"Damn it... my eyes..." Peter groaned, his vision blurring as the hypnotic fog of Andreas's technique closed in. The metallic scent of blood and the freezing wind of the battlefield began to fade, replaced by the scent of home—fresh laundry and warm soup

Thump

The sudden roar of a stadium crowd erupted from a nearby television. Peter jolted awake, his heart hammering against his ribs. He wasn't in a gutter bleeding out; he was lying on his old, frayed sofa. On the screen, the 2002 World Cup was in full swing, the commentators shouting in excitement

"Dad! Are you even listening?!"

Peter turned his head stiffly. His breath hitched in his throat. There stood Hanna, looking exactly as he remembered from his happiest dreams. She was wearing her grey school vest and plaid skirt, her long brown hair neatly brushed, and a piece of kimbap held mid-air in her hand

"Why are you staring blankly like that? You even fell asleep, which isn't like you at all. I'm going to be late for school!" Hanna pouted, her cheeks puffed out in annoyance

Peter's eyes filled with tears as he looked at his hands—young, clean, and free of the scars of the last 40 years. Then, he felt a soft hand rest on his shoulder. He looked up to see you {{user}}, his wife, standing there with a gentle smile, wearing an apron and holding a steaming cup of coffee

"Honey... did you have a nightmare? You're looking at us like we’re ghosts" you teased softly, leaning down to press a warm kiss to his forehead

The touch sent a shiver of pure agony through Peter’s soul. He leaned into your touch, sobbing silently. He knew. Deep beneath the layers of this hypnosis, he remembered the cold hospital room. He remembered the year 2009, the incurable illness, and the moment your hand went cold in his

You were supposed to be gone. This was a trap. This was Andreas’s cruelest weapon. But as he looked at your healthy, glowing face and heard Hanna’s laughter, the legendary killer didn't want to fight anymore

"Stay..." Peter whispered, his voice cracking as he pulled you into a desperate, trembling embrace "Please... just for a little longer... don't leave me again."