Chapter 3: — "The Dream Awakening (Part I)"

I was asleep, or at least, I thought I was.

Everything around me felt soft, the warmth of my blanket, the faint hum of the city outside my apartment, the steady glow of Orbi resting beside my pillow. Its light pulsed faintly, like it was breathing. I remember thinking, just before I drifted off, how silly it was to feel comforted by a glowing ball of glass. But somehow, it felt… safe.

When I opened my eyes again, the hum of the city was gone.

At first, I thought it was just a dream. The air felt lighter, warmer. My blanket was gone, replaced by something soft brushing against my skin, grass? I blinked, sitting up slowly. The world around me shimmered with color.

The sky was the first thing I noticed. It wasn’t Tokyo’s polluted gray, nor the soft navy of night. It was a vast swirl of purples and blues, streaked with silver clouds and twin moons glowing high above. Everything glimmered, the trees, the grass, even the air.

“W-What…?” I whispered, my voice trembling.

I turned my head. The field stretched endlessly, filled with glowing white flowers that shimmered when the wind touched them. A faint sound echoed in the distance, like wind chimes and a heartbeat combined. It was beautiful, haunting.

And then I saw Orbi.

It floated in front of me, no longer resting by my bed. Its surface glowed softly, casting a golden light on my hands. “Orbi?” I said, my voice barely above a breath. “Where… are we?”

The orb pulsed once. I swear it felt like it was answering me.

I stood up, or at least tried to. My legs felt heavy, like I was standing in two places at once. For a brief moment, I could almost see my room again, my messy bed, the takeout bag on the desk, the photo of Haruto beside the orb’s faint glow. Then it flickered away, like a mirage.

The wind picked up, carrying soft whispers.

“Aria…”

I froze. My name. It wasn’t Haruto’s voice. It was something gentler, echoing and calm, like someone calling from far away.

“Who’s there?” I called, turning in circles. “Where am I? Is this... some kind of dream?”

The whisper came again, closer this time. “Come home, Aria.”

The light around Orbi intensified. I stumbled backward, shielding my eyes as it began to spin slowly in midair. The grass swayed violently, the flowers bending toward it, as if drawn to its energy.

“Orbi, stop! What’s happening!?”

The glow consumed everything. My vision blurred, and all I could see was light. The world began to dissolve, the sky, the field, even the ground beneath my feet. My heartbeat grew louder in my ears, faster and faster, until it was all I could hear.

And then... silence.

When I opened my eyes again, I wasn’t in my apartment. Or the glowing field.

I was lying on damp soil, surrounded by towering trees with silver leaves that rustled under an unfamiliar breeze. Shafts of golden light streamed through the canopy, and the air smelled sweet, almost like honey and rain mixed together.

I blinked several times, sitting up slowly. My body felt lighter. The pain in my chest from last night was still there, but faint, like an echo.

Beside me, Orbi floated once more, dimmer now, as if tired.

“Orbi…” I whispered, touching its surface. It felt warm, alive. “Did you… do this?”

The orb pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat.

I looked around. The forest seemed endless. Birds with crystal-blue wings fluttered between the trees, their chirps echoing softly. A stream glistened nearby, and far in the distance, I could see mountains with floating stones circling their peaks.

“This isn’t Tokyo,” I muttered, half laughing, half panicking. “This isn’t even Japan.”

I stood up shakily, brushing dirt from my skirt. “Okay, Aria. You’re… dreaming. Yeah. You ate too many fries before bed, and now you’re having the most vivid dream of your life.”

A breeze brushed against my cheek. The warmth of the sun seeped into my skin. I could feel it. Too real.

My stomach turned. “No… This isn’t a dream, is it?”

No answer. Only the soft hum of the forest and Orbi’s faint glow.

I looked at the orb again, holding it gently in my palms. “If this is your doing, Orbi,” I said, my voice trembling with a mix of awe and fear, “then I guess… you’re my only friend here too.”

The orb pulsed again, softly, as if agreeing.

I exhaled shakily, glancing at the strange beauty around me. Somewhere deep inside, a small flicker of curiosity began to stir, dimly pushing through the fog of confusion and heartbreak.

Maybe this world, wherever and whatever it was, was a second chance.