Watching Ais suddenly close her eyes and collapse, Loki felt no worry at all. If anything, her interest was caught by the large eye hovering beside Tsuna.
"What does that eye do? You just… glare and send someone into a dream?"
"Mm. Its function is to guide a person into slumber—and inside the dream, keep them sleeping, never wanting to wake again."
Tsuna's brief explanation piqued Loki's curiosity even more.
"So it isn't forced sleep. It makes the dreamer unwilling to wake up?"
Tsuna nodded. "I came up with it after seeing the people in Evilus."
The eye was violet, concentric rings circling the pupil, and from one ring hung a black magatama-like hook.
"Those bottom-rung expendables in Evilus were tricked by gods, sure—but the core reason they joined is that their losses pushed their minds to the brink. Choosing Evilus is really a way to escape reality."
"If they want to escape, then let their consciousness enter the dream they most long for—let them see the person they've always wished to see."
"People with holes in their hearts look to dreams to fill them."
"And a sweet dream is the hardest thing to refuse."
Tsuna pointed at Ais sleeping on the floor, her lips faintly curved, the change in her expression coming quick and clear.
"A dream can feel more real than any drunken haze—especially for certain people. They often know it's a lovely dream, and still, they don't want to wake."
"It worked fast," Loki murmured.
She could see how stirred Ais was—how the sharp edges of her restlessness were already softening.
"I just worry she'll get addicted to dreaming."
"It won't come to that. Whether someone sinks too deeply can be managed with a little care."
"No matter how sweet the dream, if the person inside it tells her, 'You can wake now,' Ais will wake—even if she's reluctant."
"Mm. But this is only a temporary way to handle a knot in the heart—a pressure valve." Loki exhaled. "Ais has been bottling things up for too long. Keep pressing down and it turns into a real problem."
Using a dream to ease someone's burden was indeed… unorthodox.
Tsuna was doing it because Ais's issue was too severe; you could see it in how she chased power without regard for anything else.
"That kid's been playing tough since forever," Loki said, knowing Tsuna was right. She hadn't had a good solution before.
"But only once," she added. "Don't let her get hooked."
"I understand. Once in a while is fine. Too many times is bad for body and mind."
Tsuna knew the line he needed to hold. The rest was simple.
"How are your feet now, Loki?"
"Much better."
The sour ache in her soles was easing. Her toes flexed, a lightness spreading through her body.
"Have you learned massage before?" she asked.
Tsuna conjured a small cloud to rinse his hands, then a sprite-breeze to dry them cool and clean.
"Not really learned—just used to massage my mom at home sometimes."
"No wonder you're good at it." Loki's eyes glinted. "If I need it, should I have you make some massage monsters?"
"That's a no." Loki refused at once.
"For massages, I'd rather have someone do it personally."
She stared straight at Tsuna as she said it, leaving little room for misreading.
Tsuna considered and didn't refuse. "After dinner."
"Deal!" Loki brightened at once.
With that settled, Tsuna pointed to the sleeping Ais.
"Should we carry her back to her room?"
"No need."
Loki glanced over and shook her head.
"She'll be prying my door open at dawn anyway if she hasn't updated her status today. Might as well let her sleep right here, so I don't get jump-scared in the morning."
Knowing Ais's habits too well, Loki figured the girl would be hammering on her door at first light. Better to leave her here and spare the hassle.
"There's a blanket in the cabinet. Just cover her with one. A Level 5 body isn't that delicate."
"Got it."
Tsuna pulled a blanket from the cabinet and spread it over Ais, then took his leave.
"See you tomorrow, Loki."
"Mm. See you tomorrow."
When the door shut, Loki finally turned her gaze fully to Ais on the floor.
"Let it all out in that dream, okay? Here's hoping you don't latch onto Tsuna too hard in the morning."
She could already picture the scene and chuckled—then yawned, sleep creeping up on her.
"Ahhh… sometimes this body is a pain."
She slipped off the extra layers, tugged the cover up from the foot of the bed, and lay down.
"Tomorrow's problems are for tomorrow… Having a capable kid really is a blessing."
A little smile on her lips, Loki's awareness sank into her own sleep.
"Mom… Mom…"
In the dream, Ais was a little girl again. Her face wasn't the stiff, blank mask it often was; it beamed with a bright, unguarded smile, her expressions vivid and alive. She clutched at her mother's clothes with tiny hands, least willing of all to leave her side.
Just when she'd forgotten where she was, her mother spoke:
"Ais, it's time to wake up."
"Wake up?"
The childlike Ais tilted her head.
Her mother tapped her forehead with a smile.
"This is your dream. I'm the mom in your memory. Don't mix dream and reality."
The smile faded from the little Ais's face, a wash of gloom dimming her.
"Mom, I don't want to go out there. Outside, there's no you and no Dad."
Her mother stroked her hair, voice soft and warm.
"A dream is only the past, Ais. You still have to keep walking."
"Your father and I will always be here in the dream, waiting for you to visit. But there are people outside waiting for you, too. If you want to see us again later, come back in your dreams."
"But for now, you have to wake up."
Before Ais could decide, everything in her vision blurred. When it cleared, she was staring at a ceiling.
"I'm awake… huh."
(End of Chapter)
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