Reborn as a Prophet in a Horror Movie

#050Reader Mode

T/N: Trigger Warning: May contain scenes of violence that are graphically depicted, which may upset sensitive viewers.

#050

Seojun abruptly snapped his mouth shut and stared at Johan in a daze. Slowly, the pieces began to fit together, and he felt like a complete idiot for not seeing it sooner. Granted, he wasn’t exactly the smartest person around, but with all the clues staring him in the face, how could he have been so oblivious?

In hindsight, Christina’s name was the only one that had really stuck with him. Everyone else had blended together in his memory, reduced to stereotypes straight out of central casting: the typical jock and his cheerleader girlfriend, the comic relief bait, and the doomed heartthrob. Christina’s vibrant presence had been so overwhelming that she’d eclipsed the others, relegating them to mere background characters in his mind.

Moreover, the ominous premonitions that had been plaguing Seojun made him believe he was playing the role of a prophet. Since he had never possessed such an ability in his previous life, he naturally assumed this power was granted to him for his new role. He’d never once stopped to consider the far more mundane explanation. He’d been so caught up in his own “prophet” act that he’d missed the glaringly obvious truth right in front of him.

That’s why he didn’t take their lives seriously. He’d been so caught up in his own self-importance, bragging about saving them with a few measly lemons and spouting cryptic nonsense, all the while using them as human shields and pawns in this twisted game of survival.

“Jun, what’s wrong?”

A warm breath caressed his forehead, and strong, comforting arms wrapped around him. Soothing hands kneaded the tension from his stiff neck, and loving eyes, no longer unfamiliar, studied his face with concern.

In that moment, Seojun couldn’t deny the truth any longer. This wasn’t some movie. This was real life.

The bitterness in his heart threatened to choke him, but all that came out was a pathetic moan. His body felt like lead, and the air around him thicker than molasses. The truth he’d spent his entire life running from now barreled into him like a freight train. A strangled sound, somewhere between a curse and a denial, was all he could manage. He couldn’t bear to look at Johan directly, not anymore. Feeling like a beaten dog, Seojun shoved him away and stumbled backward, desperate to put some distance between them.

Seojun practically bolted out of the cabin, gasping for the icy night air. Above him, the sky was a foreboding shade of purple, the first hints of a crimson sunrise peeking through the treetops. Usually, the chill would have sent shivers down his spine, but the inferno raging inside him left him numb.

“Ugh…” His chest felt like it was stuffed with burning coal, and the pressure in his veins had stars dancing before his eyes. Seojun clenched his fists, desperately trying to tame the tempest within. He stumbled through the forest aimlessly, drawn to the clearing like a moth to a flame, before he finally crashed against a tree, his forehead thudding against its rough bark.

Hot, bitter tears streamed down his cheeks, and it wasn’t fear or shock that consumed him. No, it was the crushing weight of shame. He’d cornered Christina, just an ordinary girl, not some invincible “Final Girl,” and forced her to make unthinkable choices.

“Aaah, aahh! Ugh, uh, F*ck!” Seojun slammed his head repeatedly against the tree, showering the ground with acorns. It wasn’t even a proper wail, just a pathetic, ugly cry. He sobbed it out, self-harming in a pitiful way. And the guilt didn’t stop at Christina.

“How many years have I… How many years have I wasted like this!” As blood trickled down his forehead, stinging his skin, he couldn’t help but feel consumed by shame and regret, but it wasn’t enough to make him stop.

Seojun always believed his life was a never-ending nightmare, one he couldn’t wake up from. For as long as he could remember, he’d been trapped in this twisted fantasy, believing the world was a horror movie. It all started when he was just six years old, and he’d been trapped in this delusion ever since.

“Jun, stop it!” Johan’s voice was firm as he grabbed Seojun’s arm, his grip tight but not painful. If he hadn’t chased after him, he knew Seojun would have kept at it until he collapsed. After all, he hadn’t run that far from the cabin to begin with.

Initially, Johan was shocked when Seojun suddenly ran away, but he followed at a cautious distance, not wanting to aggravate him further. However, he couldn’t stand by and do nothing as Seojun self-destructed before his very eyes.

When Johan wrapped his arms around him from behind, Seojun didn’t even resist when he was turned around and held tightly. His gaze was empty, as if his soul had already vacated his body. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he choked out, “I’ve wasted my life. Wasted it horribly. I had a chance, but I didn’t see it, and instead, I blamed the world and God. I’ve lived in vain.”

The force of Seojun’s self-loathing had sapped his already meager reserves of energy, leaving him a limp noodle against Johan’s sturdy shoulder.

Johan felt the dampness seeping through his shirt, but he didn’t care. Seojun’s bodily fluids were always welcome, so he gently rubbed Seojun’s back and asked, “Jun, do you really think you’ve lived your life in vain?”

Seojun had the ability to see into the future, but he wasn’t able to read Johan’s mind, which was currently filled with dirty thoughts about him. So, he remained motionless, his voice weak.

“All I’ve ever thought about was escaping this place, and I haven’t done anything else. I don’t have any friends, and I’m so selfish… I feel like I’ve wasted my whole life, missing out on everything.”

Johan gently cupped both of Seojun’s cheeks, his thumbs brushing away the tears. “You didn’t do anything? What are you talking about? Jun, you worked part-time while everyone else was having fun, and you bought yourself a bike.”

