"What do you want?"
- The Dreamer: "To talk."
"Then talk."
He scoffs lightly, a smile forming on his face.
- The Dreamer: "Impatient already?"
Straightening slightly, he clears his throat. The movements are slow and unnerving.
- The Dreamer: "I wanted to congratulate you. You managed to thoroughly ruin everything. Now, they all have to live in a world where they will never be happy."
I let out a laugh. Not a real one. The kind that slips out when you hear something so absurd it pisses you off. It's dry and sharp.
"Happy? You think they were happy? Don't make me laugh. You made them suffer! You made them relive their trauma for your twisted game."
- The Dreamer: "That was because of you. You threw away my gift."
"Gift?"
- The Dreamer: "The gift of peace. Happiness. You could have stayed with your sister. With your family. But you chose to come back to this… desolate world."
For a second, he almost looks sad. Like he's staring at someone who disappointed him. A man who genuinely believes I ruined something beautiful.
"You're crazy."
"…You refuse to understand anything."
His eyes close slowly, and when they open again, that sadness is gone. Replaced by the same faint, irritating smile.
- The Dreamer: "Now, since I'm so merciful, I will grant you another gift. I will allow you to ask me any three questions you'd like."
He says this while holding three fingers out.
"Why do all of this? Why put us through these horrible situations? Is this some kind of game to you?!"
- The Dreamer: "That was three already. Choose one."
I take a slow breath, forcing myself to calm down.
My fists are already clenched, nails digging into my palms. I loosen them one finger at a time.
Getting angry won't help me here. Not with him.
"Where are we?"
- The Dreamer: "Since that's broad, and it's your first question, I'll be lenient."
He lifts one finger. The gesture is slow and theatrical.
- The Dreamer: "Firstly, you are in my home. My birthplace. This expanse exists within that light above your cabin."
He lifts a second finger, his smile never leaving.
- The Dreamer: "Secondly, you are not on Earth anymore."
The Dreamer places his hands behind his back.
Then the world shifts.
The white expanse bends outward, stretching and peeling away until a meadow blooms beneath our feet. Bright flowers sway in every direction, moving under a wind I can't feel. Above us, a massive purple moon hangs in the sky, bathing everything in a soft violet glow.
Far in the distance, the sun rests near the horizon. It looks like it's setting, but somehow the light doesn't fade.
The place is beautiful.
- The Dreamer: "This world has many names."
"Then give me one."
He pauses, like he's deciding which name best suits it, or if I'm even worth the answer to begin with.
- The Dreamer: "Hystoria."
The name lingers in my mind.
"Hystoria…"
I blink once, looking around again.
"…What is this place?"
The words leave my mouth quietly, almost without meaning to.
Still, he answers. Like he heard me perfectly.
- The Dreamer: "A world not so different from your own. Though far less… restricted."
I narrow my eyes.
"Stop being cryptic."
A faint smile forms.
- The Dreamer: "Humans walk its lands. So do things your world would call impossible."
He gestures toward the horizon.
- The Dreamer: "Spirits that refuse to fade. Creatures that exist outside your understanding. Beasts that do not follow your laws."
A brief pause.
- The Dreamer: "And… vampires."
The way he says it is flat and dismissive.
I catch it immediately.
"You don't like them?"
He exhales through his nose, like the question isn't even worth answering.
- The Dreamer: "They cling to something they should have already lost."
"That doesn't answer anything."
- The Dreamer: "It answers enough."
His tone makes it painfully obvious the discussion is over.
About vampires. About whatever history sits behind those words.
And somehow, that bothers me more than the answer itself, forming a lump in my throat.
If something can disgust a creature like him, then it has to be far worse than I imagined.
"How did we get here though? It doesn't make any sense. Why us?"
The Dreamer doesn't answer my question immediately. He just stares thoughtfully at the surroundings.
"Tell me!"
He lets out a sigh.
- The Dreamer: "You know… I've never actually seen the outside world. Only what was provided to me and what I could see through here."
Provided…?
- The Dreamer: "I do not know. I imagine my Creator has some plans for you."
Before I can even respond to what he said, he continues, an exhale exiting his lungs as he does so.
- The Dreamer: "Seeing as how I do not have an answer to that one, I'll allow one more question. Make it count."
I think for a second.
Should I ask how to get out of here and back home? No… he'll probably just give me some vague hint.
