Dream Thief
Arin had stopped believing in reality a long time ago.
It wasn't a sudden decision. There was no moment where everything shattered. Instead, it was slow—like watching a reflection blur in water until you couldn't recognize your own face anymore.
Dreams felt more real.
In dreams, people didn't lie.
Or rather, they couldn't.
Because everything inside a dream came from the truth buried deep within the mind.
And Arin had made a career out of digging that truth out.
The room was silent except for the faint hum of machines.
Arin adjusted the device on his wrist, his expression calm, almost detached. Around him, his team prepared in practiced silence.
"Target is asleep," Mira said, her voice low but steady. "Window is opening."
Arin nodded.
"Let's begin."
The world dissolved.
He fell.
Not physically—but mentally, like sinking through layers of invisible water.
Then—
Impact.
Arin opened his eyes.
He stood in the middle of a luxurious office, sunlight pouring through tall glass windows. The city stretched endlessly outside, too perfect, too polished.
"Level one," he muttered.
Mira appeared beside him, adjusting her coat. "Stability is good. No resistance yet."
"Don't relax," Arin replied. "The deeper we go, the harder it gets."
The target was easy to find.
A powerful businessman, sitting behind a desk, unaware that his mind had been invaded.
Arin approached casually, as if he belonged there.
Because in dreams—
Confidence created reality.
"You're late," the man said, not looking up.
Arin smirked slightly. "Traffic."
The man frowned, confused.
A crack in the illusion.
That was all Arin needed.
Minutes later, the first layer was complete.
"Moving to level two," Mira said.
The world shifted.
This time, it wasn't an office.
It was chaos.
Rain poured heavily over a crowded street. Cars moved too fast. People's faces blurred unnaturally, like unfinished sketches.
"Unstable dream," Mira warned.
"Stay focused," Arin said.
But something felt… wrong.
He couldn't explain it.
Just a faint sense of unease, like being watched.
They found the next entry point—a narrow alley that shouldn't exist.
"Ready?" Mira asked.
Arin hesitated.
For a split second.
Then nodded.
They went deeper.
Level three.
Silence.
A vast, empty space stretched endlessly, like a forgotten memory.
"This is it," Mira whispered. "The subconscious core."
Arin stepped forward slowly.
Every instinct in his body told him this place was dangerous.
Not because of the target.
But because of himself.
"Arin…"
The voice froze him.
He knew that voice.
No.
That wasn't possible.
He turned.
And there she was.
Standing in the distance.
Unchanged.
Unreal.
"Why are you here?" he whispered.
She smiled.
"You brought me with you."
Mira's voice cut through the moment. "Arin! Focus! That's not real!"
But it didn't matter.
Because it felt real.
Too real.
The mission began to unravel.
The dream reacted violently. The ground cracked. The sky darkened.
The deeper they had gone—
The more unstable everything became.
And at the center of it all…
Was Arin.
"You never let me go," she said softly, stepping closer.
Arin clenched his fists. "You're just a projection."
"Then why are you afraid?"
He didn't answer.
Because he knew the truth.
Time was running out.
Mira shouted something—but her voice felt distant, fading.
The mission.
The target.
Everything blurred.
Only she remained.
"You can stay," she whispered.
"No more running."
"No more pain."
For a moment—
Arin wanted to.
To stop.
To forget everything.
To stay in this perfect illusion.
But then—
He closed his eyes.
And took a deep breath.
"No," he said.
His voice was quiet.
But firm.
"I remember you."
His hands trembled slightly.
"But I can't stay with you."
The world shattered.
Light flooded everything.
The illusion broke.
And for the first time—
The path forward was clear.
Arin moved.
Fast.
Focused.
He reached the core.
And planted the idea.
Simple.
Small.
But powerful enough to grow.
"Mission complete!" Mira shouted.
"Wake up!"
Arin felt himself rising.
Faster and faster—
Until—
He gasped.
Back in the real world.
The machine hummed softly.
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
Mira looked at him carefully. "You okay?"
Arin didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he reached into his pocket.
And pulled out a small coin.
He placed it on the table.
And spun it.
It kept spinning.
Arin stared at it.
His expression unreadable.
Then—
He smiled faintly.
And turned away.
Because some questions…
Were better left unanswered.