I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Just seconds ago, my arm was broken, but now it had completely healed, not even a scar left behind.
But I hadn't even wanted this. More precisely, I hadn't even had the chance to want it. I couldn't attach any meaning to my arm suddenly healing out of nowhere. Sure, everything happening was fucking with my head, but right now my arm was fully healed. At least that's how it looked.
I quickly turned towards my other, left arm.
The moment I turned my head, I felt the difference. Just moments ago, I could barely move my head through pain, but now I could turn it around so easily.
When I looked at my left arm, I saw that it had fully healed, too.
The dangling flesh pieces were gone.
When I tried to stand up, the weakness, numbness, and pain I had felt just seconds ago were completely gone.
I got up as if nothing had ever happened — but I couldn't understand why. How the hell had this happened? Why had I healed all of a sudden?
I didn't even care about my legs healing anymore. The shock of my arms suddenly healing was so insane, I didn't even remember the rest of my body. At this point, I wasn't even questioning if everything was a dream.
The only thought in my head was: get up, figure out what is happening, and get out of here and go home.
I slowly got up, moving carefully. I didn't feel any pain. Not in my right arm, not in my left. My legs were fine too. The only thing left on the ground was a bloodstain. And a bunch of papers were scattered everywhere.
I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. I wanted to test my lungs. Because just moments ago, I couldn't breathe properly.
Nothing. Everything was fine. I could breathe normally. No problem with my lungs, or anywhere else.
The wind had stopped ever since that piece of paper slapped my face. The paper… Wait a minute, where the hell was that paper?
I quickly looked around to find it. Only one of the papers had writing on it. I bent down and picked it up.
It still had the same words written on it:
"Are you sure this is a dream?"
What do you mean? If this isn't a dream, then is it? Where am I? Where are the people? How did my wishes come true? How did my wounds heal in one second? There's no way to explain this shit with real-world logic.
I must be dreaming. But I can't wake up. Yeah, no other explanation.
Just then, the wind started blowing again.
"Enough already, how long is this damn wind going to blow?" was what I was about to say when another paper slammed into my face.
I grabbed it, and the wind immediately stopped.
"Where the fuck are all these papers coming from? Dream, dream, fucking dream. I'm so done with this shit," I muttered as I looked at the paper.
This time, it wasn't a question.
It was a full handwritten paragraph.
"It's nice that you think everything feels like a dream. But let me remind you of something:
In dreams, nothing stays stable.
Writings fade away, paths twist, memories vanish, and everything is forgotten.
No detail ever feels real like it does in real life. Look around you. Look carefully. Does it seem like a dream? Could a dream give you this much detail so perfectly? This isn't a dream, it's reality. Understand that. Well, even if you don't, it's fine. We have plenty of time.
At least, I do."
I didn't understand what I read at first. Or maybe I pretended not to understand. I don't know. But I did know that I felt the need to read it again.
"This isn't a dream, it's reality. Understand that."
Panic started to slowly crawl over me. Fear, anxiety, helplessness. I was feeling all of it at the same damn time. My breathing started to speed up. I was getting excited again, but not the good kind.
I had just received a letter or whatever the hell you call it, saying that everything I just lived through wasn't a dream, but reality.
And if I wasn't dreaming, where the hell was I?
Wait a minute, maybe I'm inside a game? A VR game! Yeah, that's possible. Wait, it's 2025. Technology isn't that advanced yet to make me lose myself inside a game. What is this, Rick and Morty?
What should I do now? Where am I supposed to go? Who do I ask for help?
Wait, wait, wait… If this is real, where are the people? Where's my family? Where the hell are my mom and dad? My siblings?
No, no, no, this can't be happening. No fucking way.
I have to be dreaming. There's no other possibility. Yeah, no way.
"I'm dreaming, I don't care what you say!" I shouted like I was threatening someone.
Who the fuck was I even threatening? Not even I knew. Maybe I was just talking to myself.
Right then, I heard the sound of paper again. But there was no wind. When I looked towards the sound, I realized it was coming from the paper in my hand.
When I lifted it up and looked, I saw that the text had changed. There was something new written on it:
"Your family, ey? They are safe, unlike you, sadly.
Enough with your attitude.
Let's start the game, shall we?"