Published: February 1, 2026
There is a moment when you realize, this is a dream.
Your thoughts become clear, and you feel the sensation of moving your limbs by your own will. Your perspective wanders between an overview and eye level, soon settling into seeing through your own eyes.
Rizel slowly blinked once, then looked around with admiration that even such a subtle movement could be controlled intentionally.
“Where is this…?”
The voice that slipped out sounded faintly delayed, as if heard through a layer of water, slightly echoing.
When she took a step forward, even her footsteps sounded the same—gently spilling in this silent, quiet space.
Looking around more carefully again, the scene that unfolded was a townscape resembling the Capital City.
“(A facade?)”
Approaching the neatly aligned houses, she realized they were all precision facades.
Touching them, the surface was glossy with a texture like porcelain. There were only slight bumps tracing the edges of each color, but the craftsmanship was so exquisite that from a distance, it was impossible to tell.
“Wonderful,” she nodded once and looked up at the sky.
“(Night)”
The sky stretched out as a cloudless night, or so it seemed.
Countless stars hung by fine golden threads, sparkling distantly. Occasionally, a star reflected light like a shooting star, beautiful and making her wonder about the true nature of those stars.
Looking down at the ground, it was an artificial brown surface, like shattered pottery pieced together. It shimmered faintly, reflecting the stars' twinkle.
It was a fantastical sight, like wandering into the world of bisque dolls.
Rizel had a faint recollection of this scene. She had never seen anything like it before, nor heard about it. Yet, she understood.
This overwhelming attention to detail, this meticulousness, it was as if—
“A labyrinth.”
Clack.
A sound came from somewhere.
At the same time, Rizel became aware—aware that she had become aware.
Clack, clack, clack.
The sound gradually approached. She hurried into a nearby alleyway.
Though the town was a facade, it wasn’t just a single path. Upon closer inspection of the wide streets, she noticed facades occasionally bending at right angles, forming intersections.
She hid in one of these and peeked in the direction of the faint sounds echoing through the silence.
Clack, clack, clack.
Like unfolding a rail folded like paper, it appeared.
A rounded trolley, either porcelain or iron like the facades, rolled along. On top, three skulls floated, each with goat-like horns swaying as if surveying the surroundings.
From the white skulls hung black veil-like cloth, but their bodies were missing. Only skeletal hands with four fingers floated just before the veils.
“(Weapons… or monsters?)”
She confirmed the silver bow held in one hand and withdrew her head from the peek.
“(If this is a labyrinth, monsters should be expected.)”
If she hadn’t realized it was a labyrinth because it was a dream, maybe it would have been different.
But to imagine monsters she had never seen before appearing in her dream—that was quite imaginative of her. Thinking that, she quietly left the scene, trying not to make any noise.
Clack, clack, clack.
The sounds gradually grew faint.
The trolley must have turned onto a side street somewhere. Rizel slowed her pace, letting the magic rifle—one she could now summon, unlike before—float beside her head as usual in the labyrinth, wondering what to do next.
Clack.
Startled by the sound just ahead, she stopped herself from turning back and faced forward immediately.
A beautiful trolley stood quietly before her, its three skull heads all turned toward her. The four-fingered hand raised a bow, and with a creaking sound, pulled back the string.
“!”
Rizel ducked instinctively as three arrows flew just overhead.
Jill always told her, “When you see a projectile, just duck and hope for the best. If it hits, consider your luck bad.” Her experience hiding when traps pressed down on her head had proven useful. She was glad.