Chapter Text
Yoo Joonghyuk stood in the Void, nothing but darkness surrounding him. A single blue screen was the only light in this world.
'You have died. Try again?'
He sighed, wondering how he had gone wrong. Shivering at the memory of having been burned alive by the disaster of flames. That was the strange part, despite this being a dream it all felt so real. But he knew once his alarm rang he would wake up in his bed. Sweating profusely and probebly half on the floor. He turned to face the glowing screen, reaching out and tapping the 'yes' button. Yoo Joonghyuk had been plagued by these nightmares for far too long for his liking. And now it was a matter of pride, finishing this stupid dream and winning.
They had started on his 18th birthday. He remembered 'waking up' in his dream to the sounds of screams. Everything had felt so real, that when he had woken up from his dream, he had cried. Pure fear at having experienced such death and disaster. The day had felt surreal, looking at the faces of people he could vividly remember the corpses of. After a few days of this, waking in the morning and having what he now knew to be a nervous breakdown, his family had brought him to a doctor. Imagine his shock when they found nothing. He was given anxiety meds and off he went. Over the years he grew used to this strange dream. He treated it like a video game if anything. It was the easiest way to separate it from reality. After a while he started to enjoy these dreams. Finding new ways to move on and defeating previously impossible bosses.
Sometimes however, his body did things he didn't want it to. The best example was 9 years into these dreams. When someone new suddenly appeared.
The water raged below. The roars of the ichthyosaur could be heard in the distance. The feeling of someone grabbing his arm with all their might. He watched in horror at what was happening. The man looked like he hadn't done more than lifting papers his whole life. But those small hands gripped his arm with impressive strength. Holding on desperately to the arm that was both keeping him alive and threatening his life. His own hand, wrapped around this man's throat and holding him precariously against the edge.
“If you’re really a prophet, will I drop you or let you live?” He heard his voice, slight interest hinted in his tone. He squinted, trying to make out any more of this person’s features, but it was blurred. Like someone had taken a hand and smudged the lines of his face.
“Just drop me you crazy bastard.” His indignant voice was only given away by the slight tremble in his hands, the flutter of fear in his pulse. Joonghyuk watched as he took another step forward whilst holding this man in the same spot. Leaning in so he could whisper in his ear.
“Correct.”
‘He’ threw him. Like a ragdoll he tumbled through the air until one of those beast’s faces breached the surface of the water and swallowed him whole. The man didn't even have the time to scream. He stood a moment longer, watching the serpent disappear beneath the waves. He couldn’t tell what this version of him was thinking, he never could. Seconds later he had turned on his heels and walked away. As if he hadn’t just thrown someone to their death.
Yoo Joonghyuk woke with a start, adrenaline pumping through his veins as his heart raced. He looked around his room before letting out a sigh. He ran a hand through his black hair, cold sweat making it stick at all angles. Today he had a bad feeling. Not thanks to his recurring nightmare returning, but something else. Something that would change his life forever.
Yoo Joonghyuk sat at his desk in the staffroom, mindlessly thumbing through some exams as he sipped his coffee. The chatter of the other professors catching up after their 3 day weekend droned on as he ignored them. He could tolerate maybe 2 of them and they weren't in until later as they had afternoon classes. His red pen circled and made notes of things his students had done wrong and how they could improve. He was about half way through when the principal walked in and called attention to himself.
“Good morning everyone, before you all disappear to your classes I have a new professor to introduce to you all. They’re temporarily taking over whilst Mrs Wight is on Maternity leave.” Yoo Joonghyuk glanced up as he finished a small note. The new professor wasn’t anything surprising. Average height, average build and… oh? He had to admit he had a decent face. Better than what was here already at least. It wasn’t overly attractive enough to catch your attention, but the kind you wouldn’t mind staring at for hours on end.
He watched the new professor greet the others and look around the room. He could have sworn for a second their eyes met, but as soon as he caught it he had moved on. He furrowed his brows and turned back to his papers, irritated. He had other things to deal with than the new teacher. Like his test papers for example. But as he was focusing on his notes he heard a voice beside him.
"Nice to meet you I'm the temporary teacher. Kim Dokja" He turned to face the man, his eyebrows threatening to kiss if he glared any harder. This didn't seem to scare the new professor however as he simply stood there and smiled, hand outstretched. Yoo Joonghyuk took it and shook it curtly before turning back to his papers. He thought the man had left till he turned to get something and almost smacked him in the stomach. He glanced up to see him standing there with the same smile, it perturbed him. Something about that smile seemed familiar. He then realised his mistake and sighed.
"Yoo Joonghyuk, astrophysics professor" he grumbled before going back to his papers. Placing them in a folder to make them easier to carry. He glanced at Kim Dokja out of the corner of his eye to see a very complicated expression. Hints of joy, grief, relief and something more. He was just about to say something when the man moved on, greeting the next professor in the line.
Something about this situation irritated him. Now he knew what that feeling this morning had meant. A storm had blown in, and he wasn't quite sure if he would ride the waves through, or be drowned in something else entirely...