Minh found himself standing on empty ground in an empty room.

  He couldn’t see anyone or anything, the view was blurred, and his sight could not reach far.

  All around him was nothing but a pale white fog drifting slowly.

  He turned in circles, searching, but there was nothing.

  “Hello? Anyone there?” Minh shouted.

  Only his own voice answered, echoing back through the void.

  His voice echoed back, sounding more scared than he meant.

  “Great,”

  He muttered,

  “I’m haunting myself now.”

  The atmosphere in this empty space was too dense to breathe.

  Minh drew in a deep breath, and a strange smell hit his nose, making him uneasy.

  It was unlike anything he had ever recognized, a mixture of hopelessness, abandonment, and despair.

  The scent was so heavy, so poisonous, it was the kind of smell that could drive a person to kill themselves.

  Minh staggered back, his chest tightening as if invisible hands were pressing against him.

  The fog swirled faster around him, wrapping him in a cold, suffocating embrace.

  His heart pounded, and a shiver ran down his spine.

  He wanted to scream, to run, but his legs felt rooted to the ground.

  Somewhere deep inside, a voice whispered, not in words, but in feeling, warning him to turn back, to give in.

  But Minh clenched his fists, forcing his mind to focus. He refused to let this space swallow him.

  Minh took a deep breath again.

  This time, he forced himself to ignore the smell, just to calm his racing mind.

  It was difficult, this heavy, suffocating scent, but Minh managed to steady himself.

  The shivering and chill returned, but with it came something more familiar.

  A feeling he recognized from countless nightmares.

  The sense of dread, of being trapped in a place where nothing was real, he had lived through it before.

  He reached a conclusion.

  But no matter how loudly he shouted, he remained in the empty, fog-filled space.

  Minh had no idea what to do, so he chose to wander a little.

  It gave him some space, a pace slower than the frantic rush of his nightmares.

  As he moved through the fog, he noticed small, pure lights hovering in the air, drifting silently everywhere.

  He decided not to examine them too closely.

  This was a place unknown to him, and he didn’t dare touch anything.

  Minh continued his wandering.

  Small lights floated everywhere, but the dense fog limited his vision, making it impossible to see far ahead.

  He stepped forward carefully, when suddenly, one small light appeared right before him.

  He couldn’t evade it, and his hand brushed against it.

  The light vanished instantly, but a surge of anger erupted inside him.

  He was furious, though he didn’t even know why.

  For the first time, Minh had an inkling of what these lights were:

  They carried emotions. He wondered if all the small lights contained only negative feelings, but he didn’t want to find out.

  The madness he had just felt made him too cautious.

  A voice rang out through the dense fog.

  Minh spun around, trying to locate its source.

  His back brushed against another small light, and a wave of sadness washed over him.

  Panic surged, and he tried to evade it but another light touched him.

  Then another. Soon, many small lights swarmed around him.

  Negative emotions erupted inside Minh, overwhelming him.

  He sank to his knees.

  He couldn’t cry because hatred weighed him down.

  He couldn’t summon anger because regret chained him.

  The flood of feelings threatened to drive him mad.

  The voice laughed, echoing through the fog.

  Minh stumbled backward, knees almost buckling under the weight of all those feelings.

  The lights brushed him again and again, each one stabbing a new emotion into him anger, regret, hatred, sadness.

  He didn’t understand what was happening.

  He tried to run, but the fog slowed him, and more lights swirled around, laughing at his panic.

  He tripped and fell, hands scraping the ground, and curled into himself, hoping it would stop. His chest heaved, tears threatening to fall, but the hatred burned too sharp, making him unable to cry.

  Minh whimpered, voice shaking.

  The laughter echoed around him, cruel and endless, and he pressed his face into his arms, wishing he could just disappear.

  The voice rang out again, this time sharper, the laughter cut short.

  A sudden force struck Minh, knocking him hard to the ground.

  His breath caught as the small lights swarmed toward him, drawn as if his own negative emotions were pulling them closer.

  But then another force stirred, like a gust of unseen wind.

  It swept past him, scattering the lights away from where he lay.

  For a moment, Minh was left trembling, unsure whether he had been saved or simply spared for something worse.

  The area around Minh cleared.

  Even the dense fog seemed to flow away, leaving a hollow silence.

  For the first time, he could see clearly.

  Then the fog began to drift back toward him but the small lights did not return.

  Minh pushed himself up to his feet, still unsteady, and what he saw made him tremble.

  Within the rolling fog stood a dark figure.

  It moved with the mist, step by step, as if the fog itself was giving it shape. Minh’s breath caught.

  It looked like the figure from his nightmares… but different.

