[Year: 2016 | Ren: 9 y/o | Grade 4]
The night was quiet, but Ren couldn't sleep.
The stars outside the window blinked like signals only he could read. He sat up in bed, sweat clinging to his skin despite the cool breeze.
A dream.
Again.
It wasn't like normal dreams. It didn't have shape, logic, or warmth. It felt… clinical. Cold. Like an operating room with no walls.
And it always ended the same way—
A man's voice. A language Ren didn't recognize.
Pain.
Then darkness.
He walked slowly to the kitchen. The floor creaked softly under his feet. He poured himself a glass of water, then paused.
"Ren?"
A voice.
Haruto stood by the doorway, hair messy, rubbing his eyes.
"You okay?"
Ren hesitated. Then nodded. "Just… a weird dream."
"Was it scary?"
"…No. Just… confusing."
Haruto leaned on the counter. "You should tell Mom. She'll know what it means."
Ren looked down at his glass. "I don't think she would."
That night, after Haruto went back to sleep, Ren sat alone on the sofa.
He closed his eyes.
And saw flashes again—
A corridor.
White lights.
A number.
Core 06.
When he opened his eyes, he felt something unfamiliar.
Something like…
a crack.
In reality.