CHARLIE

“W-Why? W-Where am I again?” The horror of my recurring nightmare engulfed me once more, an inescapable torment that refused to release its hold.

I was aware that it was not real, yet I was unable to stop experiencing it. In addition to that, I was unable to make it disappear.

I had found my way back to the same endlessly eerie dungeon. I felt my heart beating fast even though there was no one following closely after me.

“H-Help! P-Please! Help me!” Even though I wasn't being pursued by anybody, I continued to scream hysterically, and it didn't faze me in the least whether I made a mess of myself or fell along the hallway.

It was really dark in there, the ground was filthy, it was damp, and the air gave off the impression that it was trying to kill you by suffocating you in some way.

“I don’t want to die yet. Not here, not now! Someone, help me out of here!”

Rust wafted through the air in that dungeon, and the discomfort it caused was so intense that I got the impression I could practically taste it.

After some time, I became exhausted from all of the running. Exhausted from my futile attempts to flee, I finally surrendered and sank to the ground.

I came to a halt when all of a sudden, I became aware of the presence of another person just behind me. I didn't waste any time turning around and spotted a man.

“It was him, again!” The same guy in every nightmare I had. The guy without a face.

I had a focused eye on him, and I made sure to take in his whole physique. It was covered with enormous, gruesome open wounds, and he gave the appearance of being close to death from bleeding out.

I stood up from the ground as I can no longer take his gaze upon me. But as I was about to walk away, he asked me once again with the same inquiry he does in every nightmare, "Where do you think you’re going?"

It made me stunned as I was well aware for the next thing that was going to take place. The man will definitely slap me, just how he did on the previous nightmares.

“No!” Aware of the impending blow that would knock me to the ground, I startled awake just before its impact.

“No!”

Unlike the initial encounter, there was no fear or unease gripping me upon awakening. Instead, a strange calmness settled within, my breath steady and undisturbed.

The nightmare now felt like a distant movie, one I observed from afar with detached indifference, devoid of any emotional impact. A peculiar tranquility engulfed me, even though its origin eluded my understanding. I simply felt obviously calm.

Even though I was awake, I couldn't open my eyes since I am can feel that I am somewhere unfamiliar.

In addition to this, I was aware that there was someone sitting next to me, but I was unable to identify him.

But is it possible that the presence of this person was the cause, that I had reached a state of calm after the reoccurring nightmare?

The person’s whispers grew faint, and his words were no longer comprehensible.

It wasn't Gideon, and it wasn't Julius, either. It sounded like someone else, maybe someone I had never seen or spoken to before. Although I was not acquainted with his voice, it seemed to me that I had heard it before.

Amidst the murmurings, I caught fragments of his words, "Sorry, I am really sorry. I hope you could still forgive me. But I would still choose to belong in this chaotic world of mine now..."

Slowly, I opened my eyes, recognizing the face of a man who stirred a vague sense of familiarity. Our mutual surprise lingered in the air as I observed him more closely, noticing the wheelchair he occupied. Searching my memory, I struggled to place his identity or recall any prior encounters.

‘Who in the world is this man? Why does he appear familiar even if he is not? Is he famous or something? Have our paths crossed before? Or did I meet him somewhere?’ Immediately, a wave of these ideas swept over my head.

The man remained silent as he avoided my gaze. I couldn't hold back any longer and finally blurted out, "Who are you?!"

The guy recoiled, averting his gaze, dismissing my presence entirely. Undeterred, I persisted, desperately seeking answers, yet he remained obstinately silent.

"Who are you and why are you here? Or where I am and why? What have you done to me?"

I felt like I had suddenly turned into a ghost. A ghost that no one could see or hear when it appeared. He turned aside and then just shouted something to the nurse.

One of the nurses who had helped me earlier had rushed in and said, "Yes, sir. What can I do for you?”

When I looked at the two of them, I had no idea what to think. I was lost in bewilderment.

"Take me back to my room immediately!" the man in the wheelchair commanded with a firm tone, which seems so scary.

"Yes, sir!" the nurse responded dutifully, guiding him out of the room with careful haste.

"No, wait! Answer me first, please!" I pleaded, attempting to halt their departure.

“Please, don’t leave me here. Where are you going? Please, tell me who you are! And where am I, and why am I here? What do you need from me? Please! I'm utterly confused! What is happening?"

He had no compassion or whatsoever and ignored me in every way possible. I broke down into tears due to my annoyance. After a while, I was no longer able to comprehend what was going on.

“This will make me insane!”

One day, a horrible image of Julius was sent to me along with a message, a warning.

After then, the next thing I knew, I found myself held captive by unknown men.

Following that, I was locked up in a dark and dangerous prison, feeling lost and helpless. “And now? What happened?”

I was rescued miraculously and was sent in a supposed safe haven? “No way! It was too surreal to be true.”

When the nurses assured me that I was in a secure location and that I did not need to be concerned about anything, I know, it was a lie. They most likely lied to me. I was trapped.

“Why does it have to turn like this? What did I do to deserve this? I just want a peaceful life!”

I wept, seeking solace on my bed as a throbbing ache returned to my head. Thoughts swirled, consumed by Julius and Gideon.

