I woke up wondering if I had actually died last night.

The second breath I took reminded me I was still on the cheap, too-hard bed inside my tiny apartment in Bratislava.

The ceiling looked even worse in the morning, a spreading water stain shaped like it was trying to escape.

The curtains were so thin that sunlight walked straight through them.

If my chest did not still ache from all the running, I might have convinced myself the whole night had been nothing but a bad dream.

A soft breathing sound came from the corner.

The cat was still sleeping.

Same position as when I collapsed into bed… belly up, limbs stretched out like it owned the entire apartment.

I stared for a moment.

What kind of cat sleeps like it saved someone’s life yesterday?

My stomach growled loudly.

Reality returned.

Breakfast first.

I boiled water and made instant noodles.

I added an egg and some vegetables, because no matter where a Taiwanese person goes, we defend the dignity of instant noodles.

Steam rose from the pot.

For a moment the smell made me forget the horrors outside.

Yeah.

Taiwan instant noodles really are famous for a reason.

But peace never lasts long.

Images from last night seeped back into my mind:

the warped light…

the twisted buildings…

the thing that stepped out of the cold ripple…

and that moment when I felt I was one second away from disappearing forever.

I rubbed my forehead.

I did not even ask myself why I ran.

Maybe running has become a habit… not exactly a great personality trait.

Before coming to Slovakia, life was already stuck.

Work dragged on.

Relationships rotted.

Every day felt like repeating a broken routine.

It was funny.

Back in Taiwan, I used to be one of the top ERP guys in the company.

Somewhere along the line, though, I started living like forgotten background code.

When I saw pictures of Bratislava online, I acted without thinking.

Booked a flight.

Found this room.

Moved in.

Everything went too smoothly.

Smooth enough to feel wrong now.

I finished my noodles and glanced at the cat.

It was awake, staring at me like it knew my thoughts were a mess.

“If you did not show up last night… I’d be gone, right?”

The cat blinked slowly, like it was tired of hearing obvious things.

I picked up my phone to reply to some messages.

The moment my finger touched the screen, the display blurred for half a second, as if reality forgot to load properly.

The cat’s tail flicked across the phone.

The screen returned to normal instantly.

I set the phone down slowly.

It kept fixing things…

things I could not see.

I tried to push the thoughts down, but another question surfaced.

If last night was the start of something like an apocalypse…

what about my family?

And her?

No answer came.

I walked to the window and pulled the curtain aside.

The sky over Bratislava looked wrong.

Clouds above UFO Park were smeared, like someone dragged fingers through wet paint.

Uneven. Distorted.

The same feeling as the street last night.

That was the direction where everything went wrong.

A thought hit me.

I had only been in this city a few days.

Barely knew any Slovak.

Barely learned the area.

There was no way I should have found a rental this fast.

But somehow I did.

Too fast.

Too perfect.

Too easy.

It did not feel like coincidence.

The creature…

the warped street…

the strange light…

and this room…

They were connected.

I rubbed the cat’s head.

It leaned into my hand, warm and heavier than it looked.

Oddly comforting.

Bratislava was quiet again today.

Too quiet.

The kind of quiet that feels like something is waiting behind it.

I stared toward UFO Park.

A chill ran down my spine.

Maybe the world really is starting to fall apart.

And if it is…

then last night was not the end.

It was only the beginning.

Author’s Note：

Thanks for following along. More soon.