Start: A Dream I Can’t Wake Up From

1

Sora: H... Huh...? What do you mean by I died in my world? 

Fuwa said nothing; his ominous smile remained on his face. Sora grabs his shoulders with his shaky and weak hands. 

Sora: Y... You are joking, right? Right? 

Fuwa shook his head.

Fuwa: What I said is true, and only the truth.

Sora: N... No way...

Sora's arms fell, and he started stepping back slowly, before running towards the direction where the exit of Wonderland is. 

Fuwa: H--Hey! Where are you going?

Sora said nothing as he continued running, and he managed to see a huge, open gate with the sign "Please come back again!" written on top.

Sora rushed out of the gates, but---

Sora: H... Huh...?

He finds himself back at the entrance of the park. 

Fuwa: As I said before, you are not-- I mean, can't get out of here.

Sora: Wait... Something is strange... I... I must be hallucinating...

Sora turns back, about to attempt to get out of the park through the exit again. 

Fuwa: Don't bother, it will just bring you back to the entrance again and again. 

Sora felt nothing but hopelessness.

Sora: H... How? Why would I die after one sleep? That's strange!

Fuwa looks at Sora and tilts his head curiously.

Fuwa: But isn't this what you wanted?

Sora: Huh?

Sora freezes still, as Fuwa starts walking towards him

Fuwa: Have you forgotten? Why did you create me? Why did you create your amusement park world? 

Fuwa looks at him dead in the eye.

Fuwa: It is to escape from that shitty life of yours.

Sora's knee fell, kneeling on the ground. 

Sora: N... No....

Fuwa squats down and maintains eye-to-eye contact with Sora.

Fuwa: I remember exactly what your thoughts are, day and night, every time before you go to sleep, you will always have those same words in your mind. 

I wish I could fall asleep, never wake up, and stay in Wonderland forever.

That's when Sora starts to kneel forward slowly and tear up.  

Sora: Y... You are right... I do want to die...I do want to escape from this life that I hate so much... But now, for some reason...

Sora pauses as he shakes, and tears start streaming down his face.

Sora: I... I don't want to die... A... Aoki is still waiting for me!

Fuwa: Oh...? That sick little sister of yours who's in the hospital?

Fuwa held Sora's chin up and looked at him dead in the eye again. 

Fuwa: Are you sure? Isn't she the sibling that your parents preferred over you? The sibling who can ace at everything that you couldn't? The sibling who might be a factor towards your... Shitty life?

Sora pauses and thinks to himself for a while before responding.

Sora: ...You may be right... But--

Sora stood up and wiped his tears off his face as he recalled his sister's healthy smile.

Sora: I can't just leave her alone.

Fuwa pauses, not expecting to hear such a response from Sora. He stood up and tilted his hat down a bit.

Fuwa: I... I see. Well, if you want to get out of here... I know one way.

Sora looks up, his eyes filled with hope, but unable to see Fuwa's face clearly as it is covered by his purple hat.

Sora: W... What is it? Please tell me...!

Sora starts grabbing Fuwa's shoulders and shaking him.

Fuwa: C... Calm down, you will make me dizzy...~

Sora: Oh, my bad.

Sora stops shaking him and lets go of his shoulders. Fuwa made an "ahem" sound before continuing.

Fuwa: Well~ see the park's castle over there?

Fuwa points at the huge castle that is at the center of the park, one of the main highlights of Wonderland itself.

Sora: Isn't that castle off limits to visitors? What's in there?

Fuwa: Well... That's where I store all my Props, costumes, and equipment. But...

Fuwa lifts his fingers slightly higher.

Fuwa: You see that floor?

Sora: Y... Yeah...

Fuwa: Starting from that floor to the top. There is something called "Trials".

Sora stands still.

Sora: Trials...

Fuwa: It's like a test, though I'm not sure who's in charge and the contents of it, because I've never tried taking them before...

Sora: Wait... What do the Trials have to do with going back to my world?

Fuwa: Let me finish. After you have completed all 3 Trials... You may get a wish granted. Any wish at all.

Sora then looks up higher, with some anticipation in his eyes.

Sora: So there are 3 Trials in total huh... But now you got me curious, why didn't you try the trials? You can get any wish of yours granted...

Fuwa chuckles, as if Sora told him a hilarious joke.

Fuwa: Wonderland is all I need. With a world where you can be constantly happy, I can't think of any other wish.

Sora: Oh... I guess you are right.

Sora was trying to recall his childhood days of being in Wonderland, but he didn't remember anything related to "Trials". If it's not Fuwa who manages and creates the "Trials", then who else can it be?

