April 4, 2014
7:00 PM
[Unknown City — the sky glowed red from the setting sun as lights gradually turned on across the city]
Fourteen-year-old Sam was sitting in the balcony, looking through a photo album. Around him, hundreds of paper crafts—ships, birds, frogs—were neatly arranged.
As he flipped through the album, he found one of his old artworks. A grin spread across his face. Excitedly, he carried the paper to the living room, where his mother, Lilly, was chopping vegetables.
"Hey Mom, look what I found!"
Without stopping her work, Lilly glanced toward the paper sheet. It contained three pictures: one of Sam's father Bruce, one of Lilly, and one of Sam himself. Though each picture had a different background and timing, Sam had framed them together with sketch colors in such a way that it looked as if the three of them were interacting with one another.
Lilly smiled warmly. Before she could say anything, someone knocked on the door.
It was a familiar knock.
Sam opened the door and saw Bruce standing outside with a smile, carrying a bag of vegetables. He was a 31-year-old man with dark black hair and a fit physique.
"Dad, come in! Look what I found," Sam said while taking the bag from him.
The two of them went inside and began looking through the album together while Lilly returned to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
None of them realized it was already 9 PM.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang again.
Bruce stood up from his chair.
"I'll see who it is."
A few moments later, he returned with several individuals dressed in formal coats, trousers, and black glasses. Bruce's face had turned pale.
Hearing the unfamiliar voices, Lilly stepped out of the kitchen. Bruce quietly gestured toward her, signaling her to take Sam into another room.
As Sam stood up, he glanced at the man leading the group. He wore clothes similar to the others, but something about his smile felt different. Sam was smart enough to sense the danger hidden behind it.
Lilly grabbed Sam's hand and quickly led him to his room.
With a faint smile, she said,
"Don't be afraid. They might be your dad's friends. But promise me you won't come outside no matter what happens, alright? Go lie on your bed. I'll be back soon."
Then she left the room.
Sam was utterly confused.
What is happening outside? Who are these people? Why did Mom tell me not to come out?
As he lay on the bed, he could only hear muffled conversations from outside. Gradually, the voices grew louder and more chaotic.
Sam's curiosity kept increasing. He wanted to step outside, but Lilly's warning stopped him.
After a few minutes, Lilly suddenly rushed back into the room and began searching frantically through the cupboard.
"Mom, what's going on?" Sam asked anxiously.
She didn't answer.
He repeated the question several times, but she remained silent.
Finally, Lilly found a set of documents hidden inside the cupboard. As she turned to leave, she looked at Sam and said softly,
"Sam, everything will be fine. Just have some patience."
Those words echoed endlessly in Sam's mind.
Hours passed.
An eerie silence filled the house.
Sam slowly lowered his head.
Then—
When Sam opened his eyes again, he found himself sitting on the last bench of a classroom.
Confused, he stood up and realized he was wearing his school uniform. Looking around, he recognized the place immediately.
It was his classroom.
And it was lunchtime.
As he walked through the room, his eyes stopped on a girl talking with her friends. She had shoulder-length hair, fair skin, and a calm smile.
"Maria..." Sam whispered subconsciously.
Maria briefly glanced at him before looking away again.
Before Sam could think further, someone tapped his shoulder. Turning around, he saw his friend Franz staring at him suspiciously with a teasing grin.
"What are you doing here?" Franz asked. "Lunch break is almost over. Let's get back to class."
The two returned to their seats while the students chatted among themselves, waiting for the teacher to arrive.
Sam kept glancing toward Maria.
Franz smirked.
"You're really into her today, aren't you?"
Sam quickly looked away.
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh, come on. I've known you for years," Franz replied. "Why don't you just tell her how you feel?"
Sam saw no point in defending himself.
"At least say hi to her," Franz added.
"Why would I—"
Before Sam could finish, an emergency alarm rang throughout the school.
A voice echoed from the speakers:
"Attention all students. Leave the school immediately. This is an Emergency situation."
Students looked at each other in confusion.
Suddenly, a teacher rushed into the classroom.
"Come on! Hurry up! It's a fucking emergency, goddammit!"
The students immediately sprinted toward the door.
When Sam and Franz stepped outside, they froze at the sight before them.
The entire school was in chaos.
Teachers and staff members struggled to control the crowd while guiding students toward the exit gates.
As Sam and Franz reached the school ground near the main gate, they heard the sirens of ambulances, police vans, and fire trucks approaching from outside.
Almost everyone had already left the school.
Sam and Franz were among the last students remaining.
Then—
A deafening explosion erupted in the school building.
Sam instinctively turned toward it, but the brightness was so intense that he was blinded for a moment.
Through the blinding light, he suddenly saw Bruce slamming open a door and rushing into a room.
At that exact moment—
Sam woke up.
Bruce stood before him, urgently telling him to pack his essential belongings as quickly as possible.
Sam wanted to ask about Lilly, but seeing the fear and urgency on Bruce's face, he stayed silent.
While packing his things, Sam noticed Bruce grabbing a hammer and smashing the wall beside his bed.
Behind it was a hidden compartment large enough to hold a suitcase.
Inside, there was only one suitcase.
Bruce quickly pulled it out.
"Aren't you done yet?" he asked impatiently.
"I'm done," Sam replied.
The two loaded their luggage into the car.
Sam finally asked,
"Where are we going, Dad? And where's Mom?"
Bruce answered in a heavy voice, struggling to hide both anger and sorrow.
"I'll tell you soon. Don't be afraid. Everything is fine."
He gently tapped Sam's shoulder before telling him to get inside the car.
Bruce drove at high speed along the highway.
After a while, Sam noticed another car following them.
"Dad, that car—"
Bruce interrupted calmly, telling him not to panic.
Eventually, the car disappeared, and Sam let out a sigh of relief.
But only seconds later—
A speeding truck crashed directly into their car.
"Dad!!"
Sam screamed—
—and suddenly woke up again.
He was lying on his bed, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat.
It had all been a dream of his past memories.
Eight years had passed since that incident.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Sam, my son, are you alright?" Bruce's voice came from outside.
Sam opened the door.
"Yes, I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about."
Bruce nodded with a bright smile.
"Well then, come downstairs. Breakfast is ready... and I've got something special for you."