Ray pulled him away quickly, and Dio managed only a brief glance at the strange thicket. The darkness there was indeed unsettling… but also somehow… intriguing.

  What could be hiding in there?

  But Ray kept pulling him along, and a cold breeze swept through his curly hair.

  “Ray, we’re far enough away now! What happened back there? I didn’t see anything… If it scared you, perhaps try to think of something that makes the fear go away… Can you do that?”

  “Yeah… maybe… Believe me, there was a voice. It was disgusting…”

  She only stopped once they reached a place where the canopy allowed the dim rays of the gray sky to filter through.

  “Finally… light again,” Ray said, taking a deep breath.

  Her hand began to relax.

  Dio looked up; the sky was so boring, so gray… The light itself felt dull…

  “Something is missing, Ray…” he said thoughtfully, and for a brief moment, it was as if he could see something up there in the eternal dullness… something that wasn’t really there.

  Ray looked up too and lost herself in the vastness above.

  “I don’t know, it…” she began, but a loud, slurping roar interrupted her, echoing between the trees.

  It was relatively close, Dio guessed, but he couldn’t tell where it was coming from. All he could see were firs and some unfamiliar yellowish trees.

  “What was that?” Ray asked, clearly frightened again.

  Dio furrowed his brow.

  “I don’t know… but we should find out. It could be important.”

  Ray hesitated, glancing around nervously. “Are you sure? It sounded… threatening.”

  Dio nodded.

  “We need answers, Ray. We can’t ignore anything that might tell us where we are or what’s going on.”

  Ray bit her lip, her eyes darting between the trees.

  “But what if it’s dangerous? We don’t know what’s out there. What if it’s another creepy place like the one before…?”

  “I understand your caution, but if we keep avoiding everything, we’ll never find out what’s going on here. We have to take a few risks.”

  Ray sighed, clearly torn. Then she gave in.

  “Alright. You’re here, at least. But let’s be careful, okay?”

  Dio gave her a reassuring smile and nodded encouragingly.

  “Of course. We’ll stick together and stay alert.”

  They set off in the direction of the sound, moving cautiously through the forest. The trees grew thicker, the underbrush denser, and the dim light faded the further they went. The roaring noise repeated at irregular intervals, guiding them.

  As they walked, Dio kept glancing at Ray to make sure she was alright. Her worry was obvious, but so was her determination to stay with him. Though her hand trembled, she didn’t stop again to collect herself or calm down.

  The forest around them seemed to grow more threatening as the light steadily dimmed, casting long, ghostly shadows that danced and flickered with every step they took.

  The trees soon loomed high above them, their branches intertwining into an almost impenetrable canopy that blocked out most of the remaining light. The air grew cooler and heavier, and the once-soothing rustle of the leaves now sounded ominous and foreboding. The roaring noise echoed through the trees again and again, deepening the sense of unease.

  “Almost there,” Dio whispered, offering Ray a reassuring smile despite the oppressive darkness surrounding them.

  Ray nodded, but her grip tightened as they navigated the increasingly treacherous terrain. The dim light made it hard to see where they were stepping, and every snapping twig or rustling bush sent a jolt through Dio’s body.

  “I don’t want to keep going… it’s so dark… I hate this, I hate the darkness… I feel like I just escaped it! Dio, I’m scared…”

  He pulled her closer.

  “We can do this. If we stay careful, hopefully nothing will happen, right? I just… I have to know what’s out there,” he murmured, peering between the massive trunks.

  After several minutes of pushing forward through the stifling forest and brushing aside branches, Dio finally saw that the trees ahead were starting to thin. The sound was growing louder, but he still couldn’t see its source.

  “Almost there!”

  Ray pushed past him and tugged him toward the forest’s edge. She picked up her pace, running faster and faster until they finally broke through the last row of trees… and found themselves on the edge of a lush, green, hilly meadow.

