Welcome to my Dream World || (deukae)

Chapter 19: Hourglass of Fate

As the seven figures pressed forward into the Phantom Hollows, a thick fog curled around their ankles like ghostly tendrils. Handong's sharp eyes pierced the gloom, leading the group deeper into the shadowy thicket that grew more suffocating with each step they took. The path before them twisted and turned, an endless labyrinth of darkness.

"Look there!" Gahyeon pointed to a clearing ahead where the air shimmered unnaturally, as if reality itself was tearing at the seams. Scattered all around were intricate glyphs that seemed to dance and flicker just out of comprehension's reach.

"An invisible wall," Siyeon said, her hand hesitating mere inches from the barrier. "And these codes..." Her breath fogged before her, the glyphs reflecting in her wide, fearful eyes.

"Let's not panic," Bora chimed in, circling the perimeter with measured steps. "There must be a way through this."

"Glyphs often represent words... ideas," Dami suggested, her gaze analyzing the symbols with a critical eye. She traced one in the air, her finger moving with deliberate precision. "But without a key, we're blind."

"Then we'll find the key," Handong declared, her determination unwavering despite the dread that clung to her like a second skin. She glanced back at Yoohyeon, who nodded, signaling her readiness to face whatever lay ahead.

"Start from what we know," Minji said, rallying the group. "We've seen similar enigmas before. Patterns, sequences, they might hold the answer."

Hours seemed to bleed together as they tested theories and combinations. They spoke in fragments of thoughts, piecing together the language of dreams and nightmares.

"Nothing is working," Gahyeon confessed, frustration seeping into her tone. "It's as if these glyphs mock us."

"Patience," Siyeon soothed, though her own fear of confinement gnawed at her resolve. "Every code has its breaking point."

"Wait," Yoohyeon interjected, her voice cutting through the tension. "This glyph here looks slightly different. Touched by wear, perhaps?"

"Could it be more frequently used? A clue to start with?" Minji speculated, leaning closer to the nearly imperceptible abrasion on the symbol.

"Let's try focusing on that one," Handong decided, squaring her shoulders. They regrouped, pooling their collective insights around the single, worn glyph.

"Think of everything associated with it," Bora urged, her agile mind racing to connect the dots. "Myths, legends, stories from the Dream World."

"Could it represent 'beginning' or 'origin'?" Dami pondered aloud, her eyes never leaving the cryptic sign.

"Or maybe 'doorway'?" Gahyeon added hopefully, tilting her head as she considered the possibilities.

"Doorway!" Siyeon echoed, a spark of realization in her eyes. "What if it's literal? Maybe it's telling us where to begin our search."

"Maybe we need to think less abstractly," Handong said. "If it's a doorway, let's treat it like one. Let's knock."

They exchanged glances, a silent consensus building among them. It was absurd, yet nothing in the Phantom Hollows adhered to the rules of reason.

"Here goes nothing," Yoohyeon said with a wry smile. She reached out and rapped her knuckles against the invisible barrier where the glyph hovered.

A hush fell upon the Hollows as they waited with bated breath. Seconds stretched into an eternity until, with the faintest of clicks, the glyphs began to rearrange themselves, forming a new pattern.

"By the stars, it worked!" Gahyeon exclaimed, relief flooding her features.

"Quickly, memorize the new sequence," Minji instructed, her quick-witted mind already committing every line and curve to memory.