Chapter 7: Dreamland

The house was quiet, with only the faint hum of the wind outside breaking the stillness. Tomoyo had already retreated to her room, leaving Sakura alone in the living room, her mind drifting in and out of focus. She was tired—exhausted, really—but sleep refused to come.

Her thoughts kept returning to the same place: Hong Kong. Li. But it wasn't just memories anymore. It felt real, almost as if she could reach out and touch the past.

Sakura's eyes fluttered shut, her body sinking deeper into the cushions as the familiar pull of sleep tugged at her. But this wasn't normal sleep. As her consciousness slipped away, the world around her began to change.

--

Sakura found herself standing in a place that felt both familiar and foreign—a dreamworld, fragmented and hazy. The streets of Hong Kong stretched out before her, but they were distorted, warped by her fraying mind. The sky above was dark, swirling with magic she didn't recognize. She looked down at her hands, feeling the faint pulse of her own magic—weak, flickering.

What's happening to me?*

As she wandered through the twisted dreamscape, flashes of Li's face appeared, like echoes from another world. He was searching for her, calling her name, but his voice was distant, muffled by something she couldn't see.

Suddenly, the world shifted, and there he was—Li. But he looked... trapped. He stood behind an invisible barrier, his hands pressed against it as though he were trying to break through.

"Sakura!" His voice was sharp, urgent, but somehow distant. "Where are you?"

Sakura's heart leapt at the sight of him, but something was wrong. It was as if he couldn't see her clearly, as if he were lost inside her mind, searching for her but unable to reach her.

Why can't he see me?*

She took a step toward him, her hand outstretched. But something held her back—a flicker of light, a flash of magic. *Mirror* appeared beside her, its fragmented form hovering in the air.

"No," Mirror's voice was soft but firm. "You can't."

Sakura's heart pounded in her chest. "Why?"

"If you bring him here, it will break you. He doesn't know he's trapped. He thinks he's searching, but it's you he's searching inside."

Sakura's breath caught. *He's trapped inside my mind?*

Mirror wavered slightly, its form flickering as the cracks in it deepened. "You're not ready. If you try to reach him now, it will destroy what's holding you together."

Sakura hesitated, her hand trembling. She could feel the strain in Mirror's magic, the way it was barely holding her mind in place. But Li was so close—closer than he'd been in years. She wanted to reach him, to pull him through the barrier, to save him.

But what if it shattered her instead?

She stared at Mirror, at the cracks running through its form. It wasn't just her magic that was fading—it was everything. Her mind, her memories... they were all slipping away. If she didn't do something soon, there wouldn't be anything left of her to break.

"I have to," Sakura whispered, her voice shaking.

Mirror wavered, its form flickering more violently now. "You'll lose everything."

Sakura closed her eyes, feeling the weight of the decision pressing down on her. Her heart ached with the desire to reach Li, but she knew Mirror was right. She wasn't ready—not yet.

"I... I can't," she whispered, lowering her hand.

Mirror's form shimmered with relief, but the cracks remained. "There's still time. But you'll need to look where all the colors of the rainbow meet."

Sakura looked up, confused. "The colors of the rainbow?"

Before she could ask anything more, the world around her shifted again.

Li's figure flickered in and out, and suddenly he was no longer the boy she knew. His image warped and twisted, his face now bloodied and broken, his eyes full of pain as he stared at her, pleading.

"Sakura!"

The image of him shattered, and she jolted awake, screaming.

--

Sakura shot up, her breath ragged, her scream still echoing in the quiet room. But something wasn't right. She wasn't in the living room anymore. She was in her bed.

The door creaked open, and Tomoyo rushed in, her eyes wide with concern. "Sakura-chan!" she called softly, her voice laced with worry. "What happened?"

Sakura blinked, disoriented, her heart still pounding in her chest. "I—I don't know," she stammered. "I was in the living room, and then..."

Tomoyo sat on the edge of the bed, her gaze never leaving Sakura's face. "You've been having those dreams again, haven't you?"

Sakura swallowed hard, her hands trembling as she pulled her knees to her chest. "Yeah. But they're different now. They're... they feel real. Like he's there, Tomoyo-chan. Like Li is trying to find me."

Tomoyo's face softened, but there was a flash of something in her eyes—concern, or maybe even fear. "What did you see this time?"

Sakura hesitated. "He was... trapped. Like, inside my mind. I think... I think Mirror is keeping him there. But then he..." Her voice faltered as she remembered the final image, the way Li's face had twisted and shattered before her. "He looked... broken. Like he was in pain."

Tomoyo reached out, gently placing a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Sakura-chan, you've been through so much. It's no wonder your dreams are so intense."

Sakura nodded, but the unease in her chest remained. She wasn't sure what to make of it all. And then there was the other thing—the thing that had been lurking in the back of her mind for so long but she hadn't had the courage to say.

She shifted uncomfortably, her voice barely above a whisper. "Tomoyo-chan... there's something else."

Tomoyo tilted her head, her expression softening even further. "What is it?"

Sakura hesitated again, feeling a flush rise to her cheeks. "It's about... you and Li."

Tomoyo's breath hitched slightly, but she didn't pull away. "Go on."

"I don't know how to explain it," Sakura continued, her voice shaky. "But when I think about Li, and how much I care about him... it's the same way I feel when I'm with you."

Tomoyo's eyes widened slightly, but she remained quiet, letting Sakura speak.

"I don't understand it. It's confusing. I... I don't know if it's the same. But I care about both of you... so much. And sometimes, I think... maybe... I'm not just confused about Li. Maybe I'm confused about us, too."

The room went silent for a moment, the weight of Sakura's words hanging between them. Tomoyo looked down at her hands, her voice barely a whisper. "Sakura-chan... it's okay to be confused. It's okay to not know what you're feeling."

Sakura looked up, her eyes searching Tomoyo's face. "But what if... what if I hurt you? Or him? I don't want to lose either of you."

Tomoyo smiled softly, though there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. "You won't lose me, Sakura. No matter what happens, I'll always be here."

Sakura blinked, her heart aching with a mix of emotions—relief, fear, confusion. "Thank you, Tomoyo-chan," she whispered, her voice trembling.

They sat together in the quiet room, the air heavy with unspoken words, but for now, that was enough.

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