The questions continued their relentless assault—Was Julius unharmed? Was he safe? Where was Gideon? Was he searching for me? Will he be able to save me?

After some time had passed, I came to the conclusion that I needed to be brave.

Mentally and emotionally, I needed to pull myself together, so I forced myself to stop crying.

Eventually, a resolve ignited within me. I had to find strength, both in mind and spirit. Wiping away tears, I steeled myself, determined to uncover the truth.

"If none of them have the courage to speak the truth... then I shall embark on my own quest for answers," I resolved, devising a plan whose efficacy remained uncertain, yet held a glimmer of hope.

As I pondered the events that had transpired, confusion washed over me like a tidal wave.

“How did I end up in this twisted nightmare?”

“When did my life spiral into such chaos?” The questions swirled in my mind, demanding answers that remained elusive.

I found myself trapped in a web of uncertainty, haunted by memories that seemed to belong to someone else.

“Was it fate that led me down this dark path? Or were there sinister forces at play, orchestrating the events that had shattered my world?”

“Or perhaps… the blame lies within me from the very beginning, when I dared to challenge and disrupt the hidden underworld society… The world of mafias...”

CHARLIE

I was lounging on a plush white sofa, enjoying its low and comfortable embrace one evening.

Piles of papers covered my lap as I jotted down questions, engrossed in my work. Suddenly, my phone on the table jolted me out of my reverie with its insistent ringing.

“Who could it be this time, huh?”

There were calls made for some phony news and perspectives, there were people who demanded favors that were beyond of my authority, and there were even some death threats that were made.

It was and has always been like that ever since I joined the tumultuous world of media.

They would contact me so early in the morning that it would interrupt my sleep on occasion, and other times they would even call me at midnight. There were times when I answered the phone and there was complete silence on the other end of the line.

It was just the sound of the crickets or perhaps the sound of someone breathing, but there was never a single word or a hazy speech.

"Kids nowadays really know how to make fun of other people huh," This is what I thought every time I accepted or before ending some of the said phony calls.

I extended my arms and placed some papers down on the sofa before stretching. I was being obnoxious by reaching for my phone, which was sitting on the end table.

I attempted to ignore it, but the call persisted even after that. It was relentless in its pursuit of snuffing out my momentum on thinking and writing, but just when I was ready to switch it off, a message suddenly popped up from an unknown number.

'Princess Mirabella' these two words appeared as a message on the screen in quick succession.

"Princess Mirabella?" I read silently with a frown.

I was taken aback by the strange messages that I've been receiving as of late. Even though I didn't have the slightest clue as to who the sender might be – I couldn't help but wonder if they were making fun of me or if they were just sending random texts to the wrong people.

I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed some answers and needed to figure out who was sending me these strange messages. I didn't even have a single idea as to who the sender might be.

When I read these words again that appeared on the screen, I felt a tightening in my chest, and I couldn't quite put my finger on how to describe the sensation accurately. It appeared to me that I had a connection to it, and I felt that connection.

“Princess Mirabella…”

I inhaled deeply before pushing myself off the sofa and standing up. After tying my hair up and grabbing my coffee cup from the table – which had been piping hot only an hour earlier but was now ice cold – I made my way to the window.

I paused for a few seconds to gaze out the window. Outside, there was nothing but complete and utter blackness. After a few more deep breaths, I attempted to recapture the momentum that I had been losing as a result of the distressing and weird phone calls and texts that I had been getting.

“Focus self. Focus!” I mumbled to myself while taking a gulp of my coffee.

On the other hand, the reverse occurred, as instead of finding clarity, a rush of memories flooded my mind.

Flashes of my brother Alejandro chasing me in our garden. We were playing together, and he never wanted me to get injured in any way. He was such a gentleman in a young age.

I looked over and saw my mother and father standing in a gazebo. They were yelling at us to come out of hiding because they said it was going to start raining and we needed to get back inside as soon as possible.

A resumption of my brother's pursuit coincided with the beginning of a loud ringing sound coming from my phone. My body felt as if it had been brutally kidnapped and yanked out of a foreign dimension – maybe a realm of unwelcome flashbacks – but anyway, it caused me to be jolted out of reality, and I was horrified as a result.

As soon as I tasted the delicious coffee that had been turned into a sour one, I thought to myself, "This coffee is no longer helping."

As my anger level rose, I hurriedly placed the item back where it had been and reached for my phone instead. I was quite fortunate that it was not yet another call from an unknown number.

When I saw her name, some of the tension in my body began to release. It was Avery. Avery Guavez. She was my best friend and one of the only individuals in my life whom I trusted and who stood with me throughout my struggles.

She was gorgeous and our height was the same, and I really appreciated her laid-back, calm attitude toward life. I can say that she’s, my constant. Her calm and easygoing nature always brought me solace.

"Hey there, Charlie! What’s up?" Avery's voice greeted me with enthusiasm the moment I answered the call.

"Oh, hi there," I still wasn't able to come up with the words. I was still feeling a little amount of frustration as a result of all the ideas that had been going through my head because of the phone calls that seemed to have already damaged my eardrum and brain at the same time.

