Chapter 21: Does Your Neck Still Hurt?

The ground beneath my feet felt bottomless.

In a pitch-black darkness where a single misstep felt like it would send me plunging into the abyss, I wandered, lost with nowhere to go.

Creeeak… creak… skreee…!

A grotesque sound, impossible to tell where it began, slowly drew closer until it started circling right by my ears.

‘Go away! What is this… where am I…? Hng… ngh…!’

My whole body stiffened, so rigid I couldn’t even breathe properly. Nothing was restraining me, yet I couldn’t move a single inch.

‘Hff… ngh…!’

The only thing I could do was crouch down on the spot.

Curling my body into a ball, I lowered my head, squeezed my eyes shut, and covered my ears.

Creeeeak… skreek…

But the eerie noise ignored all that and burrowed straight into my eardrums, forcing my eyes open again.

Nothing had changed.

The pitch darkness still pressed down on me…

‘Hhk… huff- ghk…!’

And soon, it began to tighten around my throat.

‘B-breath… I can’t… breathe…!’

Who is choking me?

Where even is this place?

Why am I here?

Just a moment ago, I was definitely…

Definitely…

…

Where was I?

…No, who am I?

****

“Gahhh!”

The moment my eyes flew open, a scream burst out first.

As my mind snapped back, cold sweat poured down my back.

“Huff, huff… what the hell! Hah…!”

My breathing was ragged, like I’d just run a marathon. No, more like I hadn’t been able to breathe for a long time.

I hurriedly grabbed at my throat. It still felt like something was choking me, but there was nothing there.

“Hah… damn it, what kind of dream was that…?”

Goosebumps rose visibly across my skin. The dream had been so chilling that my whole body felt cold.

I did have nightmares often, but never one that felt this horrible.

“…Still, thank god it was just a dream.”

Even though it was dark all around, it was better than that absolute void.

I was in my room.

My room, cozily decorated with all the things I’d asked for from the merchant who traded potions.

“…Guess I’m not sleeping anymore tonight.”

The fear subsided quickly, but the dream was too unpleasant. I was wide awake now.

Even if I tried to sleep, I felt like I’d just fall back into that same nightmare.

“…Let’s get up.”

I staggered to my feet.

Is it still far from sunrise? What time is it?

I’d never bothered getting a clock since I usually woke up naturally… but of course, it becomes inconvenient the moment you need it.

Inas doesn’t seem to check the clock anyway, maybe I should just bring the one from the living room into my room…

“Phew…”

Thinking it’d be better to head to the living room, I took a deep breath and opened the door.

Maybe it was because of the bad dream.

My dim room, and the equally dim hallway, felt especially eerie today.

“…I should’ve left the lights on.”

There’s no electricity in this world. Instead, there are lights made using magic stones. I’ve never used them, though. This house still relies on lamps.

I never felt inconvenienced, so I just left it that way. Even if they’re lamps, it’s not like you have to light them manually.

When someone moves, they turn on automatically, like sensor lights. I used to think Inas had cast magic on them… but now I’m not so sure.

Would Inas really bother doing something that tedious?

“…”

Anyway, that wasn’t as important as the fact that I had to walk more than five steps down this dark hallway before the lamps turned on.

So why won’t my feet move?

Am I still scared over just a dream?

I hate to admit it, but today the darkness feels especially frightening. It feels like I shouldn’t step forward, but going back into my room doesn’t feel any better.

“…Ah, damn it.”

What is this? Why does even my room feel creepy?

The last time I felt like this was the first day I dropped out of high school and started living alone.

“Ugh…”

Back then too, it was just a few steps.

And if I pressed the switch, the room would light up.

But I couldn’t do it. I just stood there, stuck, unable to go forward or back for a long time.

Well… I was only seventeen. I’d already been worn down by a lot of things.

But now, doing the same thing again, five years later…

‘…’

At that thought, I forced myself to move.

I didn’t want to admit that I hadn’t changed at all since then.

Once everything lights up, the fear will disappear too. Before making breakfast, I should add lighting to the trade list. There’s no reason to live without it when I can get it.

Maybe I’ll just sleep with the lights on from now on…

“Phew… okay…”

I deliberately distracted myself with trivial thoughts as I slowly took one step at a time.

It felt like I’d stepped into a scene from a horror movie. Like someone was watching me and shouting, If it feels off, don’t go!

“Ugh… why am I even imagining that…”

My own imagination scared me enough that my legs froze again. I knew how ridiculous it was, but now they were even trembling.

This is all because of that dream.

Because I had that weird dream…

…Wait, what dream did I even have?

“…What the hell…”

I’d already forgotten what I dreamed, yet my legs still wouldn’t move.

Swallowing the sigh that threatened to escape, I clenched my teeth. The frustration of feeling like I hadn’t grown at all gnawed at me.

And then…

Creeeak… skreeeeeech…!

“Ah…”

SKREEEEEECH! KRRRK! SKREE! SCREEEAAAM!

“Ugh… nghhh!”

Thud!

The strength instantly left my legs, and my body crashed to the floor with a loud bang. I couldn’t feel pain. My heart pounding like it might stop hurt far more.

