Rain fell softly over the city that night.Each drop shimmered faintly in Toshio's eyes — because now, even the rain carried echoes of dreams.
People walked by under umbrellas, unaware that threads of glowing mist trailed faintly behind them — whispers of what they'd seen, loved, or feared in their sleep.
To them, it was just another evening.But to Toshio Shinji… it was the beginning of something that defied every rule of reality.
He tightened his grip on the pendant glowing faintly beneath his shirt, the red-gold light pulsing against his skin.
"Find the Sleeper's Gate…"
Airi's last words still haunted him.He had searched every corner of the school, the library, and even the old train tunnels, but nothing about a Sleeper's Gate appeared in any record.
Until tonight.
Toshio stopped at the base of an abandoned subway entrance, long sealed by rusted chains. His breath came out in fog. Something deep inside him pulled toward it — a faint hum, almost like the world itself was calling his name.
When he touched the lock, it flickered briefly — the metal shifting from gray to gold under his fingers before disintegrating into dust.
He froze."What the hell…?"
[Dreamwalk Resonance Detected][Pathway to the Dream Nexus — Opening]
The air trembled.The subway doors groaned open, releasing a wave of cold mist that carried a faint scent of lavender — and something older, something like forgotten time.
He stepped inside.
The underground corridor was dark, save for faint luminescent lines on the walls — strange sigils that pulsed as he passed, reacting to his presence. His footsteps echoed endlessly, swallowed by silence.
"This place…" Toshio muttered. "It feels alive."
A faint whisper drifted through the tunnel.
"It is."
He spun around, fists raised — only to see a girl standing at the far end of the corridor.
She looked no older than him — maybe seventeen — her hair pale silver, cascading like liquid moonlight down to her waist. Her eyes glowed faint violet, reflecting the same patterns that marked the walls.
She smiled faintly. "So the new Dreamwalker finally awakens."
Toshio's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"
She tilted her head. "You can call me Lyra. Guardian of the Sleeper's Gate… or what's left of it."
He stared. "You mean the Gate actually exists?"
Lyra nodded. "It was sealed centuries ago, when the first Dreamwalker tried to merge both worlds — and failed. His name was Ren."
Toshio's heart skipped. "Ren? As in—?"
"Yes," she said softly. "The same Ren who gave you the Oath."
They walked deeper together, the tunnel gradually widening into an enormous underground cavern. What lay before him made Toshio's breath catch.
It was a city.
Not of metal or stone, but light. Buildings formed from translucent energy, streets paved with shimmering glass, and rivers of gold mist flowing through them like veins of the earth itself.
Above, a vast ceiling glimmered with dream-stars — constellations that shifted with every breath.
"Welcome to the City Beneath Dreams," Lyra said quietly. "The resting place of forgotten realities."
Toshio turned slowly, awe mixing with unease. "This place… it feels wrong. Like I'm inside someone else's mind."
"You're not wrong," Lyra said. "The City reflects every Dreamwalker's soul. Yours is still forming — unstable. That's why parts of it look fractured."
He glanced down one street — and froze when he saw a familiar image etched in the dreamlight: Airi's face, smiling faintly, before vanishing into mist.
Toshio clenched his fists. "Then tell me how to reach her. You said you guard the Gate, right? Where is it?"
Lyra studied him for a long moment. "You're not ready."
"I've heard that before," he snapped. "But if you know where she is, I'm not leaving without answers."
Lyra's expression softened. She approached him, placing a hand on his chest. "You carry the Oath's fire… but you still think like the waking world. The Dream obeys emotion, not logic."
Her eyes shimmered faintly. "To open the Gate, you must face what you fear most — yourself."
Before he could respond, the pendant on his chest flared violently.
The entire city shuddered. Cracks spread across the dream-glass streets, and black mist began seeping up from the ground.
[Warning: Hostile Echo Detected][Manifestation Level — Class B: "Shadow Self"]
Toshio staggered. "Shadow… self?"
From the spreading mist, a figure emerged — tall, sharp-eyed, wearing the same school uniform. But his expression was twisted, his smile cruel.
It was him.
Or rather, the part of him that had once given up.
"You're still pretending you can save her?" the shadow sneered. "Face it — you couldn't even save yourself."
Toshio grit his teeth. "You're not real."
The shadow laughed — the sound cold and echoing. "Not real? I'm the only part of you that's honest. I remember the tears you hid, the fear you buried. You think she'll love someone like that?"
Lyra stepped back. "Toshio, if you don't face him, he'll consume you!"
The two collided — light against shadow. Toshio swung first, his fist blazing with red-gold energy, but the shadow moved like smoke, countering every move with mocking precision.
"You can't fight yourself," it whispered, shoving him back. "You can only accept me."
Toshio hit the ground, blood in his mouth. The pendant pulsed violently — images of Airi flashing before his eyes: her smile, her laughter, her last words.
He gasped. "No… I won't let you erase her!"
The shadow grinned. "Then show me your resolve, Dreamwalker."
Toshio rose to his knees. His heartbeat thundered.
He reached inside — not for rage, but for truth.His fear. His guilt. His longing. All of it.
And when he exhaled, light burst from his chest, engulfing the darkness.
"I accept you," he whispered. "But I'll never become you."
The shadow screamed — the sound splintering the air — before shattering into fragments of gold.
When it cleared, Toshio stood tall, trembling but alive. The pendant's glow steadied — calm, resolute.
Lyra watched silently. Then, for the first time, she smiled. "Now you're ready."
She lifted her hand. In the center of the dream city, a vast gate of obsidian and gold materialized — towering higher than any building, its surface carved with endless runes.
"The Sleeper's Gate," she said. "Beyond it lies the true Dream Realm — and the one you seek."
Toshio stepped forward, his pulse racing. "Airi…"
But before he could take another step, Lyra grabbed his wrist. "Be warned. Each dream you enter, a part of you stays behind. Too many… and you'll forget who you are."
He met her eyes. "Then I'll make sure I remember her."
Lyra's smile turned wistful. "You sound like him."
"Ren?"
She nodded faintly. "He once said the same thing — right before the world began to burn."
The Gate began to open, light spilling through its cracks like dawn breaking through a storm.
Toshio inhaled deeply, the air humming with power and memory.
"Airi… wait for me."
And with that, he stepped through — into the blinding light of the Dream Beyond.
[Quest Updated: Enter the Sleeper's Gate – New Ally Acquired: Lyra, the Dream Guardian]