Dreambreaker

The Conformity

The sky over the city was a dull gray, as it always was. The sun, pale and sickly, barely broke through the clouds. Every building stood the same height, the same shade of washed-out concrete. Streets were lined with orderly rows of identical houses, and the people who shuffled through the streets moved with practiced efficiency, their faces blank as they went about their carefully regulated routines.Jayde Knight walked through the streets with her head down, counting the cracks in the pavement beneath her feet. Anything to distract herself from the nagging tightness in her chest. She could feel her lungs wheezing beneath her ribs, the ever-present reminder of her asthma—of her weakness, as her father would say. She clutched the small white inhaler in her pocket like a lifeline, knowing that the slightest strain could send her gasping for air.But it wasn't just the asthma that set her apart from everyone else.It was the dreams. Or rather, the lack of them.Everyone was required to take clarity capsules—small, bitter pills that dulled the mind, suppressed imagination, and made dreaming impossible. Creativity, the very act of dreaming, had been outlawed decades ago by The Regime. The pills were distributed like clockwork, once in the morning and once before bed. Miss a dose, and the consequences were swift.And yet... sometimes, when Jayde closed her eyes, she saw flashes. Colors that didn't exist in her colorless world. Shapes that didn't belong. Whispering voices, calling her name in a language she didn't understand. She hadn't told anyone about it—not even Simon.Simon. Her brother.He'd been like her once. He used to dream. They used to share stories late at night when their parents were asleep. Wild, vivid stories of distant lands and mythical creatures. But now... now Simon was as gray as the sky, as mechanical as the people who moved through their daily routines without a second thought. The Regime had taken him, just like they'd taken everyone else.Jayde shivered at the memory of what he'd said to her the last time they'd spoken."Dreams are dangerous," Simon had told her, his voice flat and emotionless. "They make you weak. Forget them, Jayde. You'll be safer that way."She hated how much he sounded like their father.The crowd parted around her as she neared the school. It loomed ahead like a tombstone, its towering walls devoid of windows. Just stepping through its doors made her feel like the air was thinner, harder to breathe. But she went, as she always did, because The Regime didn't tolerate absences. She slid inside the building, blending into the sea of students who walked with their eyes forward, expressionless. No one spoke.No one ever spoke.Jayde found her seat in the back row of the classroom, sinking into the hard plastic chair as the bell rang. The teacher entered, just as lifeless as the rest, and began writing on the board in precise, neat letters. Today's lesson was on obedience. The same lesson as yesterday. And the day before that. Jayde stared at the words but didn't really see them. Her mind wandered, drifting to those flashes she'd seen the night before. The swirl of color and light that danced behind her closed eyelids. For a moment, she let herself imagine what it would be like to live in a world where people could create, where their thoughts weren't caged by pills and rules. Her heart raced at the thought, and she pressed her palm to her chest, forcing herself to calm down. She couldn't afford to have an asthma attack here. Not in front of everyone.She glanced around, hoping no one had noticed her momentary lapse.Her eyes landed on someone new.Sitting a few seats away was a boy she didn't recognize. He was tall, with messy dark hair that looked like it hadn't been combed in days. Unlike everyone else, his eyes weren't glazed over with the same dullness. They were sharp, curious. He didn't seem to be paying attention to the lesson either, but unlike Jayde, he didn't look anxious about it. He looked... intrigued.The teacher droned on, unaware of the boy's distraction. Jayde narrowed her eyes. He hadn't been here yesterday. She would've remembered someone like him. He was the hottest boy she'd ever laid eyes on.As if sensing her gaze, the boy glanced her way and smirked. A small, defiant twist of his lips that made her heart jump in her chest.Who was he?The rest of the day passed in a blur of monotony. By the time the final bell rang, Jayde's mind was heavy with exhaustion. She stood up, her legs stiff from sitting still for so long, and grabbed her bag. As she made her way toward the exit, she felt a tap on her shoulder.She turned, and there he was.The new boy."You're Jayde, right?" he asked, his voice low so the others wouldn't hear. There was something playful in his tone, something that didn't belong in the gray world they lived in. Jayde stared at him, her throat dry. "How do you know my name?""I have my ways," he said with a shrug. "You're different, aren't you?"Her heart pounded. The way he said it made her skin prickle, as if he knew something she didn't. As if he could see right through her."I don't know what you're talking about," she said, her voice tight.The boy raised an eyebrow. "Sure you don't." He leaned in closer, his breath warm against her ear. "Meet me at the library after school. There's something I want to show you."And just like that, he disappeared into the crowd of students filing out the door, leaving Jayde standing frozen in place.She clenched her fists, her pulse racing. What did he mean? And why did her chest feel tight, like she was about to have another attack?The last thing she needed was more attention, but something about him—his eyes, his voice, the way he seemed so... alive—drew her in. She knew it was dangerous, knew she should ignore him and follow the rules. But for the first time in a long time, she was curious.And curiosity could be deadly.