  In those dreams, only the head was hidden in shadow.

  This one was worse. From head to toe, it was nothing but shadow.

  Minh was too afraid to move.

  He stood frozen, staring at the dark figure as though it had hypnotized him.

  Slowly, the shadow split in two.

  Then into four.

  Then into eight.

  Each figure spread out, surrounding him.

  One of them struck first.

  The blow landed hard, and in the same instant the figure shouted, before vanishing.

  Another attacked, and another.

  Each strike came with the same cry of before the attacker dissolved into nothing.

  Pain tore through Minh.

  His chest ached as though his heart had skipped a beat.

  His skull throbbed with every blow.

  He collapsed to the ground, clutching his head with both hands, writhing in agony.

  He had never felt pain like this before, pain that was not just physical but unbearable, crawling deep into his very being.

  The laughter rang out again, but this time Minh could pinpoint its direction.

  A dark figure emerged, larger, stronger, more menacing than the others.

  The voice slithered from it, cruel and taunting:

  Minh’s body trembled as the figure loomed over him.

  Every instinct screamed to run, but he couldn’t move, trapped under the weight of fear, confusion, and the lingering agony of the previous strikes.

  Behind the larger dark figure, a smaller, weaker one approached Minh and struck.

  The blow hit him, but this time the figure didn’t shout and it didn’t vanish.

  The strike hurt, but not like before. For the first time, Minh could think clearly, this shadow wasn’t trying to kill him, only drag him down.

  The earlier dark figures had struck with overwhelming force, shouted , and vanished just like his nightmares.

  But this one… it lingered, keeping him in pain without screaming or disappearing.

  Minh’s mind raced.

  Maybe… maybe Quang didn’t try to hurt me. Maybe Quang was trying to protect me.

  Minh rolled to dodge the strike from the dark figure.

  His mind flashed to a scene at school, on the highest floor, the new student had said something.

  The memory flickered, and before he could think it through, another hit landed.

  Pain shot through him.

  He knew he couldn’t endure another strike.

  Desperate, he shouted,

  The dark figure lunged at him.

  Minh closed his eyes, bracing himself, ready to accept his fate.

  But nothing came. No strike.

  Minh opened his eyes and saw a figure that looked like a hero from a storybook, armoured, with a gleaming sword in hand.

  The dark figure vanished just before the armour figure’s blade.

  “I’ve waited too long for your call,”

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  The armoured figure said.

  “What took you so long?”

  A light shone from the figure’s hand, washing over Minh. Strength and warmth surged through him.

  His heartbeat slowed, returning to normal, and the pounding in his head eased slightly.

  He pushed himself to stand.

  He opened his mouth to speak, but the armoured figure raised a hand to stop him.

  “We’ll talk later. First, we must deal with this chaos.”

  Minh followed the direction the figure pointed. The large dark figure, the shadow, had grown even larger, stronger, more menacing.

  The armoured figure dropped into a ready stance, sword poised, prepared for a hard battle.

  The moment didn’t last long.

  The shadow attacked, even though its form wasn’t fully formed.

  The armoured figure blocked the strike and shouted,

  Minh froze, confused.

  Instead of telling him to run or stay back, the figure was asking him to…

  Gather his thoughts? What did that even mean?

  The armoured figure knocked back slightly, creating space, but Minh found himself able to stand and intercept the next strike instead of letting it hit him.

  His mind shifted from confusion to wonder.

  Why is he protecting me? What is this place? What is he doing here? Why… why…?

  A tentacle lashed out and struck Minh.

  The armoured figure swung his sword, chopping the tentacle away, leaving himself exposed.

  Another, stronger strike came, hitting the armoured figure and knocking him down.

  The figure glanced at Minh.

  Minh caught his eyes, and froze. Cold.

  That look… Minh knew it.

  That same cold, distant attitude he had once shown toward his friends.

  His friends from junior high.

  He remembered the moment Linh and Phúc had persuaded him to go to Tài’s birthday party and how he had acted toward them: icy, unfeeling.

  Linh’s frustrated “Busy, busy, busy” and Phúc’s blow to the wall beside him replayed in his mind.

  Now, seeing the cold eyes of the armoured figure, Minh felt the weight of his past.

  He understood, with a sharp pang of regret, that he had pushed his friends away, treating their care like a nuisance, responding with the same coldness he now saw mirrored back at him.

  Some faint light emanated from Minh.

  The armoured figure noticed and said,

  Then he turned back to the chaos, now fully formed, and the battle intensified.

  Minh remained lost in thought, but this time it was different.

  He began to blame himself, blamed his weakness, his fragile mind that shattered so easily.

