Drip… drip… drip…
"Hmm...?" Blink. "Ughh..." Vial slowly opened his eyes to a room bathed in blinding white. The soft sound of dripping water echoed endlessly around him. He blinked again, his vision adjusting. It didn't take long for him to realize—this had to be a dream. After all, he remembered clearly that he'd just gone to sleep.
He stood up, gathering his thoughts. There was nothing in the room—no walls, no floor, just an endless white void. He walked forward, unsure of where he was going, until—
"AAAGGHHH!!"
The floor beneath him vanished. In an instant, he was falling through the sky, the sudden change catching him off guard. The scream tore from his throat just before—
He jolted awake.
Haah... haah... haah...
Panting heavily, he sat up in bed, clutching his chest. His heart pounded like a drum.
"What the hell was that...?" he muttered between breaths.
As the panic faded, something else caught his attention—the bed he was lying on wasn't his. Neither was the room. It was neat, spacious, and minimal. Clean to a fault.
"This... isn't my room," he said aloud, standing up.
He reached for his phone and checked the time. It was still midnight. But what really threw him off was the date.
"What the—?" He checked again. The date was correct… but not his date.
Brow furrowed, he opened his messages. No Carl. No familiar names. His contact list was completely different.
'What the hell… am I still dreaming?' He slapped his cheek. Nothing changed. Again, harder this time. Still no difference.
'Is this what they call a lucid dream?' he thought. 'A dream where you're aware and can control things?'
Assuming he was stuck in one, he returned to his phone. Scrolling through news headlines, one caught his eye:
[Male Rape Case Shocks Nation; Four Women Arrested in Brutal Attack.]
"A male raped by a female? Damn, dude must be handsome as hell."
Curious, he scrolled further.
[Tensions Rise as Women Charged in Assault of Valuable Male]
Valuable male? What is this guy, a celebrity? Why are men getting raped...?
"Sigh… what a weird dream world this is," he said aloud and tossed the phone aside. Figuring he'd eventually wake up, he laid back down and closed his eyes.
Unaware that the world he once knew… was now just a distant memory.
---
[One Day Before the Transport]
Buzz. Buzz.
"Haaaah..." A girl yawned as she picked up her phone, obviously annoyed.
"What is it?" she asked flatly.
"Wow. You could at least pretend you're not pissed," said the voice on the other end. "Anyway, wanna grab some dessert later? I found a good place."
"Your treat? If not, I'm not going."
"This bitch... fine."
She smirked. "Hmm~ Hehe, alright then. I'll go."
"Cool. See you later."
Click.
---
Blink. Blink.
The rustling of blankets and a heavy exhale marked Vial's second awakening.
"...Still here?" he muttered, rubbing his face. Morning light filtered through the curtains.
"I should've woken up by now… right?" He stood up and dragged himself to the bathroom.
Shhhh... Water flowed as he splashed his face and stared at his reflection.
"…This isn't working either."
He dried off with a towel and walked out to the balcony, phone in hand, trying to distract himself.
Peering down, he noticed something strange—almost everyone walking below was female. The few men he spotted could be counted on one hand, and most were swarmed by women.
"Damn… lucky bastards," he muttered, a bit jealous. "They're not even that good-looking."
"Must be some kind of celebrities", he thought.
With nothing else to do, he turned away and went back inside. He needed answers. If this was a dream… why hadn't he woken up yet?
"Sigh."
Still feeling sticky from sleep and restless thoughts, he grabbed a towel and headed to the bathroom.
"Might as well take a shower… maybe I'll wake up after that."