don't think about that.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxdiTbBpBo
Now is not the time.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiwG8WRwud
You have to focus.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVxXMZ3BqR
But his mind wouldn't listen.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCJ7TZNVOv
And in the darkness, the whisper began again.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmUEYZF9DO
You'll go back. Tonight.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbxhyQNKKL
You'll go back to that place.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSB81PQZ6s
And you'll die again.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7hiJ862LO
The bell rang.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7l1HEnkYbR
The exam was over.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREtNxmt2nY
Other students began collecting their papers with rustling sounds and quiet conversations. Some looked relieved, others anxious.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCDiYR2egb
Voltase remained seated. Not moving.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxASCjmbLk
The supervising teacher walked past his desk.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlB2dokcGm7
"Are you finished, Watt?"
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFifixmXWeA
"Yes, ma'am."
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTb5jeENqs
He handed over his paper slowly.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMgUYfedwU
The teacher nodded and walked to the next desk.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfMPGqTtfq
Voltase let his gaze go blank for a moment. Then, he stood up.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieXojdaXUh
He picked up his backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and walked out of the classroom.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1JwecZEEP
The hallway was already crowded.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxI08KrABnG
Students scattered everywhere, talking loudly about the exam. Some laughed, some complained, some walked silently while staring at their phones.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPHWaWeYDn
Voltase walked past them all, paying attention to no one.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6w0RVT6vU
All he could think about was one thing.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0j8oKaCS5
I have to find out who that man is.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQTbPY9PvW
Find out what happened to him.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLLtCW8H3P
Find out why I dreamed about the bullet in his arm.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDN63R6LMXr
And I have to do it before night falls.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KOOWKJVJv
He stopped in front of the bulletin board at the end of the hallway.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33zRegbaTW
There, hanging, was a list of teachers and school staff. Their photos were neatly displayed in plastic frames, with names and positions beneath.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvl6AMs35O
Voltase scanned the list with his eyes.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDwRKHABFv
Searching for the face he'd just met.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHfBDcwzSO
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.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1jLuDwlNo
No name matching his description.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpa6A2lTYb
Maybe he's a new teacher?
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYhM0vGbuK
Maybe his photo hasn't been put up yet?
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYA7dyrAVMT
Or maybe...
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1d195rsEG
The thought made his skin crawl.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysmecEmcz9
Maybe he's not a teacher.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sNiSOd15r
Maybe he's someone else.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCkm9ACBSF
Maybe he—
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrybpepm3LG
He shook his head, trying to banish those thoughts.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG98n6TxxtB
Don't be too paranoid, Voltase.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBuxQfpYKV
Maybe his photo just hasn't been put up yet. Or he's a substitute teacher. That's a reasonable explanation.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxY4riBTQHv
But even as he thought that, a part of him didn't believe it.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2MkPUWY7K
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.
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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.
ns216.73.217.98da2 
and then Add to home screen.