  Memories of the past three years with the AI flooded him: how happy he had been, yet how he had drifted away from real friends.

  He had depended on the AI too much and, in doing so, had lost so many friends.

  Linh, Phúc, and Tài were the ones who had still tried to stay connected.

  And now Minh finally saw how selfish he had been.

  His friends had wanted to help him, and he had ignored them.

  He had poured cold water on their hearts.

  Tears slipped down Minh’s cheeks.

  He regretted everything he had done to them.

  The image of the wristwatch appeared before Minh.

  But this time, he didn’t just see a wristwatch.

  What he saw was the love of his parents, the friendship of the AI.

  Now he recognized it all, the love that had always surrounded him: friends, family, even the AI.

  And yet, he had chosen only the AI.

  When it was gone, he had thought all was lost.

  He had refused to accept the love from his friends and family.

  Faces appeared in the watch’s glow sad, angry, disappointed.

  His friend 's faces, his parent 's eyes filled with sorrow.

  Then the wristwatch image solidified again.

  Minh murmured to himself,

  Minh shouted,

  As he shouted, Minh’s body began to shine brighter than ever before.

  The armoured figure was knocked back slightly, watching him with awe.

  “Finally,”

  The figure exclaimed,

  The shadow lunged at Minh, but the armoured figure intercepted the strike, taking the blow in his place.

  At that moment, the light around Minh dimmed not fading, but reshaping.

  Minh was still himself, yet not the same.

  His clothes had changed into a suit of dark leather, its surface tough and glimmering like crocodile skin the very texture of his wristwatch.

  On his chest gleamed the face of the watch, its hands sharp and steady.

  Minh grasped one of those hands, which stretched and solidified into a shining spear.

  A visor of glass covered his face, and through it his vision pierced the fog.

  For the first time, he saw the shadow’s true form. Minh froze.

  The monster was no stranger.

  Its head twisted with the faces of those he hated, its massive body pulsed with his grudges, and its endless tentacles writhed with the cold feelings he had used to push others away.

  The chaos was not an enemy from outside it was himself, swollen with years of locked-away pain and festering resentment.

  The armoured figure staggered back, bloodied light flickering from his wounds.

  Yet even in his weakness, he raised his hand, casting a faint glow that shielded Minh. His voice was steady, though heavy with strain:

  “This chaos is yours. You must defeat it if you wish to be free of this prison.”

  Then he stepped aside, no longer striking, only holding back the dark fog so Minh could face what stood before him.

  Minh clenched his spear tighter.

  Now he understood, the chaos had never been some outside predator.

  It was born from him, it carried his grudges, his hatred, his grief.

  That was why it knew every weakness, why every strike pierced deeper than any blade.

  The chaos snarled, its tentacles writhing, its many faces twisted with rage, rage at Minh himself.

  For the first time, Minh didn’t turn away. He accepted it.

  This was his pain.

  This was his creation.

  And if he truly wished to be free, he had to release it, not by fleeing, not by hiding, but by destroying the chaos with his own hands.

  Minh shouted at the shadow, his voice shaking yet firm:

  “I know what you are! You are my fault, my sorrow… and this…”

  He raised the spear high, its glimmer reflecting his resolve.

  “The gift of my father. This is my hope, the spear to cleanse my sin… to cleanse you!”

  The chaos roared and struck.

  Minh blocked with the spear, the impact reverberating through his body.

  He leapt forward, instinct guiding him.

  Each strike, each slash against the writhing tentacles, felt like memories turned into movements.

  With every cut, the chaos flared with light and weakened.

  The battle lacked the crushing weight of before.

  The armoured figure had been right, only Minh could truly finish this fight, for only he carried the guilt that had given the shadow strength.

  At last, the shadow shrank, folding back into a human shape.

  Minh froze.

  He was staring at himself, the cold, self-isolated Minh he had once been.

  He lowered his weapon, his voice trembling.

  “I’m sorry. It’s my fault for creating you. Now… I release you from this pain.”

  The chaos met his eyes, gave a faint nod, and faded into nothingness.

  The armoured figure, leaning on his sword, smiled faintly.

  “So… you’ve defeated your chaos. Your heart no longer feeds its grudge. Congratulations.”

  The dense fog dissolved, flowing away like waves retreating to the sea.

  The empty space that once choked Minh now felt open, lighter, as though the air itself had been freed.

  For the first time since entering this nightmare, he could breathe without weight pressing on his chest.

  Minh looked down at his hands the spear still glowed faintly, the wristwatch face beating like a heart on his chest.