Looking at him, I squint my eyes.
Still, it's better than nothing. I'm also a little curious about his "Creator"…
But before I can ask anything, a memory flashes through my mind.
Nia. No. Not just her. The dreams. Everything we've all been through.
My expression hardens immediately.
"Is what you said true? About the dreams. Were they really a different world, one from a different universe?"
Even though I know this question isn't as important, I ask it regardless.
I need to know.
He stares off at nothing, pondering how to correctly answer me.
- The Dreamer: "Dreams are fascinating, aren't they? You can live a completely different life, one where you make mistakes, cause irreparable harm, and only to have it all forgotten. As if it never occurred."
I raise an eyebrow, irritated and confused all the same.
- The Dreamer: "What is a dream, if not a perception of reality from a different perspective?"
"…I don't understand."
He turns toward me, his smile plastered unnaturally on his face.
- The Dreamer: "With time, you will."
The purple glow around us flickers faintly. Then again. And again.
The flowers bend unnaturally beneath a wind that suddenly feels colder than before. The meadow blurs at the edges of my vision, colors smearing together like wet paint dragged across a canvas. My stomach twists slightly.
For a second, I think he's about to say something else.
——————————————————————
The bell above the door chimes.
I don't look up right away. My hands are already moving, wiping down the same spot on the counter for the third time. The rhythm's familiar at this point. Something I don't even need to think about. After all, I've been working here for years.
A voice calls out.
- ???: "Busy today?"
I freeze.
"Nia?"
- Nia: "Took you long enough to notice me!"
"When did you even get here? Don't you have school?"
- Nia: "Nah, I'm taking the day off. Anyway, I came to visit you!"
I look back down at the counter, continuing to clean like the interruption didn't happen. Nia walks closer and leans over my shoulder slightly, trying to peek at what I'm doing. I can practically feel her staring holes into the side of my head.
- Nia: "Do you not like my company?"
"Not particularly."
In retaliation, she punches me in the shoulder.
"Ow!"
Another voice speaks up from the entrance. I immediately recognize who it belongs to, swiveling my head over.
Mom stands there with a faint smirk on her face, her arms loosely crossed as she watches us. She looks way too entertained by this.
- Mom: "Nia, stop hitting your brother."
- Nia: "I didn't hit him."
"You brought Mom too?"
- ???: "Not just her.
I glance back toward the entrance again, spotting my father stepping inside a second later. He brushes something off his coat before shutting the door behind him, his eyes already settling on me.
"Clearly not. Why are you guys here though?"
- Dad: "We were nearby, so we decided to pay a visit."
- Nia: "They wanted to see where you've been hiding."
"I'm not hiding."
- Nia: "Sure you're not."
I sigh, grabbing a few menus from behind the counter.
"Just sit down."
They don't argue. Just follow me to one of the tables near the window.
Sunlight spills across the table, catching the edges of the plates stacked nearby. It's warm. Quiet. Normal.
I set the menus down.
"I'll be right back."
Miss Hayakawa's already coming out from the kitchen before I even turn.
She looks the same as always. Short, slightly hunched, with silver strands mixed into her otherwise dark hair, tied loosely behind her head. The sleeves of her sweater are rolled up unevenly, and there's still flour dusted faintly across one side of it. Her face is lined with age, but not harshly. The kind that comes from years of working and smiling more than resting.
The smell of cooking follows behind her as she steps into the dining area.
- Miss Hayakawa: "You didn't tell me you had guests."
She says this as she wipes her hands, smiling.
"I didn't know I have guests until a minute ago…"
- Miss Hayakawa: "Well then, don't leave them waiting."
"I won't."
She nods and heads toward the table without another word.
I watch her for a second, then follow.
They're already seated.
Nia leans back in her chair, glancing around.
- Nia: "This place is kinda small."
"Yeah. I guess so."
- Mom: "I think it's nice."
My father nods once.
- Dad: "It suits you."
I pause for a second before answering.
"…Thanks."
Miss Hayakawa sets down glasses of water.
- Miss Hayakawa: "Welcome."
- Mom: "You must be Miss Hayakawa! It's so nice to meet you. I'm Catherine Blackwood."
- Miss Hayakawa: "The pleasure is mine."
- Dad: "I hope our Ayden is being off use around here."
