E-404 | Dreamnotfound

Chapter One

A crisp air entered his lungs as a sharp pain cut at his throat, waking him up from his dazed sleep. As he opened his eyes, he squinted, the white sky much too bright despite the darkness around him. Trees surrounded the male, littered with a white substance which he determined as snow. Laying in the fluffy solid, he felt numb and unwilling to move, as if he weighed a thousand pounds. He closed his eyes once more, without a jacket he was freezing and as the cold pierced through his body, his once awake state slowly receded. Everything felt like a dream: unreal and confusing.

The only thing keeping the boy grounded was the repeating of a single thought that seemed to whisper throughout his mind in a repeated echo: complete the mission. The boy's subconscious wouldn't allow him to rest, forcing him to survive despite his reluctance.

What would have been a peaceful breeze, chilled him, filling the minutes of silence that passed before crunching footsteps could be heard, an indication of someone walking in the snow?

"Dream!" A man shouted, however, the sound was muffled with the barrier of his somewhat unconscious state.

"What is it, Sapnap?" The voices sounded closer and they continued talking, but the boy still couldn't get himself to move, wanting to drift into a far off land.

"There's a person here!"

Once they had both arrived at the scene, they noticed a fragile boy laying in the snow as the frost had started to creep its way up his body. He was only wearing a blue shirt, which was labeled 'not found,' and a pair of jeans, ones that were definitely not designed to preserve body heat. There was no telling how long the boy had been there.

"He's freezing," The other voice said before a warm blanket was wrapped around him, enabling him to open his eyes despite their heavy state. The action made his eyes water, unacquainted with the breeze that met them.

In front of him were two men. The one further behind him had dark brown, almost black hair along with a pair of matching mocha-colored eyes. A bandana was wrapped around it as he sported a heavy red jacket, one detailed with white and black. The other of the two knelt in front of the barely conscious boy. His hair was a dirty blonde, mixed with a brown that made it hard to decipher the true color. His face was covered with a white mask, an almost menacing smile was drawn on it. The male didn't have a jacket and as he looked down, the boy realized that he wasn't wrapped in a blanket, but rather a snuggly green coat.

"He's awake, Dream," the brunette stated, making the masked person raise his head to look at the frozen boy.

"What happened?" The man, Dream, asked, concerned for the boy in his coat.

He shook his head in a small manner, signaling that he was too cold to form a coherent answer.

Dream looked at the man behind him, sharing a confused look.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"My name?" He stuttered, revealing his British accent. He was disoriented, oblivious to why and how he'd gotten here, and as he tried to remember, he realized he had just woken up, laying in the snow without questioning anything despite not remembering who he was. "I don't remember..." The boy trailed off. He tried to remember but was greeted with a splitting headache instead, "George?"

"Something isn't right," Dream determined, "Sapnap, report back to headquarters, tell them we have to cancel today's hunt. I'll be there soon."

The brunette was usually chaotic, always having a boisterous opinion on everything, but he followed Dream's orders, he could be serious when needed. They had originally left to hunt for food, and now, they had come across a male, seemingly the same age, one who didn't remember anything. The only somewhat odd thing about the boy was the bulky white glasses he wore, ones that a child would buy from a Dollar Store.

"Do you remember anything else?" Dream asked, slightly confused himself.

"No, s-sorry," the boy was visibly shaking, a mix of the cold along with his anxiety, and Dream decided that he'd make sure to be extra gentle, not wanting to spook him.

"Before I put my jacket on, I noticed something on your arm. Can you lift it for me?" Dream asked as the boy hesitantly adjusted his heavy arm, slowly lifting it to an extended position. His arm was warmer than it once was, allowing him to move it ever so slightly.

Dream gently held onto the boy's cold wrist, brushing the permanent writing with his fingers as he read, realizing it was a mix of both numbers and letters, "E-404? Does that sound familiar to you?"

The boy stiffened. He didn't remember why, but upon hearing what was written on his wrist, his heartbeat increased. He felt the need to curl up into a ball.

"No."

Dream nodded, using the time to analyze the smaller male. He had enchanting dark cinnamon eyes that he could spend hours looking into. They were accompanied with similar brown hair. He looked youthful, despite his frozen state, as his facial features were sat upon a heart-shaped face. George was also distinguishably smaller, not only was he probably a couple of inches shorter than himself, but he was also thin. The blonde usually didn't judge body types, but the boy in front of him looked somewhat starved. He made a mental note to make him a proper meal when he had the chance.

"Can you remember how you got this?" Dream asked, brushing his fingers over the writing one last time before releasing the brunette's hand.

"I don't think so," the shivering became less and less bold as George was finally able to retain his body heat within the borrowed coat.

Dream noticed that the brunette's emotions had changed, becoming more anxious as he continued to question him. To avoid an interrogation, Dream stopped his curiosity along with the multiple questions that were running through his brain.

"My name is Dream," the blonde introduced himself, "I'm going to get you somewhere warm, okay?"

George nodded, grasping the other's hands within his numb ones. They radiated warmth, a feeling that the brunette gladly welcomed. As he attempted to stand, he fell, unaware of the strain he'd have to endure. Dream caught him before his body could hit the snow.

"As much as it'd be better to walk so that you regain some warmth and make sure you're physically alright, that doesn't seem to be an option," Dream said, slowly picking George up in his arms, bridal style, as the boy curled closer, enjoying the additional warmth and being grateful that he didn't have to walk. George kept his eyes open as his body relaxed, he still couldn't see under Dream's mask, and at that thought, his brain became more confused, wondering the reasons behind the facade.

He could hear the steady beat of Dream's heart, a tempo that seemed to calm his own.

"Dream?" He asked, his head positioned on the man's chest.

"Yeah?"

"Why can't I remember?" George asked. Although he wasn't sure, he knew people didn't regularly lose their memories, meaning something was wrong.

"Honestly, I don't know." As much as Dream wanted to comfort the smaller boy, he himself couldn't explain it, and he wasn't going to give false hope, "The world is filled with liars, making it impossible to truly understand. Whenever you're back safe, I'll explain everything. Just know that you're not alone."

George sighed, looking at the environment around them. Despite the situation, it was beautiful. The sun which was behind the clouds, was now out, leaving a pink hue and reflecting off of the crystallized snow. The forest, sprinkled with bare and evergreen trees, was now surrounded by a tinted blue fog. Dream took steady steps, lulling George into sleep. He didn't know the man, but with the warmth, moving rhythm, and kindness he'd received, George found himself closing his tired eyes. He couldn't remember why, but he felt as if he was taught to always stay cautious and aware. He felt safe in Dream's arms, but George was hesitant to allow rest.

"Sleep, George," Dream soothed, noticing the smaller boy growing tired, "I'll protect you."

George listened, closing his eyes and allowing sleep to take over.

"You're safe."