  But instead of feeling burdened, he felt warmth there, as if his parents, his friends, and even Quang were standing with him.

  The armoured figure stepped closer, still battered but carrying himself tall. His voice was softer now:

  “Remember this. Chaos never vanish forever. They are part of you. What matters is whether you accept them… or let them rule you.”

  Minh nodded silently, tears mixing with a small smile.

  He didn’t feel like a hero, not yet.

  But he felt lighter, as though a door long locked inside his heart had opened.

  The white space began to crack like glass, shards of light scattering into the void. Minh felt his body being pulled away, back toward reality. Before the world collapsed, he heard the armoured figure’s final words:

  “You broke the silence. Never forget this strength.”

  And then everything turned to white.

  Minh woke in his room, his body heavy but wrapped in warmth.

  A blanket covered him neatly, his head rested on the pillow, and beside the bed sat a water pot with a clean towel folded on top.

  For a moment, he wondered if what he had gone through was real or just a dream.

  In his ears, the words of the armoured figure still echoed:

  Minh sat up, clutching his head.

  The pain was still there, but dull, not unbearable.

  Slowly, reality settled in, he was back in his room.

  Hunger gnawed at him, and he called out:

  “Mom, I’m hungry. Is there something to eat?”

  He heard hurried footsteps on the stairs.

  The door flew open, and his mother rushed in, her face pale with worry.

  She threw her arms around him before touching his forehead.

  “Your fever’s gone,”

  She sighed in relief.

  “You scared us half to death. You were unconscious for more than twelve hours. Your dad even called the doctor to check on you.”

  Minh blinked.

  “Where is he now?”

  Her expression changed.

  “God, he went to the hospital to get more help when you wouldn’t wake up. I need to warn him you’re awake.”

  She rushed back downstairs, grabbing the pager to send his father a message.

  Minh sat up, clutching his head.

  The pain was still there, but dull, not unbearable.

  Slowly, reality settled in, he was back in his room.

  She gently pried him off, smiling through tired eyes.

  “Go to the kitchen, your highness. I’ve already prepared porridge for you.”

  Minh obeyed quietly, padding to the kitchen, the smell of warm porridge welcoming him back to the world of the living.

  Hungry, Minh nearly swallowed the bowl of porridge whole.

  He finished his meal quickly, and in his mind, he already had something to do.

  He went to the phone, pulled out his old phone book, found the number, and dialled.

  It was 8:00 PM, he hoped the person he wanted to reach still used this number.

  The line connected. A woman’s voice answered,

  “Hello?”

  Minh asked,

  “Is Linh there, madam? Can I talk to her?”

  The woman replied,

  “Wait a moment, son.”

  Soon, a familiar voice came through.

  “Hello, Linh here.”

  Minh swallowed.

  “This is Minh.”.

  Her tone immediately shifted into a playful one.

  “Ah, your highness. What business do you have with me?”

  “I… I’m sorry,” Minh said quietly. “For my bad behaviour. Please forgive me.”

  There was a pause. Then Linh shouted in disbelief,

  “What?! Did I just hear Minh apologize? I must be dreaming!”

  “Stop mocking me, Linh. I mean it. I want to apologize, to you and to Phúc.”

  Her voice softened.

  “And…?”

  Minh hesitated, then asked,

  “Will my seat still be available at Tài’s birthday?”

  Joy filled her reply.

  “Of course! There’s always a seat for you.”

  Minh lowered his voice, almost shy.

  “And about Phúc… I’m sure he’s still angry with me.”

  “You don’t know him at all,”

  Linh teased.

  “Phúc is easy come, easy go. If he hears you’re coming to Tài’s birthday, he’ll probably be the happiest of all.”

  Relief washed over Minh.

  “Thank you, Linh.”

  But before he could hang up, her tone grew serious.

  “Minh… do you know how worried we all were? Even Miss M? still asks about you.”

  Minh’s throat tightened.

  “She still remembers me?”

  “Of course. All of us do. You’ve missed every birthday, and we… we thought you’d forgotten us.”

  Tears welled in his eyes. He whispered,

  “Thank you. I’m really sorry for everything I’ve done.”

  “Forget the past,”

  Linh said, her voice brightening.

  “Let’s just think about you coming out from….”

  “Not funny, Linh!”

  Minh cut her off.

  “How about we say I just got lost in the jungle and finally re-joined society?”

  Linh burst out laughing.

  “That’s the Minh I know. Now remember your promise, jungle boy.”

  The call ended. Minh gently set the phone down. Outside, the night was dark, but he saw a faint, bright light shining through the window.

  He made a decision: when his father came home, he would apologize to him as well.

  So Minh waited in the living room.