The world feels like it's crumbling beneath your feet.
Yunah's grip tightens around your hand as she leads you through the school's empty hallways, your footsteps echoing in the quiet. Everything seems muted, distant, as if reality is beginning to blur at the edges. The further you walk, the harder it is to focus on the things around you. It's as though the walls are closing in, and you can almost feel the weight of the dream world pressing down on you.
"We're not safe here," Yunah whispers, her voice low but urgent. "We need to get back. If the reapers know we're here, they can't reach us if we're in the dream realm. But once they've caught our scent, they won't stop hunting."
Your heart skips a beat at the mention of the reapers. The chilling, faceless entities that stalk the shadows of the dream world, picking off anyone they find vulnerable. You remember their dark figures, the way they moved so silently, their presence suffocating everything around them. It's hard to even breathe when you think about them.
You try to shake the feeling off, but it's impossible.
"Yunah..." you begin, voice trembling, "What are the reapers, exactly? How do they... kill? In the dream world, I mean. I don't understand how it works."
Yunah looks at you, her face solemn, as though she's trying to find the right words. "They're the guardians of the dream realm, in a way. But not the kind of guardians who protect people. They are... agents of death. Their purpose is to keep the dream world in balance. They hunt the dreamers who have overstayed their welcome, or those who are too connected to both worlds, like you."
You stop, confused. "Too connected?"
She nods, her eyes flicking around the corridor as though watching for danger. "You've crossed over into this world far too many times. More than any normal dreamer ever does. The rules of the dream realm are shifting because of you, and the reapers can sense it. They don't care that you're just trying to survive, just trying to find something real in your dreams. They're here to do one thing: eliminate the threat. And the only way to do that is to kill you."
Your pulse quickens. "So... if I die in the dream, I die in real life?"
Yunah's expression darkens. "Yes. It's the only way they can take you. That's why I'm so worried. The reapers are more dangerous than you think. They don't need weapons. They don't need to chase you around. They can invade your dreams and make them your worst nightmare. If they catch you in a dream, you'll be gone. You'll disappear. And there's no coming back."
The weight of her words hangs in the air between you both, suffocating you. The fear that you thought had faded the moment you left the dream world is now a constant, gnawing presence in the back of your mind.
"Then what do we do?" you ask, your voice barely above a whisper.
Yunah's grip tightens around your hand, and she glances over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the halls. "We need to go. Now. The dream world will be the safest place. We have to get you there before they find us. And when we get there... we have to be ready. I don't know how much time we have."
You nod, but the dread swirling in your stomach doesn't disappear. "How do we get there?"
Yunah stops in front of an empty classroom, glancing back at you with a wry smile, though it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Leave the waking world behind. Just close your eyes and trust me. We're crossing over."
You look at her, uncertainty bubbling up. "But I'm scared, Yunah. What if I don't come back? What if I never wake up again?"
Her expression softens. She gently places her hand on your cheek, her touch warm and steady. "I won't let that happen. I promise."
You close your eyes, taking a deep breath, the weight of her words anchoring you as the world around you begins to fade.
You feel it, the shift, like stepping into another dimension. The air grows cooler, thicker, and the soft hum of the real world melts away. When you open your eyes again, you're no longer in the school hallway.
You're back in the meadow.
The colors are brighter than ever, so vivid they almost hurt your eyes. The tall grass sways with a gentle breeze, the scent of flowers hanging in the air. The sky above is the softest shade of twilight, and everything feels alive, yet distant. But it's not just the beauty of the world that catches your attention. It's the sense of foreboding, like something is waiting, watching.
Yunah looks at you, her expression grave. "We don't have much time. If the reapers are already here, they'll know we've crossed over. We need to hide. The only place they won't find us is in the heart of the dream world."
You nod, fear curling tight in your chest. "Where do we go?"
She pulls you forward, through the meadow, her pace quickening as the world around you shifts. The colors twist and warp as you move through it, like the landscape itself is alive. It feels like a dream, but not one that's comforting. Every step you take, you can feel the dream world responding, wrapping itself around you, growing darker and more uncertain.
Then, you see it.
A massive tree looms ahead, its bark dark and twisted, its branches reaching up like skeletal hands. It stands alone in the center of an empty clearing. Yunah doesn't hesitate as she pulls you toward it.
"This is the heart of the dream world," she says, her voice low. "If we can make it here, we might be safe."
But as you step into the clearing, you hear something. A sound, faint but unmistakable, footsteps. The ground trembles beneath your feet, and you know, with a sickening certainty, that they're here.
The reapers.
Yunah's eyes widen. "They've found us. They're closer than I thought."
You feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end as a dark shadow slithers across the ground, moving toward you. Figures emerge from the darkness - tall, cloaked, their faces hidden in the folds of their hoods. Their presence is suffocating, like they're absorbing everything around them, leaving only emptiness.
"Stay close to me," Yunah says, pulling you into the shadows of the tree. "Whatever happens, don't look away. Don't blink. They're coming for us, Y/N, and we can't let them take you."
The reapers move like ghosts, their forms flickering in and out of existence. Their footsteps make almost no sound, but you can feel the weight of their gaze on you, cold and predatory.
Yunah's voice trembles with determination as she whispers, "Stay with me, Y/N. I won't let them take you. Not now. Not ever."
And in that moment, you realize she's not just talking to you. She's talking to herself too. Because she's not just a dream. She's a protector. And if anyone is going to stop the reapers, it's her.
The first reaper steps forward, its figure solidifying in front of you, its cloak swirling like smoke. Its hands are empty, but its presence is heavier than any weapon.
"Yunah," it whispers, its voice a hollow echo in the air. "Your time is up. It's time to return to the darkness."
But Yunah doesn't flinch. Instead, she stands taller, holding you close, ready to face whatever comes next. "You'll have to go through me first."
And in that moment, you realize: there's no way back. No way out. The only thing left is to fight. Together.
And you don't know what's coming next. But you know, for the first time, you're not afraid.
