"Ugh..."

I grimaced, wiping at my arms again, though there was nothing actually there. The sticky, clammy sensation still clung to my skin like a bad memory.

Even though I knew it wasn't real—just an illusion conjured inside a dream—the disgust refused to fade.

I let out a low groan and shook my head, trying to scrub the feeling away from my mind.

Dreams.

They're strange things—reflections of the subconscious, twisted and raw. The hidden corners of a person's mind laid bare.

In dreams, people show what they never would in reality. Their fears. Their desires. The things they'd rather die than admit aloud.

That's why dreams are both fascinating and horrifying. They're the deepest abyss of a person's heart.

And staring into someone else's abyss... isn't something you come out of feeling clean.

"...Damn it."

The word slipped out before I could stop it.

The images from moments ago flashed across my mind again, vivid as ever.

Tentacles.

I'd heard of that genre before. Knew that it existed. And I knew—unfortunately—that there were people out there who genuinely enjoyed it.

But seeing it firsthand, in full 3D, up close and personal?

Yeah. That was a whole new level of psychological damage.

I ran a hand down my face, exhaling through clenched teeth.

It's my own fault. No one told me to go poking around in someone else's dream.

Still, knowing that doesn't make it any less... horrifying.

Having those kinds of tastes isn't wrong, sure. People are free to dream about whatever they want.

But next time... I'm triple-checking the target before diving in.

Because right now?

Just thinking about it makes me nauseous.

I shook my head, trying to shake off the lingering fragments of the previous memory, and slowly took in my surroundings.

Where… am I this time?

The place looked like a garden—lush, elegant, and meticulously kept. Roses climbed marble trellises, fountains shimmered under soft sunlight, and a gentle breeze carried the scent of blooming flowers. It looked like something straight out of a noble's estate.

But this was no real garden.

This was a dream.

And not far away—

"Sniff…"

My gaze shifted to a small figure sitting on the grass, hugging her knees tightly. A girl. She was trembling, her quiet sobs echoing faintly through the still air.

I hesitated.

After what I had just gone through, I couldn't help but be cautious—even toward something as innocent-looking as a crying child. In dreams, appearances meant nothing.

Still, seeing no writhing tentacles or grotesque monsters lurking in the corners this time, I decided to approach her carefully.

Could she be… the owner of this dream?

"What are you doing here?" I asked gently, keeping my voice low.

There are a few unspoken rules when wandering through someone's dream.

You don't harm the dreamer.

And you never let them realize they're dreaming.

If they do, the illusion collapses, and they'll wake up immediately.

Other than that, conversation was fair game.

The girl flinched at my voice. Slowly, she raised her head and looked at me—her eyes wide and wary, shimmering with tears.

"W-Who… are you?"

Her voice was soft, trembling. She couldn't have been more than ten years old.

She had a small, delicate face framed by light gray hair that glimmered faintly in the sunlight, and her round brown eyes watched me with a mix of fear and curiosity.

And then it hit me.

'Wait… this face…'

For a moment, I just stared. That gray hair. Those eyes. That expression.

'Viola…?'

The resemblance was uncanny. She looked exactly like Viola—my fiancée—only younger. It was like looking into a memory that wasn't mine.

'Could this be her dream?'

I wasn't completely certain. It was possible that this was someone else's dream, and Viola had simply appeared within it.

But something deep inside me—an instinct I couldn't explain—whispered otherwise.

No… this dream belonged to her.

But....

Why is she in the form of her childhood self?

And… why is she crying?

'Could this be a childhood memory?'

The thought crossed my mind as I looked at the small girl in front of me. The air around us felt strangely soft and hazy, like the world itself was wrapped in nostalgia. Everything about the scene—the lighting, the silence, even the faint scent in the air—seemed to whisper that this was a memory, not reality.

A single tear clung to the corner of her large eyes before rolling down her cheek.

Without thinking, I reached out and gently wiped it away.

"Thank youuu…"

Viola flinched slightly at my touch, but when she realized what I had done, she blinked and gave me a small, bashful nod. Her voice trembled as she spoke, still heavy with emotion.

But then, as she lowered her head, something caught my eye.

'…Bruises?'

For a brief moment, the back of her neck was exposed—and I saw it clearly. A dark, swollen mark, the kind that couldn't have come from a simple fall.

And when I looked closer, I realized it wasn't just there.

Even through her long dress, faint traces of similar bruises were visible on her arms and wrists.

'Who could've done this to her…?'

These weren't the results of training or accidents. They were deliberate. The marks of someone's cruelty.

A faint anger stirred in my chest, but before I could say anything, Viola tilted her head, noticing my gaze.

"But… what brings you here?" she asked softly, her voice timid yet curious.

"Ah," I said, trying to compose myself. "I'm looking for something."

"Something?"

"Yes. Have you seen anything like this?"

I pulled out the dream fragment I had obtained earlier and showed it to her.

Her eyes widened. "Ah! I've seen that!"

She pointed toward the distance with her small finger, her expression brightening.

"It's over there."

I followed her gesture and saw it—a small, glowing stone, radiating a gentle white light in the middle of the dreamscape.

Found it.

Without hesitation, I hurried toward it, my steps quick with excitement.

"Goodbye!"

Her cheerful voice made me stop.

I turned back to see Viola smiling at me—pure, innocent, and bright.

It caught me off guard.

This was the first time I had ever seen Viola smile.

She'd always carried that same blunt look—calm, unreadable, a little distant.

'...I've never seen that expression before.'

I'd seen Viola smile before, sure—a faint curve of the lips, polite and restrained, like something she offered out of habit rather than feeling.

But this... this was different.

Her smile now was vivid and unguarded, bright enough to feel almost out of place on her usually composed face. It caught me off guard for a moment, and I found myself staring without realizing it.

She looked genuinely happy.

I didn't know why, and maybe I didn't need to.

After watching her for a moment longer, I turned my head away, pretending to focus on something else. My gaze fell on the shimmering dream fragment resting in the corner of the room.

Reaching out, I brushed my fingertips against it—

And instantly, light burst forth.

The world around us filled with a radiant glow, colors bending and swirling like liquid glass. The air trembled faintly, humming with energy as if reality itself was holding its breath.

When the light finally dimmed, I found myself staring down at my hands—

Two dream fragments, glowing faintly in my palms.

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