I slowly opened my eyes and realized I was lying on the ground. The surroundings were unfamiliar, even for a dream. Last time, I was in a large garden. The garden stretched out across a vast area—so big it could hold several hundred people without feeling crowded. Near the garden stood a massive palace. It was so large that even my college could fit inside it several times. And for reference, my college is already bigger than most average colleges in big cities.
I was so mesmerized by the scene ahead of me that I completely forgot my main objective. Small animals—squirrels, rabbits, butterflies—were all moving in the same direction. Without giving much thought to it, I followed them. After marching for a while, they stopped. I hid behind a tree, watching them.
A large number of animals had formed a circle, as if they were protecting something... or perhaps listening to a leader. The view was too crowded from my position, so I decided to go closer. I walked slowly toward them, trying to remain unnoticed—like a lion stalking its prey.
When I was close enough to get a clearer view, I saw a large fountain, and near it, sitting gracefully, was a girl. She was playing with all the small animals around her.
She was the same girl. The one I had been seeing in my past dreams.
All the questions I had been holding back, piling up in my mind, suddenly burst forward. My brain was hungry for answers.
Is she real, or just a dream?
Why does she keep appearing in my dreams?
Why does this dream feel so real?
Why do I remember everything so clearly?
And most important of all... what is her name?
I was lost in my thoughts and didn't notice that the animals had become alert. Birds flew upward, chirping loudly. The squirrel on her shoulder squeaked. She startled and turned toward me.
"Who is there?" she asked.
"I'm Dev," I replied, confused but trying to remain calm.
"Dev? Why are you here?" she asked again, this time with a curious look in her eyes.
"I don't know. When I opened my eyes, I was already lying here... But who are you?"
"Who am I? Why should I tell you?"
"But I told you about myself."
"I already know about you. You look a bit different... but you're just another dreamvision."
"Dreamvision? What's that?"
She sighed, as if I was asking too many questions.
"Dreamvisions are creatures created from fragments of the host's memory. Understood?"
"Host?"
"Hmm... why do you even want to know? I don't feel like answering."
She started behaving like a child who had been asked to finish homework during playtime. But I really wanted to know more, so I pressed a little.
"Please... could you tell me? Please?"
"Okay, fine. But this is the last question, and don't bother me later. A host is the person whose dream we are in. This whole place is built from the host's memories. Even these animals, and even you—maybe you're the host's brother, or friend, or something."
The new information burst my brain open with more questions, but I tried to focus. I wanted to know more about her.
"Aren't you a dreamvision, then?"
"Me? No. I'm not a dreamvision. I'm something different. But why should I tell that to you? You just need to know that I'm far more powerful than you. Everything here can vanish if the host wants—but it doesn't harm me because I am a—"
She suddenly stopped. The squirrel on her shoulder whispered something into her ear.
She paused, then said abruptly, "Hmph. Why am I telling you anything? You'll just forget it all anyway. It's not like you'll remember anything."
I wanted to push her a bit more. Ask her more, understand more... but suddenly, I noticed something strange.
My body was beginning to fade.
"What's happening?!" I asked in panic.
The girl looked at me calmly and said, "Looks like the host is waking up. It was nice meeting you. But this is already our third time. I don't think we'll meet again. So... bye."
Hearing those words, I became desperate. So many questions left unanswered. So many things I wanted to say.
"Wait! Wait! Waitttttt—"
None of it worked.
The dream ended. I woke up.