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the following morning, y/n awoke slowly, her body heavy with sleep, as the first rays of sunlight crept through her bedroom window. she blinked groggily, taking a moment to get her bearings, only to realize that she was clutching something tightly against her chest. her hand was wrapped around the little doll—the same doll that looked eerily like her, the one she hadn't seen since she entered the other world. but now, here it was, clutched between her fingers as if it had been with her the entire night.
y/n stared at it, her brow furrowing in confusion. 'i don't remember falling asleep with it...' she thought, frowning as she lifted the doll for a closer look. it had the same button eyes, the same stitched smile. nothing had changed about it, but it felt...off. the way it had just shown up in her bed unnerved her slightly, though she quickly brushed off the unease. she yawned, setting the doll down beside her with a casual indifference, trying to convince herself it wasn't a big deal.
'it's nothing. you probably just forgot.' she told herself, though a part of her didn't quite believe it. but there were bigger things to think about—like the other world. as y/n lay there, staring up at the ceiling, her mind wandered back to the strange, fantastical place she had been visiting. it felt so real—the garden, the other wybie, even the food she ate with her other parents. everything had seemed more vivid than a dream, more tangible. but the question remained: was it real?
or is she just imagining it all? y/n frowned as she turned the thought over in her mind, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the patterns on her blanket. there was no denying that something was happening, something she couldn't quite explain. and then it hit her—she had only visited the other world at night when she was asleep. could it be that the door only opened while she was dreaming?
that gave her an idea.
why not try to go there during the day?
the thought seemed logical, or at least, worth a try. y/n sat up in bed, frowning slightly as she turned her gaze toward her bedroom door. if the tiny door behind the wallpaper was some kind of portal, it didn't make sense that it would only work at night...right? she swung her legs over the side of the bed, pushing the covers off with a groan of frustration. "ugh..." she muttered to herself, feeling the reluctance of waking up early. her body still ached with sleep, but her curiosity got the better of her. she had to know.
after quickly throwing on some clothes, y/n shuffled downstairs, her footsteps quiet against the old wooden floors of the house. she made a beeline for the living room, her eyes fixed on the spot where the tiny door was hidden behind the faded wallpaper. kneeling in front of it, she reached out and her fingers wormed through the cracks of it, preparing to open it as her heart racing with anticipation. she pulled on it—and nothing happened.
she pulled again, harder this time, but still, it wouldn't budge. her face scrunched up in confusion. "locked?!" she hissed under her breath, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
