Triumph The Dreams // a Dreamcatcher Story

Chapter 11

Her foot firmly stood in the room, surrounded by flashing lights and broken screens. Eyes darting the cracks and static that the screens had, almost immersed into it so deeply she nearly forgot her one goal. She turned around to see a door, so plain she could not have expected anything big. Her foot jumped in and began to take the first step. Clack! Her boots echoed around the room, startling her. "This isn't the 'BOCA' setting." She seemed to be confused with herself. "We've never been here.."

She shook it off, walked towards the door and lifted her left wrist to see the bracelet; fortunately still green. Her attention turned to the wooden door again. She shaped her fists and, in hopes of a reaction from someone beyond the door, she knocked and called out SuA's name. "SuA! It's me, Siyeon!"

No reply, neither was it any use to try to open it. The locked door was assumed to be one of the obstacles; how careless was Siyeon to think that it would be that easy to just crack it open. Her hand tried to reach for the handle but a numbered passcode was required to open it. Eyes dilating, her expectations never reached this high for a nightmare. "SuA, hang tight! I'll get you out!"

Siyeon scrambled to find the passcode. "Come on.. The passcode should be here somewhere," she mumbled, sweating in fear of losing SuA.

➳

Her eyes gazed upon the city lights that passed through the fog. Her body shook and her hands tried to wrap around her own body --- it was freezing. It seemed like she was out of the city, deserted and separated from the rest. She could not speak properky nor call out a name. "D-Dami?" she called out, shivering.

Tiny steps began and into the fog she went. The cold overtook her body, warmth was no where to be found. "Dami, if y-you can hear me, please respond!" She got closer to the city lights, but her surroundings were still dim; although she did manage to identify the place. "A.. B-Bus stop?" Dreams could truly be unexpected. She sat there waiting for something to happen like a happy miracle, or a hopeful start, but nothing. She sat, expecting for some sort of heater, but nothing. Her knee joints started to feel pain flowing through to the other parts --- she had forgotten the torment that the dream realm could cost them. Her fingers were lured out, trembling as the frozen air flew past it. Her lips quivered, blocking every word she had to say. At the corner of her eyes, the bracelet still shined green, so she did not think much of the discomfort she felt, her focus was drifted to finding Dami.

Still praying for a sign, the fog opened up a sight of a simple bus light reflection showed up. Even with that, it was no guarantee that there would be any human in there. The bus seemed to be standing there hidden in the fog for quite a while.

Her legs slowly built support for the body and used most of her strength to go through. "The least they could do was give us covering, not a s-stylish leather v-vest."

Clack!

Her boots tapped the surface of the bus. She climbed up, pulling her body with the help of the handles the bus provided. "H-Hello? Is anyone--- Argh!" she groaned, tripping on the last stair up. The cold had severely affected her joints, it was difficult to stand. Curled up on the spot to endure the strain, a soft whisper called out.

"Who's there?"

She turned and only caught a glimmer of their dark blue robe. A face peeked at her through the cold, blurry atmosphere --- a woman. "Hello? Are you alright?" the voice queried in a kind-hearted manner. Before she got up on her knees, a hand appeared before her face, offering what they never expected to come. Her body felt numb, her mind was revolving, she could not think straight, the voice of the other person became distorted. Her goal was now blurred. "W-Who.." Her lips and throat dried. It was too difficult for her to concentrate with the throbbing and the migraines. Her body, shaking as she struggles to find control over it.

"J-JiU?"

She shut her eyes in hopes the headaches would stop, but it seemed endless. "Your temperature is dropping. U-Unnie, c-can you hear me? Unnie!? It's me, Dami!"

Her consciousness was not still. Even if she was still breathing, it felt like she had already lost control of her body and focus. "I'll get you somewhere safe, please stay conscious!" She felt a strong pull as her body got up on the other's back. She felt one breath of air escape just before everything seemed too difficult to grasp; reality did not seem by her side.

"Unnie.."

➳

"How are they?"

"Supposed to be already an hour in for them," one of the other supervisor sternly said. Jin shuffled over to the main energizer of the machinery. "The core is stable," he sighed in relief. He stood in distress, his body could not stay still in his place because of that one thought that could possibly kill all hope. "Sir," one staff called, "it's going to be alright. We've tested this multiple times, the machine will work."

Jin stood there watching as the monitor kept beeping and the green lights on their bracelet stay bright. Ten minutes has never felt so slow; his patience ticking despite only watching everything run smoothly.

Deciding to leave his post, he ran out the room and dialed a number. As the phone was being connected, everything around him just fell silent. He looked at his watch, then..

"This is Seoul Prison, how may I help you?"

"It's Kim Seokjin," Jin gasped, "I need to speak to Kim Namjoon."