In Your Dreams (A DahMo Fanfic)

15: Let's do this

"No, you're not listening," Dahyun chastises me, clicking her tongue and shaking her head. "Build the world in your head."

Apparently, in the second level, you're given a sandbox—a blank slate of sorts. Everything you manifest there has to stay intact, with or without your supervision. However, since this is a deeper layer of the dream, manifestations are more difficult to pull off. We've tried inanimate objects, such as boxes, buildings, and tools, and that was relatively easy. But now we're trying to conjure living beings, and I'm failing miserably.

I tried making my own version of Sana, but she immediately dissolved after taking one step. Another weird thing in this level is, it's somewhat physically taxing. Imagine getting eight hours of sleep, but you wake up feeling like you only had two.

"Yeobo," Dahyun calls out from behind. "Have to wake up, mom's calling me. See you tonight?"

"Sure," I say, panting. "Have a great day. I love you." I blow her a kiss, represented by a blue orb of light. Dahyun catches it and holds it over her heart.

"If this will help, trying thinking or doing something you love while manifesting. I love you too." She blows a kiss of her own before blinking out of my dream.

***

Thinking or doing something you love, huh? Well, I love Dahyun. Think about her? That's a given. Doing her? Yeah, we just did it. Ugh, get a grip.

Also, you can't eat jokbal in a dream, so that's out of the question.

Man, the silence of this place is kinda unnerving. Let's play some music. Slowly, Doja Cat's "Say So" fades in, and my body moves instinctively. It has been a while since I actually danced and, seeing that I'm alone right now, this would be an opportune moment to do so.

As I snake my arms outward, a river forms on the ground. Not just a static body of water, but one that is continuously flowing. Holy shit. Dahyun told me that water is one of the hardest things to manifest since it's a flowing substance, but here we are.

Let's try something else. Upon gyrating my hips, I generate a violent tornado. These are two erratic elements in a row! Clapping my hands make the water and wind meet each other. At the rate I'm going now, I'd put Aang to shame.

***

"You look so tired, yeobo," Dahyun says rubbing my cheek. "It's alright—you don't have to force yourself tonight."

"I'm good. I just want to show you something."

Before she could even dissuade me, we are transported into a metropolis of my own creation. Dahyun clasps her mouth, in awe of how crazy things got since she woke up earlier.

"H-how...? You did all of these?" She runs her finger across the tofu sidewalk. "Even if you slept all week, it would be impossible!"

I raise my shoulders. "I dunno, I just did something I loved. So I danced." And created a culinary civilization at that.

A car made of cotton candy whizzes in front of us. "Come on, there's something I really want to show you here."

A few minutes later, the "car" drops us of in a courtyard that's mostly made of chocolate. "Close your eyes," I instruct. Dahyun easily complies, but I cover her eyes for good measure.

"Let me guess: this is a giant chocolate, isn't it?"

"You could say that," I whisper, barely containing my excitement. This piece was the last I created before waking up today. "Okay, open them."

She slowly opens her eyes, and her gaze immediately shoots up to a gigantic chocolate monument of us intertwined. "I made this, since we both love chocolate," I exclaim.

Dahyun pulls me in closer, wrapping my arms around her waist. "...and each other."

"Of course, duh," I whisper, planting my head on her shoulder.

Our sweet moment is interrupted by loud clanging of bells. "Intruders!" The chocolate guards on the tower signal each other by repeatedly ringing alarms, as a battalion of them immediately flanks the courtyard. What the hell?

"Uh, stand down? I created you," I say, pointing over to the monument.

Instead of lowering their weapons, they start hurling spears and shooting arrows at us. Dahyun immediately rushes to find cover and I head over to her.

"What the hell's going on?!" I'm sure I had this place under control before waking up.

Dahyun, strangely, seems calm about this confectionary carnage. "I'm sorry, yeobo."

The walls around us shift into streams, like a symbiote looking for hosts. "Yeobo," I shout in panic. "What do I do now?!"

She pats my head and lets out a sigh. "You have to let this place go," Dahyun says, flashing a solemn smile.