"So, are you going into the dream now? Or would you rather rest for a bit?"
Robin sat on the luxurious sofa in the room, looking as though she had no intention of getting up anytime soon.
Sylvia wasn't in any rush, just curious.
"Are you going to keep watch while I enter the dream?"
"Well, since it's your first time, I thought I'd stay here for a little while. Maybe we could chat a bit too."
Robin smiled at Sylvia, savoring the tea and snacks that had been laid out in the room.
She seemed thoroughly content.
"My brother mentioned that the Reverie Hotel in the dreamscape is under renovation, so be careful once you're inside."
"Yeah, I know."
Sylvia had noticed before—ever since they first met, as they grew more familiar, it became quite obvious that Robin seemed to genuinely enjoy spending time with her.
How should she put it?
They often met in the evenings for singing lessons, after all.
Since Robin always showed up right on time, Sylvia had initially thought Robin was being so friendly because she saw Sylvia as someone worth befriending for her abilities.
But as time went on, Sylvia gradually sensed that while Robin was always well-mannered when they were together, there wasn't a trace of 'awe' in her demeanor.
Instead, it felt more like Robin simply... wanted someone to keep her company.
Once, during a video call, Robin received a work-related phone call and pulled off an impressive instant shift in expression, which made Sylvia laugh for ages.
After that, Robin never let Sylvia see her take a call again.
Shaking off her wandering thoughts, though Sylvia privately, perhaps a little narcissistically, felt Robin liked her, she certainly wouldn't say it out loud.
"Then I'll head into the dream now?"
"Mhm, I'll head back once you're in."
Robin held a delicate teacup, smiling at Sylvia.
Seeing this, Sylvia didn't say anything more. Still dressed, she stepped into the dream-pool, which resembled a giant seashell.
The liquid inside the dream-pool felt strange to Sylvia—different from any liquid she'd encountered before.
Or maybe it wasn't really liquid at all.
Sylvia didn't dwell on it too much. She lay back slowly, found a comfortable position, and closed her eyes.
As she did, Robin's voice seemed to linger by her ear:
"See you soon, Sylvia."
Then, it switched to the preset female voice from the Family:
"Please relax. Feel the ebb and flow of your body…"
"Just focus on breathing, and imagine you're in paradise…"
"Imagine... a dream land."
Soon, a gradual sinking sensation washed over her.
Sylvia felt as though she were sinking into the deep sea, drifting with the currents.
And then, perhaps due to the newly acquired skill she'd recently drawn, or because of an effect from a skill she already possessed, she saw flickering images.
The opulent lobby of the Reverie Hotel, dreams being constructed.
Shattered streets, a massive black hole...
Elderly people, children, Hanu.
Origami birds, cries of anguish, cheers, clashes...
A desolate wasteland, monsters flashing by, even the Astral Express preparing to depart.
Sylvia saw many scenes that didn't seem like they belonged in Penacony.
Perhaps these were fragments of Penacony's past.
Sylvia realized she was in intimate contact with memoria, and while descending into the dreamscape, had glimpsed memories lingering here.
But just as the skill description said, scattered and brief memory fragments could hardly provide her with any valuable information.
Besides, the process of entering the dream was short.
Soon, when Sylvia opened her eyes again, she found herself in a space that felt distinctly gloomy.
The area felt spatially disjointed. While it clearly resembled a room from the real Reverie Hotel, many pieces of furniture floated mid-air, creating a kind of chaotic, aesthetic disorder.
If she remembered correctly, the protagonist had been here too.
"This place..."
Definitely not the proper Reverie Hotel.
So where exactly was this?
Sylvia tried activating her [Truth-Seeking Sigil] to assess the situation.
She was indeed in the dreamscape, but this certainly wasn't part of Penacony's dream.
An area outside the dream?
She hadn't really thought about it before, but now it seemed plausible.
After all, the overflow of memoria flooding the entire star system was a natural disaster.
And Penacony was merely a dream constructed by the Family atop this foundation.
In theory, the Family had likely just cordoned off an area and built their dream within it. So, outside that dream, these chaotic, disordered places could very well exist.
"Come to think of it, the Reverie Hotel mentioned they'd arranged a guide... Where are they?"
Sylvia circled the room, contemplating exploring this layer of the dream.
But after trying, she found the room's main door wouldn't budge by ordinary means. The only way forward was a picture frame—identical to the ones in the game—that she could enter.
Sylvia tapped on the wall. With a few of her skills, she could probably force her way through this boundary.
But what lay on the other side of the wall was too unknown.
She also wasn't sure if she could break free from this dream if something went wrong.
Better to gather more intel before venturing out.
She'd just arrived in Penacony; it was wiser to play it safe for now.
With that thought, Sylvia deactivated her skill and walked toward the tall picture frame beside the room.
Though she didn't know why no one from the Family had shown up, she at least remembered that passing through here led to the dreamscape.
But before Sylvia could even touch it, the frame suddenly lit up on its own.
Then, Robin—her halo glowing—hopped out of the frame.
"Ta-da!"
Lightly landing on the floor, Robin couldn't help but laugh at Sylvia's startled expression.
She took a step closer to Sylvia and asked with a hint of playful mischief, "Am I too late?"
"Robin? What are you doing here?"
"Of course, I came here specifically to find you."
Robin smiled, beckoning to Sylvia, then took her hand and led her toward the frame.
"The Reverie Hotel is having some temporary issues. Every guest needs guidance when entering now, so I thought I might as well come pick you up myself."
Sylvia watched as Robin pulled her into the glowing light emanating from the frame.
Squinting slightly, she replied, "Well, thank you, Robin."
"No problem at all. We're friends, after all."
As the light faded, they stood in a void-like space where only a corridor existed. At the end of this corridor was another large picture frame.
"Come, this way. Once we pass through that frame over there, we'll reach the Golden Hour."
Robin pointed toward the end of the path, then led Sylvia forward at a brisk pace.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.