That night, Demha returned to his bed on Earth.
He didn't work the next day.
He didn't train. He didn't go out.
He kept his body rested — just in case.
He wanted no excuses. No weakness.
Lessa was waiting.
When the night came, he lay down with a small smile, imagining her waiting at the café. Maybe nervous. Maybe impatient.
Sleep came quickly.
But when Demha opened his eyes…
He wasn't in the café.
He wasn't even in the world he knew.
There was only darkness.
Endless, choking, empty darkness.
He screamed.
At first in confusion — then in terror.
He ran blindly into the void, shouting Lessa's name. Over and over again. His voice cracked. He was losing it. No answer. No warmth. No stars. No sound except the beat of his heart hammering inside a hollow universe.
It wasn't himself he feared for.
It was her.
Was she trapped?
Was she hurt?
He clawed at the blackness, feeling invisible chains tighten around his chest, his arms, his throat.
This wasn't a dream.
It was a nightmare without end.
When he finally woke, he was screaming. Breathless. Drenched in sweat.
He barely registered the sound of sirens outside.
Still shaking, he rushed out to a late-night pharmacy. He didn't even think. All that filled his mind was one thought:
Is Lessa okay?
Wait—am I okay? Was all of that just… fake?
No. No. It's impossible. It's been eight months… No. Three months? Ahaa… I can't even count right now…
Back home, trembling, he tore the sleep pills open.
One.
Two.
Back to sleep.
Again: darkness.
Again: running.
Again: screaming.
He woke vomiting into the bathroom sink, his body rejecting the poison he'd used to fight his own mind.
Hours passed like this — an endless cycle of terror and despair.
Sleep. Darkness. Wake. Collapse.
Until finally, half-conscious, pale, soul-shredded, he stumbled into the living room and turned on the TV — searching for anything that might bring him back to reality.
Then he saw it.
"THE MULTIVERSE HAS STARTED ON EARTH!"
"Massive portals appearing!"
"Governments declaring states of emergency!"
Demha stared blankly at the screen.
Half of him shattered.
The other half burned with a single, blinding thought:
Where is Lessa?
⸻
He stood frozen in front of the screen. Numb. Still. Breathing like a hunted animal.
THE MULTIVERSE HAS STARTED ON EARTH.
For a second, fear rooted him in place.
Then another thought took over — bigger than logic, hotter than panic:
I don't care who dies in this madness.
I have to find Lessa — wherever she is.
Even part of himself was shocked by how far he'd come. The Demha who never cared about much… was gone. Sleep-deprived, dizzy, heart crushed by silence — yet still standing.
The terror in his chest had become rage.
His exhaustion had become fuel.
His doubts had melted into cold, clear purpose.
Minutes ago, he had almost lost his mind thinking it was all a lie.
But now?
Now the chaos outside was a message.
A path.
A sign.
He clenched his fists.
No matter what it takes… I'll reach her.
⸻
The world had descended into chaos.
People who had once visited strange dream-worlds began forming guilds and alliances.
Some were prepared. Others stumbled in fear.
But somehow, panic didn't last long — as if humanity remembered something, deep down, that had been forgotten.
The Earth had been given a "Reunion Challenge."
Nobody knew exactly what it meant.
"Reunion" — with who?
With what?
Nobody cared. Nobody asked.
(They didn't know their darkest history was about to wake up.)
All anyone understood was this:
In five days, red gates would appear around the world.
Anyone who wished to join the challenge… must enter.
⸻
Five days later.
Demha stood before a glowing crimson portal in his country.
Around him, hundreds gathered. Groups. Duos. Loners.
Some buzzed with excitement. Some whispered about rewards and glory. Others stared blankly into the red light, terrified.
Demha?
He didn't care about any of them.
He just stood there, silent.
That old smile of his — the one he wore like a second skin since childhood — was gone.
In its place was a stillness. A haunted focus.
Not anger. Not hope.
Just a face carved by fear — the fear of losing someone he hadn't even admitted he loved.
And under that fear… a vow.
A voice that echoed only in his bones:
"Wait for me, Lessa."
The gate opened.
And humanity _once again _ stepped into a the maddness of reality .
⸻
[End of first part of Chapter 5: The World Awakens]