"Wha—"
Nia stiffles a laugh, clearly entertained at my expense.
- Miss Hayakawa: "Yes, he's been doing good work here."
Nia grins.
- Nia: "I'm surprised."
I put on my best deadpan expression, looking her in the eyes.
"Don't start."
- Nia: "What? I'm joking."
Rolling my eyes, I grab my notepad and ready my pen.
"Alright, what do you want to eat?"
Later.
Plates are mostly empty. The conversation's slowed down.
Nia's telling some story I'm only half paying attention to. My mother cuts in every now and then. My father listens more than he speaks.
I lean back slightly, letting the noise settle around me.
- Nia: "…You're doing that thing again."
I look up from the table.
"What thing?"
- Nia: "The 'staring off into space' thing."
"I'm literally listening to you."
- Nia: "No, you're only pretending to listen to me."
I huff quietly.
"I'm tired."
- Nia: "You always say that."
I shrug.
She studies me for another second like she's trying to figure something out, but eventually leans back in her chair again.
- Nia: "Whatever…"
After our exchange, I decide it's probably a good time to leave. I stand up, grabbing the plates.
"I'll be back."
Nia simply nods.
I step into the kitchen, setting everything down.
The sounds from the customers muffle behind the door.
I rinse my hands, drying them off on a towel, and pick up a plate to start cleaning it.
Then I hear it. Laughter coming from the other room.
I glance back toward the doorway.
Everyone is enjoying themselves. It's a nice change of pace. I should probably apologize to Nia though.
Stopping for a second, I stare at the sink reevaluating what just crossed my mind.
Actually… Nevermind. It'll probably just piss her off more.
I'm snapped out of thought by the sound of the door opening behind me.
- Miss Hayakawa: "What are you doing here?"
"Oh. I was just doing some of the dishes. We have a slight… backlog of them."
I say this while eyeing the immense pile of dirty dishes inches away from me.
- Miss Hayakawa: "Nope. That won't do. Your family is here for once. Go back out there. I can handle things in here."
"But—"
- Miss Hayakawa: "No. Spend time with them."
I can't even find a good enough argument to refute. I smile as I place the dirty plate onto the table.
"Alright."
As I step away though, I stop and glance back for a second.
She's already at the sink, sleeves rolled up slightly as she starts working through the dishes I left behind like it's nothing.
Honestly, I don't know how she does it.
Running an entire restaurant at her age with only me helping should've broken her years ago.
But somehow, it didn't. It's something I admire greatly.
I think this to myself as I push open the door.
——————————————————————
I'm standing still, looking down at something below me.
The restaurant.
The table.
My family.
Me.
All of it plays out beneath us like a scene on a stage. Like I'm watching someone else live the life I wanted.
- The Dreamer: "Comfortable, isn't it?"
His words barely register in my mind.
"Miss Hayakawa…"
My voice comes out weaker than I wanted.
I stare down at her, watching her move through the kitchen like nothing ever happened. Looking at her gives me a sense of nostalgia, but more prominently, sadness. I bite down on my lips, producing a stinging pain.
I miss her. I miss them.
My chest tightens.
In this world, my parents are alive.
In this world, Nia is here.
In this world, I have it all.
Everything I wanted was sitting right there, wrapped in warmth and sunlight. And the worst part is, it doesn't even look fake.
It looks peaceful. It looks possible.
The Dreamer's voice softens beside me.
- The Dreamer: "You could still have this."
I don't answer.
My eyes stay locked on the scene below, my thoughts racing through the possibilities.
- The Dreamer: "A life where no one asks anything of you. No monsters. No pain. No impossible choices."
My throat feels dry.
As if annoyed by my indecision, his voice grows more commanding.
- The Dreamer: "You threw it away once. I'm giving you a second chance."
I grit my teeth. Hard.
"No."
The word barely comes out.
Then I force myself to look away from the restaurant. A shaky breath leaves my lips.
"No. You don't get to call that happiness."
His smile fades slightly. Tears are welling up in my eyes as I resist all my urges.
"That's just another cage."
The Dreamer watches me for a moment.
Then everything goes quiet. The warmth disappears from the air. The scene below blurs, as I get a final look at my boss before she disappears.
- The Dreamer: "How disappointing."
The world turns white again.
But it doesn't last.
A familiar sight forms before my eyes. An apartment. Small and cramped.