  The contrast was striking. The dark, dense forest gave way to vibrant, flower-lined hills that stretched out before them. A small brook trickled and bubbled over rocks in the distance, winding through the grass. Although the softly glowing sky still carried a dull, numbing weight, the colorful landscape gently painted over that heavy sense of foreboding.

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  Dio and Ray stood there for a moment, simply taking in the quiet beauty of the landscape. The tension melted away as they gazed out over the lush hills, dotted with radiant wildflowers and patches of tall grass swaying gently in the wind.

  “It’s beautiful…” Ray whispered, her fear giving way to awe. “This place… it feels different.”

  “Different how?” Dio asked, curious.

  “More alive. More real. Like we’re meant to be here,” Ray said, her eyes glowing with wonder.

  Dio nodded, appreciating the vibrant scenery.

  “I think you’re right. Look over there.”

  He pointed toward the distant brook, where a small group of people stood, partially hidden by thick bushes, also dressed in gray sackcloth.

  Ray squinted to get a better look.

  “Do you think they’re like us?”

  “There’s only one way to find out,” Dio replied.

  “Let’s go talk to them!”

  They stepped toward the group. The soft grass beneath their leather sandals was a welcome change from the rough forest floor. As they got closer, the people noticed them and turned to face them. The unfamiliar faces reflected a mixture of fear, hope, and confusion.

  Dio raised a hand in a gesture of peace, hoping the strangers would understand, and Ray did the same.

  “Hello!” Dio called out as they approached.

  He paused, thinking about what to say next. Had these people just woken up too? Or did they already know more about this… Dream? They looked confused, so he decided to speak the truth. Building trust was essential - and trust couldn’t be built on lies.

  “We’re probably like you. We just woke up and don’t remember much. Do you know where we are?”

  One member of the group, a tall man with thinning hair, a kind face, and worried eyes, stepped forward.

  “No, we don’t. We’re just as confused as you are. We woke up here, near the stream, with no memory of how we got here.”

  Dio looked around at the others and saw the same confusion reflected in their eyes.

  “Does anyone remember anything from their former life? Anything at all?”

  An older woman with short dark hair shook her head.

  “Only feelings. Like vague impressions I can’t quite grasp. It’s the same for everyone here.”

  Dio sighed, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. At least he and Ray weren’t alone in their disorientation… but it seemed answers were still far out of reach.

  “Well, at least we’re not alone,” he said, trying to stay positive. “Maybe we can figure out what’s going on… together?”

  The group murmured in agreement, though their fear was still palpable. Dio noticed how some of them kept casting nervous glances toward the forest, their faces tense.

  Ray asked gently, “Is there something out there we should be worried about? Does it have to do with the sounds?”

  Despite her calm voice, Dio noticed her hand had started to tremble.

  Some of the people nodded. Others looked around nervously.

  Dio and Ray exchanged tense glances.

  “We heard the sounds too, when we were in the forest,” Dio said. “But we didn’t see anything. Just the noise.”

  “Well… we know where it’s coming from… it’s…” began a tall man, but he was interrupted.

  As if on cue, the strange roaring and slurping sound echoed through the air again—this time louder than before. Dio turned toward the direction of the noise and scanned the area around them.

  And then… he found the source.

  Some of the others in the group flinched, their eyes widening with unease.

  “What is that?” Ray whispered, clutching Dio’s arm, though she also looked past his shoulder with awe.

  The ground near the stream began to shift and ripple. Strange, glowing shapes appeared, swirling and merging into a form. The air around them seemed to flicker and hum, creating an eerie atmosphere and the sense of distant truths pressing in from beyond. The shimmering outlines filled Dio with unease… but also a renewed sense of curiosity.

  They all watched in silence as the shapes condensed and finally revealed the figure of a woman. She was no longer young, but carried a quiet grace. Her hair was a cascade of deep red waves, and her piercing blue eyes were cloudy, yet intense. She wore the same clothes and shoes as the others and slowly sat upright, glancing around in confusion.