Well, that bike was now in a state Seojun would rather not think about, but Johan didn’t mention that.

“And grades? Not everyone has to be a straight-A student, you know. And you were saving up for your dream, to travel in a truck. Why are you saying you did nothing? You were working towards your goals, Jun.”

Seojun’s ears perked up at this, and he discreetly wiped his nose on Johan’s shirt before swallowing hard. However, the weight of his perceived shortcomings crushed him, deflating any brief spark of hope.

“So what? People have done so much more with their lives than I have. I’ve just been messing around. I should’ve done something more significant than just getting a license, at least.”

Johan’s eyes met Seojun’s, who was drowning in a sea of self-doubt. With a grin that could melt even the coldest of hearts, Johan’s lips curled into a warm smile. He reached out to caress Seojun’s head and cheek, his touch as gentle as a feather.

“You know, it’s alright to take your time now and then,” Johan’s voice was like honey, soothing and warm. “We all have our own pace in life – some race ahead, others take their time. But if you’d rather pick up the pace, consider me the wind at your back, moving us forward together, alright?” He diligently offered himself to Seojun, never missing a chance to do so.

Johan, although concerned about Seojun, had ulterior motives. But his intentions, though not entirely selfless, were as clear as day, like an open book whose pages screamed his feelings and devotion for Seojun. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind how he felt, as if he were shouting his desires from the rooftops.

“Hahaha.”

Seojun couldn’t help but burst into laughter, finding the entire situation absurdly hilarious. He giggled with tears hanging from the corners of his eyes, the weight that had been crushing him for so long seeming to evaporate into thin air. In its place, a lightness he hadn’t felt in ages settled over him.

Johan, shamelessly flirting even in this moment, and Bobby, who had just emerged from the cabin, loitering around, created a truly strange scene. But as Seojun exhaled and leaned back against the tree, he realized that this strangeness wasn’t unpleasant. It was a moment of unexpected bliss, and he was thankful for it. Johan grinned at Seojun, while Bobby…

“Holy sh*t, would you believe it? It’s the headstone from Hannah’s ceremony!” Bobby exclaimed, crouching down by the swamp and making quite a fuss. His face lit up with glee, and although it wasn’t ideal that this person was Bobby, it was nice to see someone so happy. Bobby’s loud excitement wasn’t enough to ruin his joyful mood and kick his ecstatically absorbed a*s either.

Suddenly, the bushes rustled ever so slightly.

What was that?

Johan was too preoccupied with looking at Seojun to notice, and Seojun’s vision was still clearing up from the recent tears. He brushed it off as a squirrel, but the feeling that something was wrong lingered. Seojun nudged Johan’s arm aside and reached for the binoculars, which he’d miraculously managed to hold onto all this time.

Was Brass the one to bring these here? Seojun thought to himself, thinking about Brass lying on the cold floor of the cabin.

With the binoculars pressed against his face, the circular view of the binoculars made him feel slightly dizzy, but he was determined to find out what was going on. Suddenly, a hand popped out of the bushes, waving as if to say hello before a figure stepped out.

It was a surreal sight that left Seojun feeling disoriented.

The person in his view, clad in a gas mask, should have been nothing more than a head, considering the monster had devoured every inch of their body, from their feet to their shoulders. Yet, here he stood, as if defying the very laws of nature.

As if reading Seojun’s mind, Gas Mask shrugged playfully, a crossbow now in his hand instead of a Hamon knife. [Bang!] he said, mimicking a gunshot before raising the crossbow and firing. Startled, Seojun hastily tore the binoculars from his face, but it was too late by the time he realized what was happening. A small speck in the distance grew larger by the second, and dread filled his heart as he realized it was a lethal bolt.

The bolt sliced through the air with deadly accuracy, hurtling straight at them. Johan reacted on instinct, stretching out his hand in a desperate attempt to deflect it. Seojun’s vision started to darken as Johan’s hand covered his face, but even Johan’s lightning-fast reflexes weren’t enough to stop the projectile’s relentless advance.

“Kheuk!”

Seojun’s world exploded in agony as the bolt punched through Johan’s palm and into his right eye. His skull felt like it was being cleaved in two, his brain rattling inside like a trapped bird. The bones in the center of his forehead felt like they were going to shatter into a million pieces, yet he didn’t scream. He’d been through so much of this awful torment today… or, if he counted correctly, yesterday.

“Jun!!!” Johan’s anguished roar tore through the air, his voice cracking under the strain. Cursing, his fingers fumbled desperately as he tried to remove the cruel bolt that had impaled both his hand and Seojun’s eye together. But before he could free them, another bolt was already hurtling their way.

Time seemed to grind to a halt as Johan, pinned and helpless, could only stare in horror as the second bolt bore down upon them.

The price for not being able to dodge was horrific.

The bolt pierced Johan’s chest with a sickening crunch, and his body convulsed violently before going limp.

Why do the most unwelcome sights linger? Seojun, with his remaining eye, watched the gruesome spectacle in agonizing slow motion, each second etched into his memory.

“Ah…” A long, shuddering breath left Johan’s lungs, like his soul was escaping with it, and they fell together in a tangled heap. Bobby’s desperate screams echoed louder and louder in the background, creating a haunting melody over this nightmarish scene.

T/N: Ahahaha! Such a classic horror movie cliche! So, my fellow readers, don’t get too comfortable just yet. The nightmare is never over until those end credits start rolling! 〈｀∀´〉Ψ