The dim yellow light above the kitchen tables buzzes faintly overhead while the smell of food fills the room. Plates sit stacked near the counter beside a cheap rice cooker.
I see Kai move through the apartment quietly, setting bowls down onto the table one at a time.
Kai? Is this another dream?
His movements are casual, like he's doing something he's used to.
Then another door opens.
My eyes widen slightly.
A woman steps out from the bathroom, drying her hands on a towel before sitting down at the table beside Kai's younger brothers.
Kai looks over at her and smiles. It's not forced or uncomfortable. Just a normal smile.
My chest tightens slightly.
No. Kai knows. He knows that woman isn't really his mother. He told me himself. Even she knew it! So why…
Why is he sitting there pretending this is real?
One of his brothers starts complaining about the food. The woman flicks him lightly in the forehead while Kai snorts quietly under his breath.
The apartment is filled with noise. Small arguments. Laughter. Complaints.
A normal family dinner.
And Kai just sits there among them, listening quietly while helping pass dishes around the table. Like he wants this badly enough to ignore the truth.
The scene flashes violently.
I blink instinctively.
When my vision clears, I'm standing on a rooftop.
Cold wind crashes against me immediately.
The school.
I already know what's going to happen. And I'm not willing to see it again.
The rooftop door swings open.
Irene steps outside slowly, her movements uneven as she approaches the railing near the edge. Tears streak her face while she grips the metal tightly enough for her knuckles to turn white.
She climbs onto it, and stands there for a few minutes.
I'm unable to move. Completely frozen against my will, not allowed to correct my mistake.
I hear a shout coming from the rooftop entrance.
- Lena: "IRENE!"
She stumbles out onto the roof, breathing heavily like she sprinted the entire way up the stairs.
Irene freezes.
- Irene: "Lena…?"
- Lena: "Please, just… Please calm down for a second. Okay? Let's just talk. Just a second."
Her voice is shaking. After each word, she slowly gets closer to Irene, without taking her gaze off of her. One step at a time.
- Irene: "Stop! D-Don't come any closer!"
This completely stops Lena in her tracks.
- Lena: "Please don't do this."
Irene looks away immediately.
- Irene: "You don't understand."
- Lena: "Then explain it to me!"
The wind howls around them.
- Irene: "I'm tired, Lena… I don't know why I even try. No matter what I do, I'll never be accepted."
Her head hangs, as she stares down to the ground.
- Irene: "…Even he said so."
She mumbles the last part. Lena doesn't seem to hear it. But I do.
He?
- Lena: "I'm here. I promise. I wasn't that good of a friend before, but I'm here now."
Irene looks away from the edge, peering back over to the roof. Lena has her hand outstretched to her.
- Lena: "I'm here."
The silence is unnerving, spanning for several seconds. I'm holding my breath during the whole thing.
Then, Iren finally steps down from the ledge.
The moment her feet touch the ground again, her legs give out completely. Lena catches her before she hits the floor.
The two collapse together, Irene sobbing into Lena's shoulder while Lena desperately tries to calm her down despite crying herself.
I just stare, relieved. It doesn't last long.
This isn't real. There's no way. This didn't happen. Lena isn't here. She's back at the cabin.
My eyes burn as the scene flashes again. Color floods back into the world around me. Music plays deafeningly loud.
When I turn around, the festival stretches along the water. The lights of the streets illuminate the night sky. The same clocktower sits in the distance, its time never changing. The same cliff I fell to the bottom of.
Now, the festival.
I know what's going to happen.
Blair is pinned against the wall. The scene is playing out exactly like last time.
The man towers over her, one hand wrapped around both of her wrists, forcing them above her head. The other slams into the wall beside her with enough force to make her flinch. Blair struggles against him, but every movement only seems to make his grip tighter.
- Blair: "Let go of me!"
Her voice comes out strained. Like all the air was knocked out of her lungs.
The man shoves her back against the wall again.
My jaw clenches immediately.
No. I have to do something. Anything!
I try to move.
I can't.
I try to look away.
I can't do that either.
The world forces me to watch.
- Blair: "SOMEONE HELP!"
The scream cuts through the night.
The man visibly flinches.
Then Blair drives her knee upward.
He lets out a strangled gasp and stumbles backward, collapsing to the ground while clutching himself.
