Liora Vance had always hated mornings. Not because of the sun—though the first pale light spilling through the floor-to-ceiling windows of her apartment did nothing to soothe her—but because mornings meant reality. And reality, lately, had become something she wished she could sleep through forever.
The city outside her window hummed with life, a neon heartbeat that pulsed through glass towers and reflected in rain-slick streets. Holo-ads flickered along the skyline, offering the perfect illusion of happiness: smiling families, luxury cars, and promises of a world where no dream was beyond reach. Liora didn't smile. Not anymore.
She sat on the edge of her bed, bare feet brushing against the cold metal floor, and rubbed her temples. Her hair was a chaotic mess of dark curls, and her uniform—simple black jumpsuit with the DreamTech insignia—lay crumpled on the chair beside her. Today wasn't just any day. It was her first assignment in weeks, and she had a sinking feeling that this one would change everything.
DreamTech wasn't just any corporation. It was the company that had reshaped humanity's nights, turning sleep into entertainment, therapy, and sometimes, a subtle form of control. They designed perfect dreams—tailored worlds where clients could live out fantasies they'd never dare in real life. And Liora was one of the best. A Dream Architect.
Her wristband beeped softly, pulling her attention to a holographic notification hovering in the air. Client Assignment: Confidential. Begin immediate virtual analysis.
Liora frowned. "Confidential? Since when does DreamTech care about secrecy?"
Her apartment's AI assistant, a small floating orb named Orin, hovered closer, its soft blue glow calming in the dim morning. "Confidentiality level: Alpha," Orin intoned. "Client profile unavailable. Suggested precaution: extreme."
Liora let out a sigh and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Precaution was one thing. Secrecy was something else entirely. Only the highest-profile clients—or the most dangerous—received assignments like this.
She showered quickly, letting the water wash over her in a cold, calculated rhythm, and dressed in the sleek black uniform that marked her as both employee and elite architect of DreamTech. Her reflection in the mirror looked tired, but there was determination there—a spark she didn't always feel. Today, that spark would have to burn brighter than ever.
By the time she reached the DreamTech tower, the city was alive in full technicolor chaos. Autonomous vehicles zipped through the streets, holographic billboards glowed in the mist, and pedestrians in smart-fabric coats moved in sync like a carefully choreographed pattern. Liora hated crowds, but she loved observation—the way people's tiny habits revealed the unsaid, the hidden.
The elevator hummed as it ascended, a smooth shaft of glass and steel. Liora pressed the button for Level 47, the department where Dream Architects prepared and tested dream worlds. As the doors slid open, the scent of ozone and polished floors greeted her. The hum of servers behind reinforced glass panels was almost comforting. Almost.
Her supervisor, a tall man with silver hair and sharp eyes named Callen Royce, approached with his usual brisk efficiency. "Vance," he said, voice clipped. "You're up. Client is waiting in the Dream Chamber. High clearance required."
"High clearance?" Liora repeated, eyebrow raised. "That usually comes with a briefing. I don't get briefings on Level Alpha clients."
Callen didn't answer. He merely nodded toward the doors of the chamber. Liora swallowed the knot forming in her stomach and walked in.
Inside, the chamber was dim, walls lined with sleek consoles and pulsing neon strips. In the center floated a chair surrounded by a halo of data projections—a typical Dream Interface, but tonight it felt ominous. And there, seated as if she had been waiting her whole life, was the client.
He didn't look dangerous—not at first glance. Tall, lean, dark hair falling into his eyes, and a presence that seemed too still, too controlled. His gaze lifted slowly, meeting hers. "Liora Vance," he said, voice calm, almost hypnotic. "I've been waiting for you."
Liora blinked, unused to clients speaking before their dreams were even initiated. "You've been waiting for me?" she repeated, cautious. "This isn't typical protocol."
He smiled faintly, a curve that didn't reach his eyes. "I have… specific needs."
Callen stepped back, letting her take the lead. "Proceed with the initialization," he instructed.
Liora hesitated only a moment before moving to the interface. She placed her hands on the glowing panels, letting her neural link sync with the chair. As the system activated, she felt the familiar tug at the edges of her consciousness—the pull into another world, where code and imagination merged seamlessly.
And then the client's dream began.
It was… not like any dream she had ever designed. Lush forests stretched under skies of impossible colors, rivers shimmered with liquid light, and towering cities floated in the distance. Yet, underneath the beauty, there was an unsettling precision. Every movement of a creature, every ripple of water, seemed… deliberate, controlled.
"Unusual," she murmured, adjusting parameters. The dream responded instantly, like it was aware of her thoughts.
The client's voice, calm and controlled, echoed in her mind. "You can see it too, can't you? The truth beneath the dream."
Liora's heart skipped a beat. No client had ever spoken in their dream—not like this. And yet… the words felt urgent, almost pleading.
"What do you mean?" she asked, though she knew it was both impossible and necessary to respond.
"Dreams are not just fantasies," he said. "They are cages."
A shiver ran down her spine. Liora had always known DreamTech's work was powerful, but she had never questioned the ethics—not until now. She had built perfect worlds, yes, but she had never imagined someone trapped inside, conscious, aware, begging to be free.
She glanced at the console, searching for any anomaly. The dream's code was intricate, far beyond her usual manipulations. Someone—or something—was running the world with precision that even she couldn't match.
Liora realized, with a sinking certainty, that this assignment was not about designing a dream. It was about surviving one.
And that was only the beginning.
As the dreamscape stretched around her, Liora felt a mix of fear and exhilaration. This was bigger than any project, bigger than any client. This was a puzzle, a trap, and perhaps, a chance for her to find something she had been missing: truth.
The city outside her apartment might still be humming, the sun still trying to rise, and the streets still alive with oblivious people. But Liora had stepped beyond them. Into a world where nothing was real—and yet, everything mattered.
She took a deep breath. This was her element. And she would survive.
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