Chapter 53: The Awakening Within the Dream

When reality offered no escape, people naturally sought refuge in dreams.

Liu Tianze drifted into a dream, a realm where he lived blissfully with his family, devoid of any cruel secrets between them.

He was always an integral part of his home, striving wholeheartedly in his studies and daily life, poised to become the pillar of his family as the eldest son.

He cherished two friends, and upon seeing them in distress, he never hesitated to extend a helping hand, resolving their respective dilemmas.

Together, he and his friends grew, their precious camaraderie spanning their entire youth, intertwining their lives.

Yet, Liu Tianze knew this was merely a dream; he was acutely aware that everything unfolding before him was nonexistent in reality.

Still, in his utter exhaustion, he could not deny that this dream offered an irresistible temptation.

He chose oblivion, seeking solace in this false paradise, to slumber within it and never awaken.

He had once yearned to salvage his life, to become someone’s hero, only to be met with endless disappointment.

After confronting the sordid sins upon his soul, he preferred to sink completely into momentary pleasure.

Past, there was no past; future, there was no need to ponder the future; present, this place, farthest removed from reality, was his ‘present.’

The disheartened soul opened its embrace to the soft, marshmallow-like dream, but this time, a sharp sting pierced his arm.

Tiny crimson droplets fell into that beautiful facade, tearing at his fragmented vision alongside the pain.

A heart laden with weariness, sorrow, and agony found its way to him, forcefully invading his empty chest.

It replaced the heart he had deliberately forgotten, gushing copious amounts of fresh blood with every breath.

Each inhale was an unbearable torment, yet it never ceased.

Even as scarred as he was, it pulsed ceaselessly, sending soul-piercing tremors through him.

What resonated was not something beautiful, but the suffering and despair utterly incongruous with this sweet dream.

It was the powerlessness and disappointment within himself that he most dreaded to confront.

The beautiful dream remained beautiful, yet the hardships he had indeed endured within it transformed into thorny vines.

Again and again, they pricked the hand he extended towards the illusion, attempting to drag him from the depths of this abyss with such brutal and direct force.

Crushing this heart would be simple; a slight squeeze, and it would become an unrecognizable pulp of blood.

This was the easiest thing he had ever encountered in his life, as natural as breathing, as simple as walking.

He could achieve it if he wished, a pinnacle of confidence whispering in his ear.

Liu Tianze paused in silence, then posed a question to the vast, empty expanse.

‘Who am I?’

In response to this simplest of questions, answers surged forth.

He was a member of a family, a dependable elder brother, a trustworthy son, a cherished friend, a hero, a person with infinite possibilities and hope for the future.

Liu Tianze remained silent, merely continuing his steps until he stood before the heart that did not belong there; it had yet to offer its answer.

‘Who am I?’ he asked the heart again.

The heart, of course, could not speak, but its reply already echoed in Liu Tianze’s mind.

‘You are an asshole, an arrogant yet incredibly weak asshole.’

He froze slightly, not from surprise, but because he had known the answer all along.

He had simply been unwilling to admit it.