dreamscapes - yunjin

chapter 5: shadows return.

aerin's side —

aerin's body tensed as the familiar sensation washed over her, pulling her out of sleep and into another nightmare. this time, she landed on the rocky edge of a cliff, the world around her cloaked in shadows. the air was thick, suffocating, as if the atmosphere itself was pressing down on her.

she knew immediately: she was back in yunjin's mind.

ahead, she could see the figure of yunjin, standing frozen near the edge of the cliff. her back was turned, her arms hanging limply by her sides, staring into the abyss of the dark, raging waters below. the wind howled, whipping yunjin's hair in all directions, but she didn't move—completely paralyzed by whatever fear had gripped her.

aerin's chest tightened as she watched the scene unfold. it was even worse than last time. yunjin's fear seemed tangible, almost alive in the air around them. she had to act quickly before the nightmare escalated.

"yunjin!" aerin called out, her voice almost lost in the roar of the wind.

yunjin didn't respond. she was trembling, her gaze fixed on the dark, swirling sea beneath them. there someting ominous in the water, something huge, moving just beneath the surface. aerin's breath hitched. the nightmare was spiraling out of control.

without hesitation, she rushed to yunjin's side, het footsteps crunching on the rocky ground. reaching out, aerin grabbed her arm, trying to pull her away from the edge.

"yunjin, you need to get ou of here!" aerin said, her voice urgent but steady. "it's not real. this is a nightmare."

yunjin flinched at the touch, her eyes darting toward aerin. confusion flickered across her face, followed quickly by fear. she didn't recognize aerin, not in this distorted dream world. her breathing was shallow, her pulse racing beneath aerin's grip.

"i... i can't," yunjin gasped, her voice weak and filled with terror. "i can't wake up. it's coming for me."

a deep, rumbling sound echoed from the ocean below, and the waves surged higher, the water dark and menacing. whatever lurked beneath the surface was drawing closer, threatening to pull them both under.

aerin tightened her grip on yunjin, trying to steady her. "listen to me. you can wake up. you just have to focus. you're stronger than this nightmare."

but yunjin's panic was spiraling out of control. her eyes were wide, and she began to pull away from aerin, her body shaking. "no, i... i can't! it's too strong. i'm going to drown—i always do!"

aerin's heart pounded. she could feel the dream slipping, could sense the fear tightening its grip around yunjin's mind. the storm raged around them, growing louder and more violent. if she didn't calm yunjin down soon, they would both be swallowed by the nightmare.

aerin moved in front of her, trying to make yunjin look at her instead of the swirling chaos around them. "yunjin, you're not alone. you don't have to do this alone. i'm here, okay? just focus on me. you can wake up."

yunjin's panicked gaze flicked to aerin, but the terror still clung to her, making her tremble. a loud crack rang out from the cliffs, and the ground beneath them trembled as pieces of rock crumbled into the ocean. aerin knew they didn't have much time.

she kept her voice calm, steady, despite the chaos closing in around them. "i know you're scared. But this nightmare doesn't control you. you're stronger than it."

yunjin blinked, her breathing still ragged, but her eyes began to focus on aerin's face instead of the cliff or the ocean. the fear that had clouded her expression softened ever so slightly.

aerin took a deep breath, keeping her voice firm but gentle. "you've got this. trust me."

yunjin's hands, which had been clenched into tight fists, slowly loosened. she took a shaky breath and nodded, though fear still lingered in her eyes. "i'll... try."

just as yunjin said the words, the ground beneath them gave way, crumbling as the cliff's edge collapsed. the ocean surged, the wave rising up to crash into them.

aerin braced herself, but just as the water was about to hit, everything froze. the waves, the wind, the crumbling rocks—everything stopped. the nightmare fractured, then shattered like glass. and aerin was ripped from the dream.

yunjin's side —

yunjin woke with a start, gasping for air, her heart pounding in her chest. she sat up in bed, drenched in sweat, her mind still reeling from the terror of the nightmare. it had been worse this time. more vivid. more real. but something else lingered in her thoughts—something, or rather someone.

this girl.

aerin's side —

aerin didn't realize that yunjin had woken up, but on her side, she shot up in bed too, her heart still racing. the adrenaline from the nightmare was still pumping through her, her body tense from the effort of trying to calm yunjin down.

she sat in the dark, staring at the wall as she tried to make sense of it all. she had helped yunjin wake up, but this nightmare had been stronger than the last. and yunjin's fear... it felt like it was deepening, becoming more dangerous.

aerin bit her lip, her mind racing with questions. how long can i keep doing this?