In the end, after spending a few days working on the puppets, Ash decided to leave it for now. He needed to go to sleep.
Getting up from the chair where he had been sitting for the last few hours, he left the tools on the wooden table.
Going down from the attic, he moved to the basement.
Once there, he opened the sleeping capsule and entered.
Closing his eyes, he felt the familiar sensation of floating for a few moments before opening his eyes near the portal.
Stretching, he felt his bones crack slightly. Summoning his armor, he left that area of the night garden.
After reaching the prow, he decided to go look for Priscilla, who was not far from his location.
Advancing along the titanic prow, he ventured into the forested region.
As he walked for a while, Ash stopped, watching as Priscilla wielded a spear, cutting a awakened beast in two.
"So you came back quite late, Ashfall," said Priscilla with a clearly annoyed smile.
"I have a totally valid excuse."
"And what would that excuse be?"
"I was building a doll."
Priscilla blinked.
"A doll?"
"Yes, a doll."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...Are you taking me for a fool?"
"No. I swear it's the truth. We all have things to relax with. Some people like killing things, others like building things, and well... I want to become the best Constructor in the dream realm."
"Sure," said Priscilla, not believing him at all.
"I'm glad you understand, but hey, did anything interesting happen while I was gone?"
"Not really. Just awakened ones killing abominations, nothing out of the ordinary."
Ash nodded.
"Well, it's good news that the Dutchman hasn't appeared," he thought.
"Hey, Priscilla, I have a proposal for you."
The black-haired girl looked at Ash with a raised eyebrow before her face changed to a mischievous smile.
"Are you going to declare your love to me?"
"What? Huh... where did you get that from?" asked Ash, confused.
Priscilla deflated like a balloon.
"The proposal is about something I'm planning."
"Come on, Ash, stop beating around the bush. I'm not a mind reader."
"I plan to challenge my second nightmare, and I need your help."
Priscilla blinked several times before laughing with enthusiasm.
"Wait, you're really planning to do it?"
"Yes."
Priscilla looked at Ash with a serious expression. There was no trace of amusement in her eyes anymore.
"Ash, you've only been an awakened one for a little over a few months, and you're planning to become a master? Do you want to die young?"
"I don't plan on dying soon, if that's what you mean, but it's the only thing I can do. I need to become a master as quickly as possible to become stronger."
"Even if that means you'll die?"
"I'm going to die someday, so it's not something that worries me. Besides, you said it yourself a few months ago. In this world full of crazy people, someone who isn't crazy is the craziest of all."
"Yes, I said that, I remember. But what you're planning is madness. The survival rate for going from awakened to master is relatively low. It takes years of meticulous preparation: special memories, information, echoes, and reliable companions to survive. And even if you gather all that, the odds are almost zero."
"But they're not zero," said Ash with a slight smile.
Priscilla looked at him.
"You seem more expressive all of a sudden. Did something happen to you?"
"No, it's just something about my aspect. I'll go back to being myself in a few days. But getting back to the point, Priscilla. This is a unique opportunity. If we become masters, we'll have more advantages and benefits than as awakened ones."
Priscilla thought about it for a long moment. Finally, she sighed.
"Fine, but I'll make two requests."
Ash smiled.
"Alright, what's your request?"
"The first one is simple," Priscilla flashed a smile that made Ash feel uncomfortable. "The first one is that I'm going to live in your house."
"Sorry... you live in my peaceful solitude cave?"
"If you refuse, I won't accompany you to the second nightmare."
Ash sighed heavily, feeling how his life as an antisocial person, happily living in a big comfortable house, was coming to an end.
"Fine."
"And what's the other request?"
Priscilla smiled. Her smile made Ash feel even more fear for his future.
"I'll tell you later."
"Fine, but let it be nothing too impossible. Now, do you want to hear my plans?"
Priscilla nodded.
"Come on, there's a quiet place to talk more peacefully."
Priscilla guided Ash toward a small clearing bathed in sunlight. Climbing onto the branches of a large tree, they both looked at the Storm Sea, which was calm.
---
"Alright," Ash began, sitting comfortably on a thick branch. "I've been researching second nightmares. They're not like the first one. In the first, you just have to survive. In the second, you have to resolve a conflict, unravel a mystery. It's as if the dream itself is testing you."
Priscilla listened attentively.
"What you're saying is common knowledge among awakened ones," Priscilla explained.
"But what does that have to do with your plan?"
"So you can understand the point I'm trying to make, I'm going to tell you what I did after leaving the Forgotten Coast."
"Are you really going to do it now?"
"Don't you want to?"
"Well, usually when I insist on you telling me more about your prolonged stay, you always say: 'I'll tell you later.'"
"Well, now it's later. Listen. It might sound crazy, but it's the truth."
Ash took a deep breath, organizing his thoughts before continuing.