  Despite her disorientation, her expression was calm… yet sharp and focused.

  “My… memories… I’m… dead? Who…? Where am I?” she stammered.

  “This is the Dream. At least, that’s what comes to mind when we ask ourselves the same question. We also just recently woke up…” said an elderly man with a deeply lined face who was standing nearby.

  He stepped slowly toward her, and for a moment she looked frightened, almost as if she wanted to crawl away from him. She stared at him intently, but then seemed to relax slightly, furrowing her brow and murmuring something to him.

  The old man gasped… then laughed.

  “That sounds fun, harvesting. Yeah, you’re right, I really might enjoy that!”

  Suddenly, Ray tightened her grip on Dio’s arm.

  “What is it, Ray?” he asked, as the others began whispering among themselves about the strange reaction the man had to the woman’s words.

  “That woman… there’s something about her. She glowed for a moment when she spoke to that man… but maybe I just imagined it.”

  “Are you sure? That sounds… strange.”

  “I saw it too. Just barely,” whispered another young man, a bit on the heavier side.

  A few others nodded in agreement - but certainly not everyone. Dio looked around, wondering if there was something in common among those who had seen the glow… though he found nothing.

  What’s going on here?

  “What’s your name?” someone called out to the woman, and she slowly looked up.

  “My name… is Gima. I… yes, I’m sure. I’m Gima. It’s nice to meet all of you!”

  “Gima… do you remember anything? From before?”

  “Can you tell us where we are? What is the Dream?”

  “Please… we just want answers…”

  Gima rose to her feet slowly, hesitantly, and absentmindedly played with a few flowers growing near her.

  “Sorry… no,” she whispered.

  Though something about her struck Dio as suspicious… or maybe just… different? He could hear the sadness in her voice.

  “That glow… what was that?” asked a young woman near the brook.

  Gima looked visibly confused.

  “Glow? What glow?”

  “When you spoke about the harvest, you were surrounded by a faint, glowing light. What was it?”

  “There was no glow.” Gima shook her head quickly, causing her dark red hair to fall into her face.

  “But why did you say that? That word… it echoed inside me when you said it…”

  The old man she had spoken to first gave a faint smile. He seemed calm now, almost content. A sharp contrast to the fear he had shown before.

  “It was… I just… those words came to me when I looked at you. I don’t really know what they mean, but they felt right. They felt like they belonged to you. I wasn’t sure who you were. I was afraid of all the people standing around, and you had come closer… I just wondered what you wanted, tried to read your intentions in your face… and then… the words just came out.”

  Everyone was confused, but a small woman stepped closer to Gima and asked, almost hopefully, “And me? What fits me?”

  Dio didn’t like that. He saw just a little too much hope in the woman’s face—a little too much trust she was ready to place in this strange newcomer called Gima. He glanced at Ray, who was also frowning.

  “Don’t you think it’s more of an adventure to figure that out for yourself? If someone tells you what you want… doesn’t that take away half the fun?” Dio called out, louder than he had intended.

  He couldn’t hold it back anymore.

  Skepticism, he realized, was something you could never have too much of, especially in new situations.

  At least that’s one thing I just learned about myself, he thought bitterly.

  Ray looked a little shocked by his outburst too, but others quickly nodded in agreement - though not all. But before anyone could really respond, Gima suddenly began to scream.

  It wasn’t a scream of shock or pain. It was pure terror. So raw, so horrifying that Dio flinched and stepped back from her. He nearly stumbled, but Ray still had his arm firmly in her grip.

  He looked around, trying to see what had shaken her so deeply, what had sent that nameless fear into her bones… but there was nothing unusual to be seen.

  Then, to his horror, she pointed at him, sending a sick feeling through his stomach.

  “NO! NO, OH PLEASE, NO! YOU TWO, YOU CAN’T…! STAY AWAY FROM HER!”