“What’s with that tone, girl? Are you okay?” Avery asked, concern was evident in her tone.

"Hmm, just tired, I guess. This evening had been a little bit hectic. As per usual, I'm working on my papers, and it’s giving me headache now. But, thank goodness you called, because I really need some rationality right about now. You are my savior, Avery!” I joked, trying to downplay the chaos in my mind.

"Just a little bit hectic, huh? Are you sure it was just a bit? Oh, come on, dear friend, don’t fool me!” she exclaimed, still concerned.

I just made a soft giggle as a response and then before I could even say a word, she continued talking.

"You never stop saying that, Charlotte! It’s not a bit, you are super busy. And now, you sounded like you were under a lot of pressure. Perhaps you might benefit from a little diversion!”

“A little diversion? What do you mean?” I inquired and I heard her heaved a sigh on the other line.

CHARLIE

“Well, you know, have some fun! You've forgotten how to enjoy yourself! Sometimes, you need to shake things up a bit and then return to your path," Avery suggested, her voice taking on a more serious tone. She really understood the pressures of my job.

"I didn't think a little distraction was what I needed, perhaps… maybe I just needed a little more focus?"

We shared a giggle as I cautiously balanced my phone on my ear with the shoulder of one of my hands.

I was anticipating an offer to hang out with her, and it was possible that she might want a movie night at my house as well, so I did some light cleaning and attempted to retrieve the papers that I had thrown on the sofa earlier.

I was only trying to tidy up a little since I knew it when Avery talked like way. It's not like we aren't comfortable with each other yet to see each other's homes in disorder or in a complete mess.

She was presumably up to something - something that would need me to quit my work for a while and shake things off a little bit, and as soon as I thought of that, she simply spoke with excitement.

“No! You already focused enough with your work, Charlie. So for now, you need to have fun. And I am sure you’re up for it!”

"Yeah, right. When will I ever learn to say no to you, Avery?" To alleviate some of the uneasiness, I let out a lighthearted chuckle.

All my worries, I didn't really want to speak about it just now — neither the odd phone calls nor the ludicrous text messages that I've been getting a lot more often recently.

In addition, since I was working as a journalist at the time, I made an effort to classify them as belonging to the category of "normal."

To allow these things to impact me in real life and, of course, in a more intimate manner, I felt it could be unprofessional of me to do so because of the nature of the relationship we had.

My first reaction was that it was probably not essential for me to become involved with or immerse myself in these straightforward hoax calls and texts.

“Yes, and it sounds like a lot of fun! Trust me!" Avery exclaimed once more.

"Okay, fine. Tell me, when will it be?" I inquired once more and I did not stop her from continuing.

“Tonight, Charlie! The celebration was in honor of Mason's birthday. One of our close pals from high school, do you remember him? Additionally, he was a student in our English class!”

I gave Mason a little amount of my attention and did my best to picture his appearance in my mind.

"What’s with the silence, Charlie? Oh God! How could you possibly forget the only student in our English class who knew twenty other languages?” Avery sneered at me.

"Mason Kingston? Oh that guy!” As soon as I recalled him, I instantly referred to him as ‘the one who always sits beside Fiona’.

“Yes! And while we're on the subject of Fiona, she would be there as well. I've heard that several of our old friends and classmates from high school will also be there! Exciting, right?” It sounded as if she was rather thrilled.

“Hmm, I see…” I only murmured as I was trying to make an educated estimate about the list of persons whom I could run into later on at the party.

"Just say yes! You already know you can’t say no to me so, I'll come get you up at nine o'clock!”

After I gave my ‘okay’, the two of us ended the call. After that, all I did was put my phone somewhere else and concentrate on getting my assignments done.

Thankfully, after I had eliminated all potential sources of distraction, I was able to complete my work well in advance of 7 o'clock and had plenty of extra time to get ready for the party.

Just now I was wearing a form-fitting cocktail dress. It was dark in color and had a seductive slit along with a little bit of glitter on the bottom part of it.

Avery came to get me at 9 o'clock that night, as we had previously arranged, and we drove to a lavish penthouse that was given the name “Pentagon”.

The apartment was decorated with a sophisticated color scheme of black and dark blue.

Everything, from the floor to the furnishings, and even the strobe lights, was a rental. Avery and I went outside, up to the rooftop, where there was a large bar that seemed to be rather elegant as well as a pool.

On the edge of the rooftop, there was a seating area with sofas that gave off an upscale appearance, while another was located by the pool.

A lengthy bar had been stocked with expensive bottles of booze in neat rows. Because the volume of the music was higher inside than it was here, we decided against going back inside initially.

I was a bit self-conscious since there were a lot of people around me whose faces I didn't remember, even if some of them seemed somewhat familiar. In contrast to Avery, she seemed to be smiling at everyone she saw as if they were all old good friends.

"Gotcha! There he is!" Avery exclaimed and pointed to a guy who had a wide back with his finger.

To my surprise, I struggled to recognize the resemblance between our dorky high school classmate Mason and the striking figure before me.

“That was Mason, right?” I spoke to Avery in a hushed tone.