"Goodnight, me," Orimo whispered softly, eyelids heavy, letting sleep slowly pull him under. The pirate ship cut silently through the moonlit waters, the ocean glowing silver under the quiet night sky. Danger lingered somewhere beyond the horizon, unseen, but inevitable.
Fatigue overtook him. His body sagged, surrendering completely to sleep
He found himself standing above an ocean tainted red with blood. His own hands were coated, slick and heavy with it. Around him lay the corpses of countless souls, their eyes vacant, accusing.
Ahead, a throne rose atop a pile of skulls, stretching unnaturally high. Upon it sat a figure in white, unnervingly radiant. Black lines etched across their face. Orimo's eyes welled with tears as horror rooted him in place.
"What's with that expression?" the figure intoned, voice echoing across the crimson waters.
"It's all your doing, Orimo Kuzan."
Orimo's heart raced. He clutched his head, screaming, "No… NO!"
The vision warped and glitched like shattered glass. "No!!!"
He jolted awake, lungs heaving. His gaze snapped forward — Rae Winters sat before him, concern etched across her face.
"What was that!? You scared me!" she exclaimed.
Orimo swallowed hard, trying to steady his breath. "Just… a nightmare," he murmured.
Rae exhaled softly. "Are you hungry? I'll go cook for you."
Orimo's stomach growled in response. "Yeah…"
She glanced down at him. "Also… why are you on the floor without a pillow? You should've woken me up."
Orimo brushed the sweat from his face, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "You looked… pretty. I didn't want to wake you."
She punched him lightly in the stomach. "Idiot."
She turned and left, the door closing with a soft thud.
Orimo's lips curled into a small, wistful grin. "I'd fall for her if things kept going like this," he murmured to himself.