READY OR NOT - Landoscar

7 - You Can't Hide

Morning dawned slowly, pulling Lando from a fitful sleep with the pale light of a grey sky spilling through his window. He lay still, blinking up at the ceiling as fragments of the dream floated just beyond his grasp. His mind reeled with images of Pia's face, the soft snap of his fingers, and the way he had disappeared into the forest shadows with that lingering look. The weight of it all hung heavy in his chest, an unsettling chill that clung to him like fog.

By the time he dragged himself out of bed and made his way to the café where he and his friends usually met, Lando felt like a ghost moving through the early hours. The world around him seemed muted, the sounds of passing cars and distant conversations muffled as if he were still in the dream's grasp. When he reached the café, he spotted his friends at a corner booth, their voices drifting through the gentle hum of morning chatter.

Max glanced up first, giving Lando a knowing nod. "There he is," he said, waving Lando over with a grin. "You look... exhausted, my friend. Another rough night?"

"Let me guess," George said, leaning back with a smirk. "Your mystery guy showed up again?"

Lando gave them both a weary smile as he slid into the booth, brushing off their playful jabs with a shrug. Charles and Alex exchanged glances, their expressions turning more serious as they took in Lando's pale face and the dark shadows under his eyes.

"Alright, spill it," Alex said, crossing his arms with a look of quiet concern. "What's going on, Lando? You look like you've been dragged through hell and back."

Lando hesitated, his fingers tracing idle patterns on the table as he tried to gather his thoughts. He wanted to talk about it, to unload the weight that had settled so deeply within him, but the words felt strange, distant, as if speaking them aloud would break the fragile spell of the dream. Finally, he looked up, his gaze distant, a little unfocused.

"I... saw him again," he murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Pia. He called himself Pia this time."

A silence settled over the table, broken only by the soft clinking of glasses and the murmur of voices around them. Max's brow furrowed, his usual easygoing demeanour replaced by a rare look of genuine curiosity.

"Pia?" he repeated, the name rolling off his tongue with an almost reverent tone. "So he actually spoke this time?"

"Only that one word," Lando replied, leaning forward, his eyes distant as he tried to remember every detail. "He was... different this time. We walked together through the forest, side by side. I felt like I knew him somehow like we were connected."

He paused, glancing around the table, and caught the faint spark of intrigue in his friends' eyes. Despite their teasing, he knew they were listening, and something about their quiet attention made it easier to continue.

"Then he stopped," Lando said, his voice growing softer, almost as if he were afraid of disturbing the memory. "He looked at me with this strange, intense expression, and he snapped his fingers. And suddenly, I woke up. Just like that."

Alex frowned, tapping his fingers on the table. "So he's calling himself Pia now? And he just... snapped his fingers and disappeared? That's it?"

Lando nodded slowly, his gaze dropping to his hands as he replayed the moment in his mind. "It felt like... I don't know like he was telling me something. Or warning me. I don't know why, but I keep feeling like I have to find him, like he's waiting for me to understand something."

Max studied him for a long moment, his expression thoughtful. "Maybe he's trying to tell you something about yourself. These dreams... they're getting more intense, aren't they?"

George chimed in, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "It sounds like there's something he wants from you, or maybe something you're supposed to realise. Dreams don't just show up like that out of nowhere, Lando. There's usually a reason, even if it's buried deep."

The words lingered in the air, wrapping around Lando's thoughts as he tried to make sense of them. He wanted to believe his friends were right, that these dreams held some hidden meaning waiting to be uncovered. But the weight in his chest, the way Pia had looked at him with that quiet, knowing gaze—it felt far too real, far too pressing, to dismiss as just his subconscious mind playing tricks on him.

Charles shifted, his gaze intense. "Lando, maybe... maybe you should think about getting some help. I mean, not in a 'you're crazy' way," he added hastily, catching Lando's frown. "But in a way that could help you interpret what's happening. Maybe there's someone who specialises in dreams or, like, symbolism?"

Lando let out a small sigh, the frustration bubbling within him. He'd been here before, and the idea of spilling his thoughts to someone he didn't know felt like standing naked in front of a mirror, vulnerable and exposed. He shook his head, his jaw set in quiet determination.

"I don't know, guys. I just... I don't trust anyone to get it. How do you explain something like this without sounding like you're losing your grip on reality?"

Max reached out, placing a steady hand on Lando's shoulder, his eyes warm with understanding. "Look, Lando, I know this isn't easy. But maybe it's not about explaining everything perfectly. Maybe it's just about finding someone who can help you make sense of it, someone who can give you a bit of clarity, you know?"

Alex nodded, his gaze sympathetic. "You don't have to go through this alone, man. We're here for you, and we'll help however we can. But if this thing—this Pia—keeps showing up, maybe it's time to get some answers."

Lando looked at each of them in turn, feeling the weight of their words settle over him like a comforting blanket. He knew they were right, that he couldn't keep brushing this off as a strange series of dreams. Yet something in him balked at the thought of seeking help, of letting anyone else into the quiet, hidden parts of his mind where Pia lingered like a shadow.

"I appreciate it, I really do," he said finally, his voice quiet but resolute. "But I think... I just need to take it slow. Let it come to me in its own time."

The silence that followed felt heavy, weighted with unspoken thoughts, but his friends didn't press him further. Instead, they shared a look of mutual understanding, their concern evident yet restrained, as if they respected the line Lando had drawn.

Max gave him a gentle smile. "Alright, slow it is. But remember, Lando—no matter what, you're not alone. We're with you."

Lando returned the smile, a faint warmth blooming in his chest. Though the weight of Pia's presence lingered, an ever-present shadow in his mind, the comfort of his friends' support wrapped around him like a shield, a small spark of light in the darkness.

As they settled back into lighter conversation, Lando's thoughts drifted, his gaze lingering on the world outside the café window. The overcast sky seemed to echo the unease he carried, clouds thick and low, pressing down like a silent reminder that something unknown, something inevitable, was waiting just beyond the horizon.

And as the minutes ticked by, a familiar whisper curled in the back of his mind, a haunting reminder woven into the fabric of his consciousness:

You can't hide.

The words seemed to echo through his thoughts, soft yet insistent, threading themselves through every corner of his mind.