The Next Morning

Robin was sleeping when he was suddenly startled awake by an extremely loud whistle from somewhere nearby. As he regained his senses, he quickly sat up, witnessing an enormous and stunning ship right before his eyes. It looked even more magnificent in real life than the image printed on his ticket.

It turned out that the previous day, when the bus arrived at the location indicated on the ticket, Robin stepped off in confusion. The unfamiliar surroundings made him uncertain whether he was in the right place. Suddenly, the bus driver honked, startling Robin.

"Hey! You there!"

Robin turned around to look at the driver, but before he could say anything, the man continued:

"You're here for the ship, right? Just go straight and turn right... a few more steps and you'll be there."

Before Robin could even thank him, the driver sped off, leaving a thick cloud of dust behind.

Robin stood there in a daze for a moment before following the instructions. He kept walking and walking until he reached a right turn, just as the driver had described.

As soon as he turned, he was shocked to find himself standing in front of a vast and expansive seaport. Looking around in astonishment, he muttered to himself:

"Was there always an ocean here...?"

Robin checked his ticket, which stated that the ship would dock at exactly 7 AM the next morning. With the sun beginning to set and his stomach empty, he decided to find a spot at the port to sleep through his hunger while waiting for morning. He didn't want to risk missing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

When he woke up, he witnessed a sight unlike anything he'd ever seen before—a luxurious, towering ship, around 20 stories high, appearing before him. And soon, he would be a guest on this floating paradise.

"It's really here!"

Robin shouted, jumping in excitement before rushing toward the ship like a child.

As he weaved through the crowd, he noticed that everyone at the port was dressed in elegant and sophisticated attire. Meanwhile, he was the only one in ragged clothes, an out-of-place figure in this glamorous setting. The people around him eyed him with disdain and suspicion, but he paid them no mind, pressing forward confidently.

Upon reaching the ship's entrance, he was stopped by the ticket inspectors. They scrutinized him from head to toe with doubtful expressions. However, with the ticket in hand, Robin confidently presented it for inspection.

The inspector held up the ticket, examining it from every angle with a look of disbelief, as if questioning how a beggar like him could possibly obtain such a pass.

Though skeptical, the inspector had no choice but to let Robin board.

Stepping into this world of luxury and wealth was something Robin had never imagined. He touched everything around him—the lamps, the vases—before gazing out the window in awe.

The staff, though visibly uncomfortable with his disheveled appearance, had no choice but to guide him to his assigned seat. Robin sat down, bouncing slightly in delight. It had been so long since he had sat on anything this soft; for as long as he could remember, he had only known the coldness of stone benches or the hardness of the ground.

His seat was right next to the window, and for the next half hour, he simply sat there, staring outside in silence.

A sharp whistling sound signaled the ship's departure, but Robin remained still, watching the world outside. He was truly leaving everything behind.

A crew member poured him a glass of wine. Robin had no idea what kind of wine it was but thanked them nonetheless. Noticing the gentleman beside him swirling his glass elegantly, Robin mimicked him, trying to imitate the mannerisms of the wealthy. However, the man only cast him a look of disgust.

When the next course was served, Robin couldn't hold back any longer. He immediately grabbed a fork and knife—still on the server's tray—and devoured his meal with an almost primal hunger. The staff, startled by his behavior, cautiously stepped away.

Just as he was eating, Robin suddenly felt a strange shaking sensation. He looked at the wine glass on the table and saw it trembling violently. Dropping his utensils, he quickly turned to look outside, but all he saw was the endless expanse of deep blue ocean. He was on the 10th floor of the ship.

The ship's rocking grew stronger and stronger. Robin gripped his seat tightly as panic erupted around him. Passengers screamed and ran in terror, their elegant composure from earlier completely shattered.

"In the face of life and death, people are all the same," Robin thought.

Despite his thoughts, fear began creeping into him. He had been so eager for a fresh start, a new land. He had nothing to lose, yet an unfamiliar dread flickered within him.

The ship continued to sink, and the passengers' terrified screams grew louder. Amidst the chaos, Robin's eyes caught sight of a familiar figure.

A man, dressed similarly to him, sat calmly at his table, drinking wine and eating his steak as if nothing was happening.

Robin suddenly realized—it was the man who had given him the ticket.

At that exact moment, their eyes met and locked for what felt like an eternity. Then, the man smirked.

Looking around, Robin noticed something strange. The first-class section, now nearly deserted as passengers scrambled to higher decks, revealed an eerie truth—there were many others like him, beggars, sitting amongst the abandoned seats.

But just as he grasped this realization, water surged into the room, rising from his feet to his waist, to his hands, and finally engulfing his entire body.

Robin couldn't breathe. His eyes slowly closed as he thought to himself:

"So, this is how my life ends..."

He sank deeper into the freezing depths. Water filled his ears, his nose, his entire being, until there was nothing left.

Everything faded into oblivion.

In that moment, from the depths of his consciousness, a light appeared, beckoning him. Desperate, he followed it, pouring every ounce of his will into a final plea, a raw cry from a wretched soul who had nothing left—nothing except the desire to live.

"Please... save me, Lord... please..."

As soon as he finished his prayer, the light extinguished.

He drifted into a state beyond time, beyond space. Everything stopped.

But what he could never have expected—just seconds later, he jolted awake.

And the place where he opened his eyes... was a classroom.

A bustling lecture hall, filled with students chatting and laughing.

A place he had never seen before.