Davy opened his eyes, taking a few moments to adjust his vision. He looked at the man sleeping beside him as the dim room became clearer. He couldn't help but smile, his hand reaching out to touch the man's straight nose. The man didn't even flinch, still, sound asleep.
Draven's sleeping face was much gentler than when he was awake, and he giggled quietly. His fingers traced Draven's jaw, his eyes smiling. One would never guess from his delicate appearance how loud and annoying he could be at times.
Nonetheless, between the playful Draven and the one he saw earlier, Davy would choose the former without hesitation. That was how he was. Davy admired Draven's talkativeness and his ability to keep the situation lively. Being with Draven was, as he always said, comfortable and relaxing.
Davy looked at him for a few seconds longer before slowly and carefully removing Draven's arm wrapped around his waist and sitting down. He took a deep breath, afraid to wake the other, and slowly stepped out of bed. Draven, who was sleeping like a dead log, didn't even flinch and kept sleeping. He secretly laughed; this guy always slept soundly when he was with Davy.
His hands search for his dress and put it on before quietly exiting the room. The silent and dim hallway was no longer an unfamiliar sight to him. He also knew how to get around without anyone's assistance and could go to his room or any other room he had visited.
Davy's steps were light as he strolled through the silent hallway. His hands sway along his golden hair, which flows freely as they dance in the wind. Davy realized how comfortable he had become with the virtual world in moments like these when he was walking peacefully alone. He no longer had any scrupulous thoughts. Like before, when he used to complain, his thoughts would wander down memory lane, leaving him with a pang of regret.
His black-golden pupils swept at the surroundings, absorbing everything he saw in his vision. The familiar corridors, the tranquil atmosphere... Unknowingly, all of this had now become a part of him. How could it be if all this was real? If... they were real?
He stepped out of the elevator, action swift as though he was long familiar with it. As if it didn't happen long ago when he was still unaware of its function or how to use it. Davy came to a halt and remained motionless for a brief moment. His gaze is drawn to the solemn room, which was most likely the most majestic of the rooms in this palace. The Throne Room
Davy had only been here once and had not returned since. He became emotional the last time he visited this room. He had no idea why his feet had led him here, perhaps because he was eager to see Fallan. He shrugged the reason with a smile. Since he was already here, might as well continue.
Everything in this room exuded the solemnity and prestige that the Supremes possessed. As in any other room, servants or guards were nowhere to be seen. Davy began to suspect that the four of them were the only occupants of the Palace, if only he didn't know Lien. He always wondered, where all the servants had gone to.
He traced the statue with his hand and stared at it intently. One of the reasons Davy had not visited this place again, the golden hue in his pupils seemed to darken for a moment, outlining his whole eye. Davy's eyes dimmed as he traced the smile on the statue's lips with his fingers.
Davy raised his head and looked around, a strange feeling enveloping him, an emotion he had forgotten. This place... It gave him a very familiar feeling as if he had a strong connection with it. No, perhaps it wasn't him, but his character was.
His confusion grew as he was constantly reminded that his emotion might not be his. He kept going, knowing that the main throne room was still a long way away. Davy's heartbeats would keep up with each step he took. He bit his lips, fighting the scream in his head to just fuck it, and returned to where he came from. It was so intense, however, his body might not be his anymore. It went on, his steps slowed significantly.
As he stood at the door of the main room, it only took a few minutes, or perhaps it might also take him forever. Davy couldn't remember it all, his mind had been constantly leaving him, and only his body had taken him here. It would be ridiculous to say, it was the truth, however.
His hand reached out and gently pushed the door open. The door only slightly opened, and Davy's hand stopped. Sounds were traveling through his ears. Davy stood up, almost frozen. He recognized these voices; in fact, he was quite familiar with them.
Fallan and Lyle.
Davy was torn between walking away and not disturbing them and standing there and listening. The latter's side prevailed. He remained motionless, listening in on their conversation. His heart was racing so fast that beads of sweat appeared on his brow and palm.
