Die, Replay, Repeat

"Hao, can you see any Specter in the sky?" Fang Xiu suddenly asked.

Zhao Hao looked up in surprise. "Specter? Where's the Specter?" He quickly gazed upwards, yet all he saw was a handful of stars in the dark sky.

"Xiu, I don't see any Specter. Did you maybe mistake something else for it?"

"I might have confused a bat for a Specter," Fang Xiu pondered, a slight crease appearing on his forehead.

_'Why Hao still can't see the Specters that are everywhere?'_

_'Is it because Zhao Hao is a newbie psychic, and he isn't strong enough? Or is it possible that not all psychics can really see these all-around Specters?'_

Fang Xiu genuinely wished it was the first reason. That would mean he wasn't the only one. Others out there, like him, could also see Specters.

"We should head home and rest."

"Head home and rest?" Zhao Hao blurted out. "Xiu, our colleagues are all gone, and we've run into Specters. And you're thinking about sleep?"

"What should we do then? Call the police? Put the Specters under arrest?"

"Maybe not… When it comes to Specters, it's best to talk to a Taoist priest."

"We don’t have to find anyone. If Specters and psychics exist, there must be organizations made just to handle Specters. If not, the world would be a mess. Also, how did you manage to escape that dream?"

"Um..." Zhao Hao looked very uneasy. "How? I did exactly as you told me, Xiu. I tried to block everything out and got lost in the scene of the … um … that movie."

"But why were you moving around and kissing the air before?"

"Wait, I was doing that?" Zhao Hao's cheeks turned bright red.

"Yep, and you weren't just moving. You made noises, and... your pants were damp."

"Stop! No more words! Xiu, seriously, if you keep going, I'll be mortified."

"What did you actually see in the dream? I'm not curious about your dream, but I'm wondering why you don't seem to have any special ability. I want to know if something went wrong in your process of turning into a psychic." Fang Xiu asked, looking serious.

"Promise you won't tell this to anyone?"

"Promise."

"Well, it's nothing big. As I went into the dream, I kept my eyes closed tight. My mind played back to the classroom scene in the adult movie... But then, scary sounds started echoing, and I felt hands, cold like death, touching me. To distract myself and out of pure fright, I... I..."

"You... took care of it using your hand?" Fang Xiu interrupted.

Zhao Hao, looking embarrassed, responded, "I just needed a quick way to shift my focus!"

Fang Xiu nodded, taking in Zhao Hao's story. "And then what happened?"

"The air shifted when I heard Li Feifei's soft voice. The cold hands transformed into warm, gentle ones, and so..."

"You peeked, didn't you? You had a crush on Li Feifei?"

"Didn't you once mention that if we see Li Feifei in our dreams, we should squeeze her to determine if we're dreaming or awake?" Zhao Hao asked.

"Right. So, did you come to any conclusion?"

"I didn't even squeeze her. Just got lost in the moment," Zhao Hao replied, sounding a bit defensive.

"And after that?"

"Li Feifei tried hard to captivate me. And honestly, I found it difficult to resist. Her outfit—a 'jk' uniform, a black ribbon with a bell, and those deliberately torn stockings—it was... captivating. But then her demeanor changed. Her eyes turned a haunting shade of red, and her mouth unnaturally stretched towards her ears. The fear that washed over me was overwhelming," he admitted.

Fang Xiu nodded sympathetically, realizing that the trauma Zhao Hao experienced was real—there was a time when he saw Hao's bulge go down a little.

"How did you manage to get back on her?"

"As that twisted version of Li Feifei moved to bite me, I felt like it was over. But a thought crossed my mind. I'm still young, a virgin, and have so much to live for. Why let this be the end? I decided that, Specter or not, I needed to act on my desires before it was too late."

Fang Xiu paused, reflecting on Zhao Hao's experience. He could now make sense of why the Specter vanished post-dream. Maybe it felt too humiliated to face Zhao Hao, especially after his daring move.

Sensing Fang Xiu's deep thoughts, Zhao Hao quickly added, "I mean, if I were on the brink of death, why hold back? Living without regrets is vital, isn't it, Xiu?"

"I believe you should head home," Fang Xiu suggested gently.contemporary romance

Zhao Hao was momentarily at a loss for words. After discussing their shared story, should anyone come asking, the two decided on their narrative and parted ways.

Arriving home, Fang Xiu was welcomed by his affectionate "wife."

"Honey, you're back! Have you had dinner? Would you like me to whip up something?" She looked serene in her usual white silk nightgown that showcased her elegant legs.

The sight of his loving wife always warmed Fang Xiu's heart, reassuring him after a long day.

Fang Xiu fixed his gaze upon his wife; her beauty was undeniable, so perfect that even enhanced photographs would pale in comparison.

"Ah, finally home," he said, his voice laced with relief and affection.

However, in the blink of an eye, the soft expression on his wife's face turned wild and ravenous. The transition was swift, almost theatrically so.

"Just l—" she began but was interrupted.

Suddenly, a shining scalpel, shimmering with Fang Xiu's dark psychic energy, shot toward her delicate throat. He had turned his psychic pain ability to its highest intensity. Now, fully rejuvenated, he controlled the scalpel with his renewed power.

Yet, just as the blade was about to make contact, everything went pitch-black for Fang Xiu. He felt himself being dragged into an endless void of unconsciousness.

When he woke up, he found himself outside his residence once more.

"Was that my end? The spot I return to upon dying seems to have changed," he mused, the faint light in the old hallway casting a muted glow on his visage.

_'Is this a display of my wife's true strength? Even after my psychic ability was activated, our power disparity felt overwhelming. I can't even recall the cause of my demise. Specters have ranks, perhaps as varied as human capabilities. Maybe I was wise to steer clear of further exploring the mental hospital.'_

After the confrontation with the "doctor," Fang Xiu toyed with the idea of delving deeper into Green Mountain Mental Hospital. However, he soon dismissed the thought. His powers felt insufficient, and the intricacies of the Specter Zone remained a mystery to him.

The "doctor" represented merely the weakest of the Specters in that hospital. If Fang Xiu struggled against such an entity, there was no way he would fare against the stronger ones. There were quite a lot of wards in the hospital of which the door was open, which indicated that the dream-weaver Specter was just one among many others hiding in unknown shadows.

He considered himself fortunate for encountering a Specter limited to mental manipulation. If he had come across a Specter with physical fight capabilities, even his death-reset ability might not have saved him. He could have ended up trapped in the hospital's eerie confines indefinitely.

Faced with a formidable foe, even countless retries might prove fruitless.

Recognizing this, Fang Xiu concluded that he needed to delve deeper into understanding his spiritual power. He needed to connect with other psychics and seek out organizations that could provide insights. Only then could he consider his next steps."

done.co