A voice immediately shouts from the nearby path.
- ???: "HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE?!"
A festival worker rushes toward them. Other people follow close behind. Among them, are a few police officers that were roaming the festival that overheard the commotion.
Blair doesn't hesitate.
She pushes herself off the wall and runs straight toward him.
More voices begin shouting.
- Police Officer: "You're under arrest! Lay down on your stomach, with your arms behind your back!"
The man stumbles backward, breathing heavily.
His eyes dart between the officers, the crowd, and the cliff.
For a moment, he doesn't move. He's looking around for options.
One of the officers slowly reaches toward the holster on his hip.
The man notices immediately.
I can practically see the thought running through his head. The decision on whether to attack or run.
But every option ends the same way. The crowd is growing by the second. People are watching. More officers are arriving.
There is nowhere left to go.
The officer takes a cautious step forward.
- Police Officer: "Don't try anything stupid! Stand down!"
The man's eyes slowly drift toward the cliff.
For a second, it looks like he's considering surrendering.
Then his expression changes. Acceptance.
No matter what happens next, his life is over.
Without warning, he turns and bolts. Not toward the crowd, but toward the cliff.
- Police Officer: "STOP!"
He never does.
He sprints and throws himself over the edge without a second thought.
The crowd erupts into panic. People rush toward Blair. Others run toward the cliff.
Blair doesn't move an inch. She just stands there. Shaking. Her eyes are wide and empty. Like she hasn't fully processed what's happened. Like part of her wishes none of it happened at all.
The scene freezes.
My stomach twists violently.
She never screamed last time… If I hadn't gotten involved, she would have just screamed. Then someone else would have saved her.
- The Dreamer: "Do you realize now?"
My breath catches.
- The Dreamer: "Had you not gotten involved, they would have been fine. All of them."
Kai.
Lena.
Blair.
One after another, their faces flash through my mind.
My hands tremble.
Maybe he's right. Maybe everything would've worked out if I had simply stayed where I belonged. Maybe every decision I've made since arriving here has only made things worse. Maybe I don't help people.
Maybe I ruin them.
The thought hits harder than any monster ever could.
I lower my head. Unable to argue. Unable to deny it.
"What about Christy…?"
- The Dreamer: "I would have found her the perfect world too."
He slowly walks past me, keeping his eyes on me. They dig at my soul.
- The Dreamer: "You wanted to save them."
I don't answer.
- The Dreamer: "Instead, you forced them to suffer."
I can barely breathe, my mind too hazy to think clearly.
- The Dreamer: "I offered them peace."
Peace.
The word lingers and latches onto my mind.
Suddenly, I hear a familiar voice.
- The System: "Third, you must prove your worth."
The words echo throughout the white expanse.
The Dreamer doesn't react.
It's like he never heard them.
My eyes widen slightly.
Prove my worth? Worth for what? If everything he said is true... Then haven't I already failed?
I lower my head.
And that's when something starts bothering me. Not the outcomes. The people. A strange feeling settles into my chest.
Something isn't right.
Kai knew. He knew everything. So why wasn't he outraged? Why was he smiling?
The answer burns in my mind instantly.
Because that's where the dream ends.
My eyes slowly widen.
The Dreamer notices.
- The Dreamer: "What is it?"
I don't answer him. Instead, I think back to Lena. To the rooftop. To the tears and relief.
A perfect ending.
Then Blair. She saved herself. The man was taken care of. Her story ended.
Suddenly, a veil was lifted. Not because of what I saw, but because of what I didn't.
I never saw what happens after.
The Dreamer tilts his head slightly.
- The Dreamer: "Ayden?"
I finally look up.
"You keep showing me endings."
- The Dreamer: "And?"
"Lena saves Irene."
I take a step forward.
"Blair gets rescued."
Another step.
"Kai gets his family."
The Dreamer remains silent.
"But what happens after that?"
The question hangs in the air.
- The Dreamer: "What do you mean?"
I stare at him. And I realize he genuinely doesn't understand.
"What happens when Kai wakes up the next day?"
Silence.
"What happens when Lena and Irene have a fight?"
His expression doesn't change.
"What happens when Blair has another bad day?"
Nothing. No answer. Because there isn't one. The dreams never go that far. They stop the moment things become messy.
The moment people become human.
My heart starts pounding.