“AAAAAHHH!”

It wasn’t a matter of will.

I saw it.

Something without a face, clutching my ankle.

It held my foot down… and it was smiling.

It had no face, so it shouldn’t have an expression, but I knew it was smiling.

The moment I realized that…

“Gahhh!”

I opened my eyes again.

On my bed.

This time, it was the usual hour I woke up, just as the faint light of dawn began to creep in.

****

The table was piled high with anchovies. An absurd amount.

“What are you doing?”

“Removing the guts from anchovies.”

“…Anchovy guts?”

Inas watched me with curiosity, seemingly fascinated by how mechanically I was separating them.

“Anchovies are great for making broth. I mean, these probably aren’t actual anchovies, but they look similar and taste similar too. I’ve really been craving Korean food, so I thought I’d try making soup.”

“Korean food…”

“It’s the food from the world I lived in. Just like there are multiple empires here, there are many countries there too. Food from my country is called Korean cuisine. I’m saying I want to eat that.”

“Hmm…”

Honestly, I didn’t even like Korean food that much.

Most of what I ordered was junk food, burgers, pizza… It feels strange craving this now.

I even want kimchi.

I never used to understand how Koreans say they can’t live without it. I used to throw away the kimchi that came with deliveries like it was just pickles…

But now that I can’t have it, I crave it.

‘Not that I have much of an appetite…’

Korean food or not, I don’t really feel like eating anything right now.

Still, doing this kind of repetitive task might help me forget last night’s dream. Pleasant dreams fade quickly, but why do nightmares linger so vividly?

“Want to try?”

Rather than dwell on the nightmare, I shifted my attention to Inas.

“Yeah.”

I only offered because he was staring, but I didn’t expect him to immediately sit across from me.

I thought he’d refuse, saying it was bothersome without even trying…

Still, having him here made me feel at ease. A dream is just a dream, but being alone made the unease creep back in.

“Here, watch. You remove the head and pull down like this. See the black part?”

“Yeah.”

Inas obediently nodded and picked up an anchovy.

The contrast between his sculpted face and the anchovy… was ridiculous.

Then, without hesitation, he snapped the anchovy clean in half.

“…Pfft.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

I told him to remove the guts, and he just split it in two.

“No… just this part. Only this.”

“I did that.”

“You just tore it in half.”

“…”

“Watch again.”

I kindly demonstrated again, and Inas watched intently.

This time, he seemed to get it, delicately pulling the guts out with his long fingers.

“Oh.”

Perfect.

“That’s right. That’s how you do it.”

It’s not exactly a difficult task, but when it’s Inas doing it, it’s different.

He’s so hopeless at most things.

Sometimes I even think it’d be better if he didn’t do anything at all. When he causes trouble, the scale is… something else.

There’s always this lingering fear that if I leave him alone for even a moment, he might blow up the house.

Well… unless I go back to my original world, he’ll never really be alone.

“By the way, Idel is really persistent. Even if it’s an imperial order… if it were me, I’d try to persuade the emperor instead of just waiting endlessly outside.”

“Persuade the emperor…”

“Well, he doesn’t look like someone who’d listen anyway. Totally stubborn.”

“Hmm…”

Talking trash about Idel and the emperor while removing anchovy guts with Inas…

It’s kind of ridiculous.

But I liked this moment.

At least it kept my mind off last night’s nightmare.

“People are funny, though. I used to never go outside much, right? But now that I can’t, it feels suffocating.”

“Yeah.”

“You too?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh… that’s unexpected.”

Is he focused?

Once he starts something, he usually gets intensely absorbed, so his half-hearted answers weren’t surprising.

“I kind of want some fresh air…”

Honestly, just having him sit here without causing trouble is enough.

Now that I think about it, even though I see Inas every day, we don’t actually talk that much.

He’s always either sleeping or holed up in his lab. During meals, he’s too busy eating to respond.

It’s not even about whether his answers have substance, there just aren’t many chances to casually chat with him.

‘And when he keeps clinging to me saying he’s tired or sleepy… it’s hard to talk…’

But seriously, why does he keep sticking to me?

He’s quiet today, did he get bored?

That’d be a relief… but who knows when he’ll change his mind again.

Figuring I should talk while I can, I spoke again.

“I want to hang laundry outside too. It’s definitely different. When it dries in the sun, it smells like sunlight.”

“…”

“Oh, I’m not telling you to do it. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

Come to think of it, Inas was just staring at me. There were only about five cleaned anchovies in front of him.

He usually focuses for quite a while once he starts, but today he seemed to lose interest faster than usual.

Then…

“Well, whatever. Go hang it outside.”

“…What?”

“Not like you’ll die.”

“…”

That didn’t sound like something Inas would say.

“…You said… I’d die if I go outside…?”

The question slipped out absentmindedly.

Inas smirked.

Why is he smiling? Has he… always smiled like that?

“Who knows.”

He shrugged, like it wasn’t his concern.

Then he looked straight at me and said…

“They’re not killing you right now, are they?”

“…What?”

“Does your neck still hurt?”

A chilling question that dragged the fear, just barely settled, right back to the surface.