Wicked Island Of Ireland - Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

2 months ago.

The woman wandered through her dreams for what felt like an eternity.

Her dreamscape was dark and claustrophobic like a tunnel, so cold it made her whole-body shiver.

Only after feeling like she might freeze to death did she sense a faint warmth.

What followed was a headache that made her temples throb, and the relentless pursuit of a man.

The surroundings were too dark to make out his features clearly.

Yet each time she frantically looked back while running away, she caught glimpses – a tall, large frame, light-colored hair, and features that carried an icy quality.

The man never ran. He approached with the casual air of someone watching a child play in the palm of their hand, as if he already knew every place she might try to hide.

During her nightly pursuits, the woman found what appeared to be the man’s company ID badge. The name “Graham” was clearly printed on it.

Some nights, this man Graham would catch and torment her. Other nights, she would be bound tightly and injected with strange substances. And sometimes, she had to endure his passionate declarations of love.

Not knowing why this was happening drove her to the brink of madness.

Every day she searched for an escape route while avoiding him in the darkness.

She would cry out daily, sometimes begging to be released.

Then, in the vast distance, a beam of light appeared.

It was her last lifeline, like a final breath of oxygen.

She ran desperately toward the light like a castaway who had spotted an oasis.

The light grows brighter.

A shiver runs through her entire body.

Though uncertain whether it heralded death or life, this novel sensation brought joy.

She plunged her whole body into the pure white void.

“Ugh…”

When she opened her eyes, everything was dark again. But this darkness was different from before. A cold, hard metal structure encased her body like a coffin.

Her mouth was filled with a thick, long tube that dominated her windpipe and esophagus.

A wave of nausea hit her instantly. She reflexively gagged and pulled at the tube.

“Urgh, uck, uwup, up!”

The tube seemed endless as she pulled it out. She became terrified she might vomit up her internal organs.

The smell of burning filled her nostrils, and the air was as hot as bathwater.

The metal enclosure trapping her like an underground coffin was burning hot, as if heated by fire.

“Wuck, up, up!”

She couldn’t even remember how she managed to remove the tube. Her only thought was escaping quickly from this place filled with toxic gas and scorching heat.

“Urgh, pl-please, please.”

She pushed against the metal with all her might. But the surface was surprisingly hot, leaving her only able to frantically kick her feet.

“Please, please, please! Haa, haa…”

It felt like everything around her was burning. The air was acrid, and through the small glass window in the metal case, she could see pitch-black smoke.

The choking sensation that came with each breath was terrifyingly suffocating. Unable to accept death quietly, she fought with every ounce of strength she had.

“Please, please! Save me! Save me! Aagh!”

It seemed like the sprinklers had burst. Water streamed down onto the metal coffin’s palm-sized window.

Tears clouded her vision simultaneously.

Why, how did she end up trapped in such a place…

The more she breathed heavily, the more her head felt dull, as if walking through a dream. Objects began to appear blurry, and her vision darkened.

Cough, cough.

She coughed as if expelling her lungs.

Then she heard a violent cracking sound and listened intently.

Bang, bang!

It sounded like a building collapsing.

Even if she managed to escape this metal coffin, she would clearly be engulfed by flames.

“Aah…”

Her fists, which had been pounding against the hot metal, slowly unclenched. Her desire to escape quickly transformed into a wish for a swift death.

The thought of dying with her lungs burning and skin melting in the hot air was too horrific.

Just then, the door burst open, and through her foggy vision, a black figure approached. The figure was massive like a beast and held a long rod in its hands.

It began striking the metal coffin.

The world spun violently.

Her skull rattled, and nausea overwhelmed her.

Through the chaos, she saw ash-gray hair and blue eyes.

As her consciousness began to fade, the coffin’s door suddenly flew open.

A hand in a dress shirt reached in and grabbed her. The woman gazed at its owner through bleary eyes.

It was a man, soaking wet as if he’d been swimming. Seemingly unbothered by the acrid smoke, he whispered with a flash of his white dimples.

“Hello.”

In an instant, the man’s arms wrapped around her waist and supported behind her knees. Her body was lifted high. As her body curled like a fetus in his strong grip, she felt a slight sense of relief.

Then, in a rigid but sophisticated English accent, words fell onto her forehead.

“Bury your nose in my shirt and breathe. As slowly as you can.”

The woman did as he instructed, pulling his shirt to press her nose against his collarbone. The water-soaked fabric made it possible to breathe deeply.

The man strode purposefully somewhere.

The lethal smoke that had dominated her vision gradually faded.

Feeling relief, the woman wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.