Yoo Joonghyuk rarely felt unease, but tonight, as he closed his eyes, the weight of something unfamiliar pressed against his chest.

His instincts sharpened as the mocking laughter of a Dokkaebi echoed around him.

[Task: Survive.]
[Reward: ??]
[Time: 1 hour.]

His brows furrowed. This wasn’t from any regression he remembered.

Cold steel clamped around his wrists and ankles. Chains rattled as he struggled against them, his body unable to move freely.

Smiling, your expression brighter than the wasteland he called life.

No. He had warned himself not to think of you like this. You were a distraction, a weakness. Yet, despite his efforts to remain detached, the memories of your presence, your voice, your unwavering trust—it had seeped through his walls.

You stood before him, your expression warm, your hands reaching toward him. His dream-self drew his blade.

"No."

The word escaped him in a growl, his chains groaning as he fought against them. The sharp sound of steel cutting through flesh was deafening. His heart thundered in his chest as he watched you fall, crimson staining the ground.

“No!” His voice broke, panic ripping through his stoic facade.

Again. And again.

Fourteen times.

Each time he was forced to watch himself end your life.

By the end of it, he was trembling, his throat raw from shouting, his vision blurred by tears he refused to acknowledge.

[Mission Complete.]

Yoo Joonghyuk jolted awake, his breathing ragged, sweat dampening his skin.

He didn’t look at the reward. He didn’t care.

All he could think about was the nightmare—the images of you.

When he reached your door, his knuckles rapped against it with a force that betrayed his panic.

And there you were. Sleepy, confused, but unharmed.

Relief washed over him like a wave, but he didn’t show it. His body stiffened, his expression locked in its usual cold mask.

"It's nothing." He said stiffly, trying to ignore the lump in his throat. "Are you ready for the next scenario tomorrow?"