ACT 02: #DREAM

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I had a dream—a lost dream. The dream began as I stood in a place—a world cloaked in a pristine, all-encompassing white, unlike any I had ever seen. Everything around me was pure white, stretching out endlessly in all directions. It was a place of pure and blinding light, where the boundaries of reality seemed to blur into infinity. It was as if I stood at the precipice of an infinite void. The ground beneath my feet was submerged in a shallow pool of water, no higher than my toes, and as clear as crystal. It was the only feature that anchored me to this surreal landscape.The most disconcerting element of this place was the incessant, rhythmic drip that reverberated through the air, echoing with a sombre solemnity. Each drop of water fell with a deliberate and measured pace, as if time itself had become a metronome, counting down the moments with unwavering determination. Strangely, there was no discernible source for this constant drip; it simply manifested in the air, as if time itself was counting down, creating an eerie cadence that pervaded every corner of this ethereal world."Is there anyone here?" I called out into the seemingly infinite whiteness, my voice cutting through the silence with an unsettling clarity. My words hung in the air for a moment before dissolving into the void, vanishing like forgotten echoes. There was no response, no sign of life or presence beyond myself. It was as though I were truly alone in this enigmatic realm.With cautious steps, I ventured forward, my footfalls creating gentle ripples on the surface of the clear water. It was an uncanny sensation, as if I were walking on the boundary between existence and nothingness. The constant drip persisted in the background, growing louder with each passing moment, its relentless monotony unsettling my senses.As I continued to walk, I noticed something peculiar in the distance—a figure, shrouded in the same pristine white as the surroundings, knelt upon the ground, like a specter. The form appeared to be that of a girl, of the same age as me. Her attire, an all-white ensemble—similar to mine but looked older—seemed out of place amidst the immaculate void. The white hair that framed her body stretching out to the clear water and underneath her hair was a glowing blue tag strapped on her neck that read—‘67’ Approaching her with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation, I could see that she was not alone. An intricate web of wires and enigmatic devices emerged from her back, creating a mesmerizing and disconcerting tableau. The wires snaked and coiled, disappearing into the mist as if they were conduits to an unseen realm. It was an unsettling sight, like something out of a dystopian sci-fi tale. Kneeling beside me, I realized that her presence carried an air of melancholy. She seemed lost in a world of her own, her head bowed in silent contemplation. "—Initiating co...mand seq—"Her lips moved, but the words that emerged from them were fractured and disjointed, like a broken record that had lost its rhythm.Her whispers were a cacophony of fragmented phrases and incomplete thoughts, a language that defied comprehension."Hello?" I said tentatively. I ventured, reaching out a trembling hand to touch her shoulder.Yet, my touch elicited no response. She remained in her trance-like state, the whispers persisting as though I were not there. It was a disheartening realization that my presence had gone unnoticed, as if I were a mere specter in a dreamlike realm.Desperation crept into my thoughts, compelling me to persevere. I continued to call out to her, attempting to engage her in conversation, but her whispers remained unaffected by my efforts. She was trapped in an endless loop of incomprehensible mutterings, a prisoner of her own fractured thoughts.I hesitated, unsure of how to approach this mysterious girl. But curiously I leaned in closer, my ear hovering just above her lips, straining to decipher the meaning behind her fragmented words. It was then that she paused, as if sensing my proximity, and she spoke a single, coherent word."Oni—n". But her words were a mere whisper, a ghostly breath that teased my senses. I strained to hear, leaning in even closer, my breath held in anticipation. And just as I was on the cusp of understanding, a sudden surge of sensation coursed through me.It was as though an unseen force had taken hold of my very being, wrenching me away from the girl and the strange world we inhabited. Her lips continued to move, forming words that remained just out of reach, but the connection between us was severed.My consciousness wavered, and I felt myself being pulled away from that white world, as if the dream itself had decided to release its grip on me. The girl's voice, once a haunting whisper, faded into the distance, and I was left with a profound sense of loss and disconnection.And then, in an instant, I awoke.My eyes snapped open, and I found myself lying in my own bed, bathed in the soft, diffused light of dawn. The remnants of the dream still clung to my thoughts, vivid and haunting. The rhythmic drip that had filled my dream was replaced by the ringing of the facility clock, a soothing reminder of the waking world.I lay there, my heart racing, trying to make sense of the dream that had transported me to such an enigmatic and unsettling place. But my memories of the girl with wires and devices, her whispers, and the inexplicable realm of mist and water wavered like a ghostly specter in my mind. Who was she?As the bell continued to ring, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had stumbled upon something inexplicable and profound. The strange dream had left an indelible mark on my thoughts. The cadence of the drip, the haunting whispers, and the mysterious girl—all of it felt like pieces of a larger puzzle, waiting to be assembled.And I realized that I needed to find answers, to understand the meaning behind that dream. It was a mystery that had taken hold of my thoughts, and I was determined to unravel its secrets, no matter where it might lead me.