"You don't care about them."
The Dreamer's eyes narrow.
- The Dreamer: "I gave them happiness."
"No."
The answer leaves my mouth immediately.
"You gave them endings."
The white expanse trembles.
For the first time, his smile disappears completely.
- The Dreamer: "Is there a difference?"
I let out a bitter laugh.
"Of course there is."
I point toward the fading memories surrounding us.
"Kai doesn't get to decide what he wants. Lena doesn't get to fail after making her own choices. None of them get to."
The Dreamer simply stares at me. Still not understanding.
And somehow that's the most horrifying part.
"Sure, they might be happy. Sure, their traumas were taken care of. But they lose their freedom. They get no choice in anything!"
My arms fall to my sides.
"You never asked them..."
The words come out quietly.
- The Dreamer: "Why would I?"
My breath catches. There is my answer. The reason all of this feels so wrong. The Dreamer doesn't see people. He sees outcomes.
A perfect ending.
A happy ending.
A painless ending.
And he'll force it onto anyone he can. Even if they never wanted it. Even if it isn't real. Even if it means locking them inside a cage forever.
The realization sends a chill down my spine. But at the same time, it makes me smirk.
"You really don't understand humans at all."
The Dreamer says nothing.
Suddenly, the surroundings tremble and shatter into thousands of pieces, scattering like broken glass in every direction.
I stumble forward and when my vision clears, I realize I'm standing at the edge of a cliff.
Cold wind crashes against my face. The river beneath me roars furiously. The view is immediately recognizable.
The festival again.
My eyes drift even lower. A hand hangs over the ledge. My hand.
My body is suspended over the endless drop below, desperately reaching to the sky. My expression is nothing short of terrified.
The exact moment I fell. The exact moment after I failed Blair.
Then I hear them.
You fail everyone. Blair wasn't the first and she will not be the last. You will fail again.
Thoughts resting at the deepest parts of my mind, burning their way to the surface.
For a second, I just stare.
Then I take a step forward. The memory doesn't react.
I take another step, the cliff edge directly beneath my feet now. The version of me falling to his death looks up.
I don't.
I keep walking. My foot leaves solid ground.
And nothing happens. The air beneath me hardens like glass. The illusion cracks.
"None of this is real."
After these words exit my mouth, the cliff shatters. The ocean follows and then the entire world.
Another scene forms before me. A rooftop. Cold wind and grey skies above.
Lena sits on the floor, tears streaming down her face.
Her shoulders shake with every breath. Her hands are clenched tightly in her lap, fingernails digging into her skin hard enough to leave marks. She isn't moving. Just staring at her failure.
At the spot where Irene took her life.
She got her friend killed all because she made a choice. One to do nothing. Sounds a lot like you.
"She made this choice. And it will haunt her for the rest of her life. But at least it was hers to make."
I continue walking. The scene fractures again and a new one forms. Kai's apartment. I'm standing outside it. The smell of food leaks out from the gaps of the door. Sounds of laughter can be heard coming from the room.
You hear him? He's happy. He found what he wanted. And you took that away from him.
For a moment, I understand why he'd stay. Why any of us would.
I keep walking.
The apartment explodes into white.
Suddenly, heat slams into me.
Fire.
My body burns in front of me.
Everyone around me is frozen, but the flames are still alive. Still moving and feeding on my skin.
Your choices bring pain to everyone. Especially yourself.
I stare into the inferno. It keeps spreading. Keeps consuming and burning at full strength. I stare at my own corpse for several seconds.
It hurts to look at. Not only because of the fire. But because I remember exactly how afraid I was.
Then I walk through it, the flames splitting around me.
The world breaks apart. Another memory.
Christy. Blood drips from the rock clenched in her hands. My body lies beneath her. Broken. Motionless. The others are frozen in place. Expressions twisted with horror. The blood falls.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Even they thought you were a liability and cut you off.
I don't stop.
The scene shatters.
Pieces of myself are scattered across the ground. Teeth marks. Torn flesh. Blood everywhere. The abomination I first encountered hunched over what remained of me. Isabella's body laying lifeless nearby. Every death. Every failure. Every mistake I made. One after another.
You will fail again.
The words don't hurt anymore. I look at my remains. At Isabella. At the monster.
"That's fine."
My voice is calm. Distant. It almost doesn't feel like I'm speaking.
