Nocturne of Nightmares: A Retelling

Chapter Six

I OPENED MY EYES against the dim light of the underground basement. I had found myself in the same dusty room as when I'd fallen asleep, when I heard his voice.

"Finally, you're back!"

A figure appeared in my hazy vision, and I blinked several times to distinguish his face, the face of the boy I'd been wondering about. "L-Licht?" Licht's solemn expression became one of relief.

"You remembered," he smiled at me sweetly as I sat up. I stared into his eyes without a word - I just couldn't shake the feeling that I'd met him somewhere before. "You guys disappeared all of a sudden."

I looked around to find Ray, Thoma, and Subaru scattered about on the floor. Soon, the room echoed with their groaning as they regained their bearings. Thoma spoke first.

"Well, Adderall sure didn't work."

"Are you alright?" Licht asked all of us. "I've been waiting for you."

He was waiting here, all alone? But why? That could mean... "Didn't you wake up in the real world?"

"Real world?" His face didn't show it, but Licht was confused.

"Yeah," breathed Thoma. "We waited for you to come meet up with us this morning. You remembered what Ray said, didn't you? We were all supposed to meet at the fountain."

"Yes, I heard that. That's why I went to the plaza, but you weren't there."

Licht's words sent shivers through me. "Huh? Wait, what do you mean?"

"I hardly ever go out, so I don't actually know the names of the places around here..." he admitted. "But I went to the fountain down the street and found nothing."

"Maybe you showed up late?" thought Thoma, and he took a sideways glance at Ray. "See? I told you we should've waited for him."

Ray folded his arms. "Something's not right."

I was thinking the same thing. Licht gave me a pleading look. "Hey, Licht, what time did you come to the plaza? You probably came pretty late, right?" Or maybe you went to the wrong plaza?

"What time..?" Licht tilted his head, looking even more puzzled.

"Hey, Licht," Ray called out to get his attention, and Licht shifted his gaze from me to him.

"What is it?"

"What does the real world look like to you?"

"I still don't understand what you're getting at. What do you mean by "the real world"? Isn't this the real world?"

What is he saying? It's like Licht's isn't from our world... is that even possible? Licht looked down in thought for a moment. Then, he gently lifted his head halfway, like he didn't want to look back at us or find us staring at him.

Thoma stepped up to him. "Hey, kid, do you mean that?"

"Why would you think I'm joking?"

"Didn't you fall asleep along with us?" I inquired. "Didn't you wake up in a different room? In a different place, under a blue morning sky?"

"You say some funny things, Ziya," Licht chuckled, but I didn't see what was so hilarious. I was starting to panic. "Now, isn't this a dream? Isn't the sky always dark?"

I croaked, "Licht, you -"

"I don't understand what you want me to say, but, the only world I know..." he paused, "is this place, where the moon shines crimson."

What? I swallowed the breath I was holding. It can't be... Licht has been here since the beginning?

"So... are you saying that this place is your home?" Subaru jumped in, his eyes wide and red-and-blue.