A dream is formed around a core. This core can be very abstract, such as a memory, a dream, or even a philosophical concept.
But one thing remains unchanged: everything in the dream can be related to this core.
And now, everything lined up with Sirin's guess. This was a concretized cage.
What the core of the dream was remained unknown, but in any case, any further progress was related to the next change in this cage.
What changes can a cage have? Hasn't it always tormented people by being unchanging?
So...
Sirin stood up, walked to the wall, reached out, and gently scraped the wall with her fingernail.
A small piece of the wall suddenly broke off and shattered on the ground.
In the darkness, Frélle, who had been silent, suddenly looked up, staring in astonishment in Sirin's direction.
Bewilderment, confusion, and even fear suddenly arose in her heart, which had long been devoid of any fluctuation.
"What... are you doing?" For the first time, she spoke on her own initiative and asked her own question.
Sirin didn't answer. Instead, she brought the glowing sphere in her hand closer to the spot she had just scraped and squinted at the small notch in the wall.
This wall was surprisingly fragile. But she didn't know if there were harder bricks or something inside the wall. If there were, it would be troublesome.
There wasn't even a stick in this prison. If she only relied on her fingernails, she couldn't possibly break through something like bricks...
"Wait!" The one who was now experiencing not getting an answer to her question was Frélle. Her imprisoned body couldn't help but tremble. At once, the chains connected to her made a sound of metal colliding and rubbing.
That's right, the chains!
These sounds immediately reminded Sirin of the only two tools in this room. Although the chains didn't have sharp angles for breaking walls, they were hard. Even just by smashing, she could break through the wall.
The chains had been lying on the ground before, which meant they were probably long enough...
Thinking this, Sirin immediately squatted down and grabbed the chain that was thicker than her calf.
It was a bit heavy, but that wasn't a big problem.
Seeing that the chains that were protecting (restraining) her were about to be used in a strange way, Frélle could no longer speak in a small voice.
"Please wait!"
She shouted without a care. Sirin was startled by the sound and quickly turned to look at the darkness behind her, the chain she had raised frozen in mid-air.
"I'm sorry!" Realizing that she might have scared the other person, Frélle became even more flustered, to the point of a different kind of terror. Regardless of whether Sirin could see, she immediately lowered her head and made an apology (submission).
"It's okay..." Although she couldn't see, the now-composed Sirin breathed a sigh of relief. Even though she knew what was in the room, Sirin was still very afraid of something strange suddenly jumping out of the darkness.
But Frélle had finally shown some reaction. Sirin didn't want to let this anomaly go. "What's wrong? Did something happen, or do you... have something to say?"
Frélle lowered her head. Perhaps because a section of the chain was being held by Sirin, the shackles on her body made her a little uncomfortable (a feeling of suffocation).
"I wanted to ask... what are you trying to do?" Frélle's voice returned to a whisper. Sirin was standing a bit far away. Even if she cupped her ear, she couldn't understand what Frélle was saying.
But Sirin thought for a moment and suddenly felt she should tell Frélle what she was about to do, because Frélle might be affected when she used the chain later.
"You just wait there obediently! Watch me save you!" Sirin said, then turned around, aimed at the hole she had just made, and gripped the chain in her hand.
What... save me?
This was something unheard of (never dared to imagine)! Someone was actually saying they would save (?) her from here?!
Why? What does she want? What does she want to gain?
Frélle, whose thinking had almost come to a standstill, suddenly began to think rapidly, wanting to know the real reason for Sirin's actions.
Her thinking had just begun when Sirin had already smashed down on the opening with force!
Crack—!
"Ngh..."
A dull thud sounded. At the same time, Frélle also let out an insignificant muffled grunt.
She was sure of it now. The pulling of the chain did indeed cause her discomfort (a feeling of suffocation). It was just that her grunt was buried in the dull thud of the wall being smashed, so Sirin couldn't hear it at all.
Forcibly enduring that discomfort (suffocation), Frélle quickly thought of a way to break the situation (hold on).
Motive unknown, trigger unknown, purpose unknown, development unknown...
Everything before her was a mystery. For the first time, Frélle found that she knew nothing and could only try to connect all these phenomena with guesses.
She said she wanted to save (?) me before... but the feedback I'm getting is only this current discomfort (suffocation). In other words, she's actually torturing (?) me...
Was it because I stuck my tongue out before and angered her? Or was it that my out-of-line shout just now scared her, making her want to retaliate?
No, she had already picked up the chain when I spoke. In other words, it was because of my mistake (?) that the other party became dissatisfied and is now taking revenge on me.
Frélle, terrified in her heart, felt no surprise at this guess. In her view, it was very reasonable (strange) to use one's power to take revenge.
She could only seek self-preservation (restraint) to the greatest extent in this revenge.
This was revenge (?)... How could she get the other party to stop, or at least stop as much as possible?
She couldn't resist, and she didn't have the ability to resist... The other party was holding the chain. If she didn't obey, she would only face more severe torture (?) from the other party.
Then should she beg for mercy (submit)? Should she apologize (submit)?
She had to do this... and then she had to take the initiative to give (submit) something to make a concession, to let the other party vent their anger first...
But what else did she have to give? What else could satisfy the other party?
She had nothing left...
Frélle slowly raised her head and looked at the faintly glowing crystal ball in Sirin's hand.
Only that... that faint light is all I have left...
"Can you please stop..." Frélle pleaded (submitted). "I'm sorry... please take that crystal ball, and then stop... okay...?"