A Writer's Odyssey

###Chapter 7//The End IV

The tree from my dream appeared once again.

The very same peculiar tree.

For a moment, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

My eyes widened in shock.

That tree...

I had seen it before.

But this time, I was awake.

The tree grew before my eyes until it became so enormous that it was downright frightening.

I stared at the strange, human-shaped tree, unable to comprehend what I was seeing.

Just what the hell is that thing?

I didn't dare approach it.

Not even by a single step.

There was something deeply unsettling about its appearance, something that made me instinctively want to keep my distance.

A moment later, that gloomy feeling returned, accompanied by another wave of dizziness.

Then, the tension I'd felt when I saw my girlfriend approaching began to skyrocket.

It was as though every negative emotion I had been trying to suppress had suddenly decided to surface at once.

Anxiety.

Fear.

Loneliness.

Guilt.

And a dozen other feelings I couldn't quite put into words.

They all seemed to overwhelm me at the same time.

I clutched my head as a strange, unbearable mental pain washed over me. I struggled to make sense of what was happening, but the more I tried, the worse it seemed to become.

I didn't know how long I remained in that state.

Eventually, the tree began to blur.

Its enormous, human-shaped figure gradually faded from my vision until it finally disappeared.

Students were chatting and laughing all around me. Some were busy discussing the upcoming sporting activities, while others were caught up in their own conversations.

The entire venue was filled with excitement and cheerful voices.

I stood there, staring at them in confusion.

Huh?

For a moment, I couldn't understand what was happening.

Wait a minute... Where the hell am I?

I looked around, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

Then it hit me!

The festival!

I was still at the festival, surrounded by my fellow students.

But how?

Hadn't I just been somewhere else?

I couldn't remember how I'd gotten back, nor could I understand how everything had changed so suddenly.

It was as though the terrifying experience I'd just gone through had been cut off and replaced with an entirely different scene.

I stood there, completely bewildered by the sudden change.

Wait, what?! I thought.

What the hell had just happened?

I could hardly believe what I'd just experienced. One moment, I had been staring at that enormous, human-shaped tree, overwhelmed by strange emotions and an inexplicable pain. The next, I was back at the festival as though nothing had happened.

I clutched my head, wincing in pain.

My body felt unusually hot, and I was beginning to develop a fever. My vision wavered as I struggled to remain conscious.

For a moment, I thought I was going to collapse right there.

What is happening to me...?

And before I could make sense of anything, I noticed my girlfriend approaching me.

My heart began to pound again.