The sun was at its highest point, shining with an intensity that made every inch of metal on the training field gleam. The air felt heavy, heavy with the exertion of dozens of students practising their weapons techniques, the shouts of combat mingling with the clash of steel against steel.
Yoshi stood at the side of the field, towel in hand, wiping sweat from his forehead and neck. He had just finished a demanding round of practice duels, his breathing still labored with exertion. Although he was still a novice with the sword, his movements were more fluid than before, and his body was beginning to get used to the relentless pace of the physical classes.
As he leaned against the stone wall that bordered the field, he heard laughter and murmuring nearby. His ear picked up more than inconsequential chatter, and he found himself unwittingly paying attention. It didn't take him long to recognise the voices.
It was Haruka. And next to her, the cold and enigmatic Liz.
-I still remember it clearly," Haruka said quietly. It's been days, but that dream.... It didn't seem like a dream. Everything was so real. I could even feel the ground, the air... her voice.
Yoshi instantly tensed up.
-The same subject again? -Liz replied in her usual apathetic tone. It's been seven days. If you haven't dreamt about it again, it's because it was just an impression caused by stress. You're wasting your time.
-No," Haruka insisted, "It wasn't stress. I know what I saw. What I felt. That person... he... knelt down in front of me and spoke to me. He begged me. And the strange thing is that he didn't look like... the one from back then.
-Still," Liz snorted, "you can't trust an image in a dream. You don't know what your mind can manipulate when you're vulnerable. It's a distraction. You have to put it behind you.
-I'll try again today," Haruka said with determination. I'll go to the infirmary before nightfall. If I rest there, I might go back into the same kind of sleep. If it was what I think it was... then someone else caused it.
Yoshi lowered his head, letting his wet fringes hide his face. He sighed quietly.
"I see... So he's going to try again," he thought.
A week had passed since that dreamlike encounter. Since then, he had moved back into the male dormitory. He had been reprimanded several times for falling asleep in class, but fortunately, he hadn't run into Kyria or Haruka in the halls.
And now he understood: the ability only worked if he slept at the same time as them. That was the key.
"That's why it didn't happen again..."
The thought of trying to communicate with Haruka again crossed his mind like a flash. If she would expose herself to that possibility, then he could take advantage of it to clarify what he had not been able to say.
But he also knew the risks. Every time he entered that shared sleep, something in his body was left vulnerable. He didn't just sleep... he was completely immobile for a long period of time.
"The worst part is not the dream itself... but that for some reason, my body is slow to wake up. It's as if the ability traps part of my consciousness".
And while I was like that, I was just a sitting duck. No defence. No escape.
"If Kyria finds out why we don't dream together anymore... or if one day I just happen to sleep at the same time as her by mistake..."
A shiver ran down his spine.
The possibility of meeting her in that closed world... with no escape... was what kept him awake night after night.
But this time... this time, I would risk it.
If Haruka was going to look for that dream, then he would go too. If only for a few minutes. If only to plant another word. Another doubt. Another echo of truth.
He looked up. The training camp was still full of noise and activity, but in his inner world, there was only silence.
He decided that he would retire early today.
After school, before nightfall, I would cross the threshold again.
And hopefully... this time he wouldn't be the villain, if only for a few moments.