Game 30: What Does It Mean to Dream?

Two days had passed since Proteus witnessed the utter chaos in Kyoto-3. He had returned to Innsbruck with the survivors of the thieves’ guild, but after that, he had been completely silent. The others all took their turns trying to get Proteus to open up about what happened, but to no success. Only by talking to Bingo, Tommy, or Javi could they get any answers.

•

Finally, Takeshi took Proteus to his favorite spot on the map, the beach at the edge of the world. There was something serene about the whole area, the feel of the sand between one's toes, the endless expanse of the open ocean in front of them, the brisk wind blowing by them. Takeshi figured this would be the perfect spot to get his friend to open up. They sat on the beach for a while; Takeshi thought it was best to let Proteus lead the conversation when he was ready.

“What was the world like while I was gone?” Proteus finally asked.

Takeshi took a moment to figure out an answer, “I suppose not much has changed in the last, what was it, three years?”

“Do you think my parents miss me?”

“I don't think that's even a question,” Takeshi told him. “I think it's pretty obvious that they do.”

It was now Takeshi's turn to ask the questions.

“How does someone as young as you end up in a place like this?”

“I don't think I can remember,” Proteus admitted. “I was just twelve at the time. It might have been a dare, I don't know.”

“What kind of a name is ‘Proteus Rhade’, anyways?”

“Well, my mom is Greek and my dad is German, so when they named me, that's what happened.”

“I wonder how they would feel about you being a shapeshifter…”

“I've often wondered the same thing…”

Both of them were silent for a while after that.

They were eventually joined by Aisha.

“I never thought I'd be back here again,” Aisha told them.

“This was where Takeshi found you, wasn't it?” Proteus asked her.

“Yeah…”

“How long have you been in The Game?” Takeshi asked her.

“272 days,” Aisha answered. “I only know that because I've kept a tally in my sketch pad.”

“You've had that sketch pad for a while, huh?” Proteus asked her.

“Yep. It's almost like it never runs out of pages. Kinda like magic.”

Aisha then realized something.

“Thank you for reminding me of why I came here. Proteus, I think my magic has finally recovered enough to where I can cure you of the Desert Rose's curse.”

Proteus' face gave a mixed message. Confused? Excited? Fearful? Disappointed? Getting cured of this curse was all Proteus ever wanted other than going home. But now, here the opportunity was right in front of him to be rid of the curse once and for all, and yet…

… it just felt wrong…

It was the reason he met new friends. It was the reason he was able to reconcile with old friends. It allowed him to realize he actually had value.

But on the other hand?

He began to feel that he only had value because of the curse, because he was able to turn this negative into a positive. Then, the fear crept in. What would happen if he declined? Would an opportunity like this come again later? Would he be dooming himself to a fate worse than losing The Game?

“It can wait. I don't mind.”

Aisha's response was simple. “Okay, let me know when you're ready.”

She began to walk away, but Takeshi asked her, “What brought you here in the first place?”

“I… I don't remember…” Aisha answered. “There was this big flash of light, and then… There I was, sitting on the beach.”

“Truck-kun,” Proteus commented. “It's always truck-kun.”

“Proteus…” Takeshi groaned.

“Truck-kun?” Aisha asked.

“It's a meme,” Takeshi explained. “Lots of isekai protagonists get sent into their 'other worlds’ after getting hit by a truck. It's a bit bleak if you think about it. A lot of those stories make the real world so… hopeless, that the only way to escape is to get smacked in the face by a truck.”

“So why did you come back?” Aisha asked him.

“Hm?”

“You were taken out of The Game,” Aisha explained. How she knew this, nobody knew. “You had your chance to return to the real world. You were given the freedom you wanted. And yet… you came back. Why?”

At this moment, Takeshi knew he had to tell the truth. His response was simple, “The world is in danger, and the only way to stop it is to win The Game.”

Proteus stood up. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go win The Game already!”

“It might not be that simple,” Takeshi countered. “There's a reason why Lazlo scheduled his Tower of Power event so close to Mr. Set's special day. They could be trying to outplay each other.”

“Or they could be working together,” Proteus suggested.

“Nothing is out of the question when it comes to the Game Masters,” Takeshi added. “But it seems we're forced to wait until that time comes.”

“That sounds lame,” Proteus told him. “Why not just go to the Tower of Power now? Surely that is a level somewhere inside The Game?”

“Because we don't know where it is,” Takeshi answered. “We can't go to a level if we don't know where it is.”

“We have a map,” Proteus reminded him.

“Yeah, and this tower doesn't appear on the map. Or if it does, it's hidden inside any of the other locations on the map.”

“I see…” Proteus then headed back to the village. “I'll see ya later.”

Now it was just Takeshi and Aisha. The two of them sat on the beach for some time before Aisha finally spoke up again.

“Takeshi, what does it mean to dream?”

“Hm? I'm afraid I don't understand the question. Surely you've had dreams before. All the time.”

“I mean, yeah… But like, what does it all mean?”

“I'm not sure,” Takeshi admitted. “What do you think it means?”

“Dreams can be a bit like what you call ‘isekai’, I think. They provide an escape from the humdrum cycle of reality. A lot of it can be scary, yeah, but that's what makes it interesting. You never know where you'll end up.”

“Interesting,” Takeshi noted. “Actually, I wonder if dreams help us appreciate reality a bit more. Like yeah, dreams can be a lot of things. But dreams aren't really there. So in that way, they help you appreciate what is real.”

“I see…” Aisha noted. “The Game is a bit like a dream, then. A dream that we won't be able to wake up from unless we win.”

“Yeah, you could say it like that.”

“Except there can only be one winner,” Aisha corrected him. “That is the nature of The Game.”

“I disagree,” Makoto countered. He had snuck up on them, so they didn't notice he was there at first. “Nearly every game is won through teamwork, whether you realize it or not. One person may win the gold medal, but they have an entire team of people working behind the scenes to help them reach that pinnacle. In a card game, you're working with the cards in your deck to win it all. Stuff like that.”

“That's a very good point, Makoto,” Takeshi admitted. “Even if only one of us can claim the prize at the end, we're still working together to get there. But I still think we can all claim the prize together. I refuse to believe anything else.”

“We should be getting back to the village,” Makoto told them. “Rita has another mission lined up for us.”

“Very well then,” Takeshi said. “Let's get going!”