Just wake up.
The dreamscape: it was a mysterious place indeed. Nobody knows where it came from, or what created it. All it was was an empty, white world akin to a foggy tundra. If that tundra was warm and had a white linoleum floor.
People could reach that world in their sleep – but only on occasion, and the proper conditions to enter it were unknown. Some theorise that the dreamscape chooses people who it deems worthy. Of course, others disagree.
Lucia sat on the warm floor, waiting for someone to appear. Surely enough, from the fog came an orange figure with waist-long hair. Lucia, being short-sighted, couldn't figure out who this person was.
While people can usually see up to ten metres away in the dreamscape, Lucia's sight only reached up to three. In the dreamscape, she could only see up to one and a half metres.
"Who's there?" she called out, trying to squint. The orange figure moved even closer.
"It's Kii," the figure replied, standing close to Lucia.
Lucia gradually smiled. "I knew orange looked familiar! I can't see through all this fog, you know…"
"Well I can see, and it feels weird seeing you look all adult-like."
"Really?" Lucia looked down. "I didn't notice. I read somewhere that people's appearances in the dreamscape change based on what they want most, or certain character traits end up being exaggerated."
Kii thought for a moment. She didn't notice her own appearance had changed either. "I wonder what everyone else will look like in here…" she wondered.
Their surroundings were silent. Yet, something dark stirred itself from far away.
"Hmm?" Lucia's ears picked up the sound of air stirring. It seemed odd, because the books she read never mentioned anything about wind or air currents inside the dreamscape.
Kii saw Lucia's alert expression. "Did you hear something?" she asked her companion.
"I don't know… perhaps it's time we woke up."
Kii showed a look of agreement on her face for a second, before pinching herself on her cheek. Instantly, she disappeared. Lucia did the same, but had no such luck. She tried again and again, pinching herself in other places, but she couldn't seem to wake up.
Meanwhile, the stirring darkness finally started moving. It crawled hastily toward the distracted Lucia, surrounding her in its black, oozy form. Once Lucia finally noticed, the thing closed in on her, swallowing her up slowly. Lucia screamed for help and reached her arms out to try and escape. A segment of the darkness took on a humanoid form – an androgynous, dark torso stuck out of the ooze, arms appeared as well as a head with nothing but long black hair and a nose. In its hand, a small blade appeared. Lucia's eyes widened in horror as the silvery weapon struck down toward her.
Kii gradually opened her eyes. She was back in her room, and she felt a little relieved. But she wondered about what Lucia heard in the dreamscape. Could it have been another person…? No, it couldn't have, Kii thought as she stepped out of her room and down the hallway toward the elevator.
Second floor, where the kitchen and dining room were located in the six-floor building Kii called HQ. Sitting at the table, she greeted everyone there before grabbing her usual cereal and milk.
Kitsu burst into the dining room, clearly worried. She took a moment to catch her breath. "Everyone, I have bad news…" Everyone turned her way.
"What is it, Kitsu-nee?" Lilith piped up. Kitsu grimaced for a moment.
"It's L.I.N.O-chan… she won't wake up…"
A/N: I tried to write a serious story this time, I hope it turned out alright. Also, Lucia and L.I.N.O are the same person. Just clearing that up.