Triumph The Dreams // a Dreamcatcher Story

Chapter 12

The soreness of her legs threw its final attempt to get closer The shouts did not seem to take any effect on Handong's attention --- like a powerful barrier for separation. Indeed she saw Handong, unbothered with all the thunder, lightning and shocks around. It was purple, everything was.

Gahyeon, impatiently, tried to penetrate through softly, though unsuccessful. It was like rubber; able to stretch, but unable to allow anything through. She tried to give more force into it and force her way through --- leading to electrical sparks to appear and land on the skin. Gahyeon hissed once she felt the heat and burns but the revelation she had found was going to prove to her useful, yet painful.

"For Handong.."

She hopped through with the endurance of the shocks and stings which lasted for a short period. Washed inside like the water residue after a swim, she gasped for air once her whole body was through. Her whole body suddenly felt an abrupt change. Something pulling her from inside slightly, an insecurity roaming around. "Handong unnie?" Her eyes had lost her location; Handong seemed much closer before she entered, now it was all empty air.

Her surroundings drastically changed. The setting was no longer a fantasy-like forest but a room that seemed so tiny however it was only the illusion given off by the mirrors. --- even so, her mission was simple and straightforward.

"Handong!" she proceeded to call. "If you can hear me, please reply!"

It was silent at first, as if she never heard Gahyeon nor appeared before her. "H-Hando---"

"Gahyeonie?" a soft and velvety voice. "Handong unnie!"

With that call, a figure appeared at the hallway surrounded by slowly appearing mirrors, like dominos. "Handong unnie!" Gahyeon ran towards the incoming figure and embraced her tightly within her arms. "I'm so glad I found you," Gahyeon whispered as Handong stood there, frozen at the thought that their youngest was there hugging her. "H-How are you here?" she stammered. Gahyeon chuckled and smiled, "It's difficult to explain but I'm getting you back! You don't have to stay here unnie."

Handong's eyebrows raised with no voice escaping her mouth. "Dong unnie, you can go back home. Here," Gahyeon pulled from the hug and took out the other bracelet, also catching the still green light on her wrist, "if you wear this, we can go back."

"Back to.. The real world?"

"Yes!" Gahyeon exclaimed brightly, almost tearing up at the sight of her. "Unnie, I'll get you out, we just need to---" Just as she spoke out the words, she was cut off with a thunderous boom echoing through the room. Pulled into sudden fear, her balanced was swayed with confusion. "D-Dong unnie?!"

"Gahyeonie!"

"What's happening?!"

"It's the shifts! It comes every now and then, indicating another level is coming soon."

Gahyeon steadied herself as the ground kept quaking unable to think for herself. "Quick, put this on." Before Handong could even ask, Gahyeon had already slipped on the black bracelet onto Handong, but even that was not enough to escape.

"Okay," Gahyeon tapped her bracelet, "now just force your eyes open like waking up from a dream. I'll be right behind you," she reassured while letting go of Handong's hands. "I'll meet you outside, Dongie. You'll ne fine." Those last words were the last that Handong heard in that realm. Slowly, her solid figure started to fade as if her state was thinning to air. Soon, no one was standing in front of Gahyeon. Just about to do the same, her eyes shut, trying to force her way out until another shift propelled her body off balance and on the vibrating ground. Her mouth exclaimed a groan when her elbow stunned the wall. "T-This wasn't supposed to happe---" Again, her body was thrown to the other side of the room, unlocking the bond between her wrist and her bracelet.

"NO!" Gahyeon reached out but the room immediately sunk her into the ground.

➳

As Jin stood next the members because the machine detected a fourth bracelet attachment, he prayed for one of the four unconscious members to wake up. "Someone got out, but who?" he muttered to himself, trying to calculate who he predicted to get the members fastest. His pocket watch clicked stiffly of how old it was. He smiled while glancing around the rust around the gold metal, but that slight quietness, the pure moment of serendipity, a loud gasp emerged from one of the bodies, quickly stuffing his pocket watch.

Jumping in shock, he tried to pull himself together by scrambling to help her calm down. "Whoa, whoa, calm down."

"Where's Gahyeon?! Where's the members?!" she screamed even if her lungs were suffering from the rough breathing. Jin called for the other employees to help by bringing in the life support to stabilize her breathing and heart rate. "Breath.. Inhale and exhale slowly. The members are fine, Gahyeon too. We need to do some checkups on you, please calm yourself."

"N-No, I need to see her first, she said she would be right behind me."

"I'm sure she's fine." Jin, after handling the masks and straps with the others, stared into her eyes. "Handong, your members are all fine. Since you just got out, we'll need to do some checkups. You'll see them soon." He smiled at Handong while they escort her to another room. "Take good care of her, make sure her condition is stable," he ordered while going back to his work station.

Once the doors were shut, his smile suddenly faded once his eyes were set on the computer. "Gahyeon isn't out yet."

"Sir," one of the staff came out from the door behind him and whispered, "we lost Gahyeon on the radar."

Jin's eyes dilated. "Detect her location, find her. We can't lose any of them!" He turned to his phone.

"Namjoon, where are you?"