Where is this feeling coming from? Davy… wanted to run so badly, he didn't want this feeling. His body stilled as his mind refused to cooperate and fought for dominance. Drowsiness threatened to overtake him. The hand gripped the doorknob, hoping for assistance.
"They have become dormant now, the preparations will be completed soon." Fallan's calm voice sounded a little exhausted.
Then a soft voice answered, "We'll really gonna do this after all." Lyle's tone seemed helpless, with a hint of hopelessness.
A deep sigh echoed as Fallan's deep voice entered Davy's ears next. A kind of tone he had never heard from Fallan before. "We don't have any choice, this... is the only last chance." a pause, a few seconds the voice continued, "His condition is getting worst, I'm always afraid that when he sleeps again, he... won't wake up anymore."
Davy let out a gasp that was almost silent. His heart skipped a beat as if it was about to break free from his chest. This was not a new topic to him; in fact, he had always heard about it from them. Draven even referred to him as a "sleeping beauty," which he dismissed as an inside joke. Then there was that scrap of paper he found in Lyle's storage waste. Looking back, Fallan appeared to have asked him about this when they first met in the hallway.
They are all linked to one thing: sleeping and dreaming. And why do they always say he won't wake up? His brow furrowed, and he gripped the door handle even tighter.
"Draven... never like this idea."
Fallan's tone of voice became even more tired as if hearing Draven's name made him feel even more powerless. "Who would want this choice? I don't want it either. Even they, they didn't want to do it. What can we do? This is our only chance, and next time, even our souls won't be able to hold him anymore. I can already feel it, Lyle. Next time he sleeps, his soul won't come back to us." Fallan's frustrated yell echoed throughout the room, another first for Davy. His calm demeanor had vanished as he poured his heart out to Lyle.
Davy's pupils constricted as his hand unconsciously covered his mouth as he gasped as if a drum was beating in his ears. His mind was unable to comprehend the entire context. His heart nearly leaped out of his chest, and the hands gripping the door handle and the other covering his mouth began to tremble.
What exactly did they mean? Was this a hint? Was this part of a scenario? Wait... what scenario? Davy's pupils flashed, and confusion clouded his mind. He took a hesitant step back, his chest heaving. His eyes dart around, desperately trying to recognize them.
What was it that he said again? Clue? Why was he looking for it? What did he need it for? Davy was becoming out of it, his pupils blanking out. His steps stopped, mind in a haze, as he stared through the front absentmindedly.
Images appeared unexpectedly in his memories; it could also be his illusion. These memories flooded him all at once, causing his head to hurt, but they continued to flow despite his mind's refusal.
Davy had a lot of dreams in the past, a lot of questionable dreams. He was a prince, an ordinary person, a different species, a politician, a criminal, and many other existences. These dreams overlap and intertwine with each other, the scenes flashing in a fast manner making him even more confused with each passing second.
He didn't know how long he had been standing there; it could have been an instant. Davy's head throbbed so much that his eyes twitched, the pain almost unbearable as he bit his lips, preventing any sound from coming out. He put his hand on his head, hoping to relieve the pain. His eyes shut, and his vision became even more clear.
He became a lot of people, and as he froze... He saw himself in a scene he was very familiar with in his heart. Davy saw himself downloading the game chaos, and the next thing he knew, he was trapped in the virtual world.
However, why was this scene not what he expected? His character woke up. The scene in which he logged into the game was very different from what he expected; he didn't appear out of anywhere, but rather as if his character had been sleeping and woke up.
A grunt escaped his mouth, he couldn't understand anything at all. Why were his dreams and reality overlapping? The more he wanted to understand something, the more his head throbbed as if his soul was being tormented and torn. His shaking legs couldn't support him any longer, and he collapsed powerlessly to the ground.
Who was he? What was real? Wait... What was real about all of them?