"After all..."
I step over my own corpse.
"To fail is human."
I keep walking.
Everything breaks like glass being shattered. The Dreamer stands in front of me. Staring at me. Annoyed.
For the first time since I've met this monster, I feel nothing. No hate. No anger. No fear. Nothing. And it lets me think clearly.
I need a weapon.
I reach forward. And grasp something that isn't there.
No. It was always there and I just never realized it.
A familiar weight settles into my palm. Silver. Cold. Sharp.
The Dreamer's Dagger.
My previous reward.
- The Dreamer: "Why do you resist?"
His voice sounds desperate.
I close my eyes. I don't have a good answer. Not one that justifies everything. Not one that excuses my mistakes. But when I open my eyes again, I'm still standing.
And my feet are still moving.
"Because I want to go home."
The silence lasts only a second.
Then his expression shifts to that of concern. A sweat drop falls from his face. He takes a step back. I keep walking.
- The Dreamer: "Enough with this."
"I agree."
My eyes are trained on him, the distance shortening with each second that passes.
Suddenly, my head feels light. And a burning sensation rips through my mind.
He's moving through my skull like fingers digging through a drawer, shoving everything aside to get to the bottom of it.
A flash of memories hit me.
A hallway with fluorescent lights, too bright for my eyes to adjust to right away. Woman's shoes sound out on the echoing floor, stopping in front of me.
I try to pull back, but there's nothing to pull back with. I'm not in control of anything anymore. Not my body, not my eyes. Nothing.
- Officer: "...regret to inform you that..."
The voice cuts. Static where the rest of the sentence should be. But even without hearing it, I know what this is.
Nia's hand is small in mine, squeezing far too hard for a seven year old. I don't understand. I remember not understanding. How could I? I was only nine years old, and the word "passed" meant nothing to me. Not until that day.
The day I found out my parents were dead.
Four years blur by in pieces too small to hold onto. A cafeteria tray, a bunk bed and a birthday no one remembered until Nia reminded them.
Until one day, two people I wish never came took us from that place.
- Grandmother: "You'll behave. Both of you. We didn't ask for this."
I know that line. I've heard it a hundred times since then. Always the same flat cruelty underneath it.
Another memory rips through me.
- Grandfather: "Useless. Couldn't even stay alive for your own children."
Then something else surfaces. A much older memory, buried deeper than the rest, like it had been shoved down their on purpose.
- ???: "...Protect Nia."
I don't remember this. I can't remember this. Not the voice. Not the face. Nothing. Just the words.
Protect Nia.
The static stops for a second. And then intensifies even further. It's him. The Dreamer. Yanking harder, dragging the memory back up by force. Like he can hear how much it matters and wants to see it for himself.
My head splits. I can't tell reality from dream. I grab it with my free hand, fingers digging into my own scalp, a sound tearing out of my throat that doesn't feel like it came from me. A screen suddenly pops up in front of me.
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STATUS SCREEN
Mental Fortitude has reached its limit.
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Something else sits beneath it.
Resilience - Active.
Suddenly, I can see him. The Dreamer standing two feet away from me. And my body is no longer stuck. I can move, although very difficult. I lift the dagger with all my strength, pushing forward.
The Dreamer notices my reaction. I can feel his attention shift dramatically. For the first time, he's interested in something other than breaking me.
He digs even deeper, trying to make me submit. Trying to finish the memory.
- ???: "...No matter what happens. I'll be back for you, I swear."
And then he finds the rest of it. And I feel him flinch. A full-body recoil. For one second. One single second, The Dreamer isn't in control of anything either.
That's all I need.
I drive the dagger into his abdomen. He doesn't scream. He just looks down at the blade, almost curious, blood already pooling dark around the hilt. When he looks back up at me, there's something different in his expression. Something closer to recognition than pain.
- The Dreamer: "...You're his son?"
Blood spills from the corner of his mouth as he says it. He almost smiles.
- The Dreamer: "...How interesting."
He doesn't get to say anything else. The white expanse around us starts to collapse inward, folding into itself like paper curling in fire, and The Dreamer goes with it. A prompt suddenly opens up in front of me before I even have time to process anything.
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STATUS SCREEN
You have Proven Your Worth. You have completed all tests.
Reward:
+ 2 attribute points for each stat
+ User is granted "Vault".
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