But Sora chose to dismiss the thoughts for now, as completing all 3 trials seems more important than anything. And maybe as he completes each trial, he might be able to find out who made it.

Sora: Hold on, how do you know the details of the "Trials" even though you never took the "Trials" before?

Fuwa: Well~ The park has posters of it which appeared at every notice board in the park all of a sudden...Well, there's a notice board there...

Fuwa points at the nearest billboard. Sora rushes over to take a look at the poster.

The poster on the board was slightly crumpled and torn on the sides. Sora took a closer look and read the contents inside. It reads:

Need a wish granted? Try out 3 different Trials, and you may have ANY wish granted!

Ages: Any age

Date: Anytime you are up

Venue: The Castle of Wonderland

Number of tries: Unlimited, as long as the Trial master is not dissatisfied with you. 

Hope to see you there! Good Luck.

Sora: Unlimited...But, as time here goes by, the time in my world as well...

Sora turns back to Fuwa.

Sora:  Thanks, Fuwa. Since I'm a bit in a rush, I'll head to the castle now. Let's hang out again sometime! 

Sora waved before running as fast as he could towards the castle. After Sora was nowhere to be seen, Fuwa chuckled to himself, and a sinister smile appeared on his face.

Fuwa: See you at the final Trial, if you can somehow not dissatisfy the Trial master and pass the first 2 Trials, that is. 

2

Sora stopped in his tracks after he saw the huge wooden castle doors in front of him. Sora tried to pry open the doors with his strength, but the doors didn't move a single inch.

Sora sighs at himself.

Sora: ... How am I gonna take the Trials if I can't enter the castle?

A sudden voice called out to him.

???: Are you here to take the Trials?

Sora jumped due to the sudden voice. He looks around, but there's not a single presence at all.

???: I'm the Trial master. I ask again, are you here to take the Trials?

Sora: Y... Yes!

The wooden doors start opening automatically.

Sora: Just to confirm... I'm allowed to enter now, right?

But no voice answered his question.

Sora: ... Okay then. Sorry for the intrusion...

Sora walks into the castle. He imagined a clean and beautifully decorated grand hall to have a pathway that leads to a room or hall where the "Trials" will be held.

But instead, he saw many different clothing, equipment, and props covering the floor messily. 

Sora: I swear this Fuwa... I'll need to talk to him after all this...

???: Just keep walking in front and walk up the stairs. That's where your first "Trial" will take place.

The mysterious voice calls out to Sora again. Sora said nothing and followed the voice's instruction. That's when he reached the 2nd level of the castle, where the "First level" of the "Trials" should be taking place.

That level is empty, no decorations, no colors, just nothing. 

Except for a bright blue door, which caught his attention. As he walks towards it, he sees a sign beside the door which reads:

First Trial. Open the door and enter to begin.

Sora gulped and took a deep breath before looking forward, with uncertainty and determination.

Sora: You can do this, me.

Sora opens the door and enters the pitch-black room. The doors shut automatically. And the mysterious voice announces:

Trial 1: Unknown

Number of tries: Unlimited unless the "Trial" Master bans you

Clearing conditions: Unknown

Good luck.

3

Darkness. Nothing but silence and pitch black.

Sora: Unknown trial and no clue how to clear it... That's gonna be fun.

Then-- a tap on his shoulder.

???: Sora, wake up. 

Sora opens his eyes and sees an older woman in front of him. He immediately stood up and realized that he had been lying on a desk.

It's Sora's math teacher from 3 years ago, Ms Yamada. But why would she be in front of him, and why is he suddenly lying on a desk?

Sora: Y... Yamada Sensei. Why are you here...?

Sora noticed something about his voice, it sounds... Childlike? 

The other people in the room started laughing. As Sora looks around to observe, he sees his past classmates, from 3 years ago, sitting on their own assigned desks and laughing at his response to the teacher.  

Ms Yamada: You are still not awake huh? You are getting extra homework for today.

Sora then observes himself as well. His arms are thinner than usual, and his uniform sleeves are loose. He glances at the window to see his reflection.

He froze. His reflection in the window stared back-- wide-eyed, smaller, the same haircut from that year.

12-years-old. Middle school uniform.

The past hadn’t just returned-- he was inside it.

Sora: Wait wait... Sensei. What's the date and year again?

His classmates laughed again, and his teacher sighed. 

Ms Yamada: It's 14 July 2022. Can I go back to teach the class now?

That’s when Sora finally accepted what he was seeing, something too ridiculous to be true.

He was back, 3 years ago, in his 1st year of middle school.

But why would the "Trials" bring him here? What could they possibly want from this version of him?

His mind raced. This couldn’t be right. This couldn’t be real.

And yet, here he was, trapped in a moment he thought he’d buried forever.