The Last Nap

“The Last Nap” An empty, forgotten room is filled by the arrival of Mr. Augusto Lira. He enters, worn out, crosses the space in silence, and sinks into the blue armchair. The pain in his chest is old—almost as familiar as the smell of the house. The weight hits suddenly: the tightness, the panic, the metallic taste. He closes his eyes and lets go. The moment he drifts off, the world tears apart. He wakes inside a dream that doesn’t feel like a dream. A zombie is running toward him, its body twisted, eyes hollow. Its movement is unnatural. Hungry. Then he wakes again. Still in the blue armchair, gasping. But something is wrong. Real blood is running down his chest. He touches his shirt—it’s damp, warm. The pain that follows makes no sense. It’s as if the attack had broken through the dream and pierced his body. The pain intensifies. It swallows everything. His veins burn, his skin throbs, and every bone feels like it’s twisting on its own. Elias falls backward, struggling to breathe, but the air turns to ash. He screams, and the scream turns into a growl. The change takes over completely. His hands curl, his vision blurs with hunger. The taste of iron fills his mouth. That dream wasn’t a warning. It was a path. Elias rises slowly. He is no longer Elias. At the end of the dark hallway, the blue door remains still, waiting for the next step in his endless rebirth. (THE END)