Intensive Dream Unit

Chapter 4

A magnificent city of gigantic scope wrapped around rolling hills in their view. It looked like a web of multi-storey buildings of overwhelming proportions, each floor containing hundreds of structures and facilities. It dwarfed every town on Earth with sheer size and vast constructions.

 They were flying that way, watching arrays of windows on each skyscraper and thousands of people pursuing their goals with unusual speed. The place was teeming with life, something unfathomable to Ethan, who had never seen anything beyond the dreary confines of his boring world.

“We’re headed for the Registers. They hold information about users of the alter-realm,” she commented their journey as they dodged roaring jets and paper cranes that roamed free areas.

They were closing in to a structure that towered above all. Its star shape housed innumerable archives and offices. It served as the heart of the machine, the control centre of the design.

They pulled up by one of its doors, entering magnificent halls where trees lined marble tiled floors and golden rivers rushed along the ceiling. While she led them towards the goal, his eyes gulped the sights, unable to satiate the fascination.

Mesmerized, he didn’t even notice that they stood in front of an information hub until a bluish fire passed directly through him. Flashes of light were running back and forth, creating a speedway of data that streamed from one node to another. He gazed at the digital chaos, imagining that each flicker represented a player in the alter-realm.

Yet while he indulged in the dimension of wireless transportation, she accessed the information she needed, her grimace freezing in a dire realization. “Damn it!”

“What’s happening?”

“She isn’t even in the database! Did she erase her profile? Something’s wrong with her. I have to disconnect and check in the real world.”

“Wait! What am I supposed to do here?” he pleaded her to stay, feeling lost on his own.

However, she didn’t respond, vanishing instead.

Fears began crawling in, gnawing deep at his mind. He was at the mercy of a carnivorous demon that feasted upon flesh, decomposing its cells one by one. Worse still, he knew of no effective weapon that could shield him from its aggressive conquest.

Ethan was drowning in fright, paralyzed by the thought of cancer reaching him again, aware of his powerlessness. Yet he realized the errors of his ways fairly fast. He didn’t dream of paradise only to be dreading the arrival of his nemesis. He desired to experience life beyond anyone’s wildest expectations.

He recalled her mentioning the open sphere. His new destination. However, he lacked a vehicle that would carry him there. He didn’t despair though, for he had a plan. Emerging out of the Registers, he glanced around, breathing in the unique atmosphere of the busy world surrounding him.

He remembered the summoning of the winged horse, but his attempt to do the same failed. It didn’t mean he gave up. Instead, he searched for a vacant aircraft, his eyes scanning the vast streets, ignoring all the people walking, running or flying.

Yet there was a person whose squalling bypassed his determination, penetrating the shield of his defiance. “Slaying dragons! Rescuing damsels in distress! Do you have the strength and are you cunning enough to take on the ultimate adventure? Step forward and begin your journey! For a simple fee. Refunds guaranteed if not satisfied.”

Ethan’s interest led him to the old man in a shining blue cloak, prompting him to ask: “It isn’t for free?”

“No,” the individual laughed.