Dream—what is it? A fairytale seen in sleep? A kind of neurological activity in the brain, where thoughts, feelings, and images unconsciously surface? Or... could it be something else entirely?
1.
Everything around seemed to have stopped. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling on the muddy ground. Birds chirped, leaves swayed in the wind. Everything was so alive, like a dream witnessed through open eyes.
The boy stood still. His eyes were filled with wonder, brows furrowed—trying to comprehend. He had never seen mud before. Never touched a tree. He was born in the artificial glow of the 30th century, in a city made of metal.
There were no metallic walls here, no steel roofs or air conditioning. The air smelled pure—of soil, of leaves, of life.
It felt as though he had read about all this somewhere... a long time ago. In his father's old files, which spoke of Earth's past life. But he had been so young then. Everything was blurry now.
Yet somehow, he felt a strange, deep connection with this place.
He knelt down, touched the earth with two fingers. It felt soft, moist. Was this what they called "mud"?
In the distance, a pair of birds flew away. It felt like they were calling him, leading him toward an unknown mystery.
Suddenly, a sound came from between the trees—a low rustle on dry leaves. He looked, something was moving.
Two eyes, glowing like fire. A leopard.
Fierce in its gaze, hungry in its teeth. A moment of silence, then it roared and dashed toward the boy.
He started running. Along the muddy path, through bushes and brambles, not knowing where he was headed. Mud splashed as he ran, his heart pounding in his chest.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him was gone. He hadn't noticed the huge pit ahead.
He fell.
As he fell, darkness surrounded him. All he could hear was the rush of wind and the roar of his own breath.
"Huh!"
He jolted awake. His whole body was drenched in sweat. His chest was rising and falling rapidly.
He realized—it had been a dream.
But the strange thing was... why had it felt so real?
"Meow."
A soft growl-like sound woke Yash. He opened his eyes and saw a white cat sitting on his chest. Its fur was soft, and it stared at him with round eyes.
—"Oh, Ena."
Yash slowly sat up. His head still felt a bit hazy, as if stuck somewhere between dream and reality. Ina gave another soft "meow," as if saying
—"Wake up, it's morning!"
Just then, a familiar voice echoed from downstairs—
"Eash! Are you up?"
His mom.
The room was modern, but there was a strange peace in his mother's voice—something that made life feel real even in this future full of concrete and shadow.
Eash looked out the window for a while. The artificial morning light outside was gradually brightening. But the light in his dream, the sunlight dancing on leaves, the song of birds… it all left a lingering mark in his heart.
Finally, stirred by Ina's purr and his mother's voice, Yash stood up.
He stepped out of his room and began slowly walking downstairs. His room was on the second floor—entirely decorated to his taste. Black-and-white walls, a smart desk in the middle, and a bookshelf beside it, though dust had long settled on the books.
As he descended the stairs, thoughts floated through his mind—one after another. But as always, they were different from others'.
Eash was extraordinarily intelligent. But he also had a special gift—he could read people's minds. Whatever someone thought or tried to hide was like an open book to him. And because of this, he never had to go to school.
Thoughts, intentions, lies—none could escape him. Yet he never boasted about this gift. In fact, he considered it a curse. Because no one ever saw him as "normal."
Without even looking at the clock, Eash calculated—at this pace, it would take him exactly 4.36 seconds to reach downstairs. But today, he wanted to take it slow. Hiding his power had become second nature to him.
When he was five, his father had passed away during a disastrous scientific experiment. And it was from that very experiment that Yash had gained his supernatural abilities. He could read thoughts—words and emotions appeared before him like text on a screen.
As he stepped onto the last stair, his mother called again—
"Eash! Are you up?"
She was setting breakfast on the small dining table beside the kitchen. Yash quietly sat down and took a spoonful of soup. He already knew what his mother was about to say. He always did. Still, he listened. Her thoughts floated in his head:
"He'll probably bring up that place again... where he used to live when he was little…"
She said,
—"You know, your father built this house just like the old days. He could've made it like the modern 30th-century houses. But he wanted you to grow up in a normal environment."
Eash smiled a little and said,
—"I know, Mom. You guys were in Japan back then, right?"
His mother drifted into her memories. Smiled faintly.
—"Yes… Kyoto. You were little then. You and your dad used to visit the park often."
Eash already knew these stories. Still, he always continued conversations with his mother. So, he changed the subject.
—"Mom, do you remember the girl from the next house? The one who gave me Ena?"
His mother froze for a moment. Her face showed a strange mix of surprise, thought, and emotion. She knew a little about his ability to read minds, but his sudden question caught her off guard. Still, she quickly composed herself and said,
—"Hoshino… Ai Hoshino. Yes, I remember. Such a quiet girl she was. We were in Japan then, remember?"
—"Hmm…"
Then both of them fell silent. Only the sound of the spoon clinking and the soft morning light through the window danced on the table.
Eash sat deep in thought. His mother's words were stirring something inside him.
Suddenly, a sharp tone began ringing in his head.
Beep… Beep… Beep…
A strange machine-like sound, as if something had been activated inside him. Everything started to blur. The lights in the room dimmed. Sounds began to drift away.
"Eash! Are you okay?" His mother's voice echoed from a deep, distant place.
He slumped in the chair. It felt like someone was hammering inside his head. His consciousness was fighting to stay alive.
Beep… Beep… Beep…
Light and darkness were blending. The world around him was spinning. And then—
Everything went silent.
The lights went out.Eash could see nothing.He lost consciousness.
Be Continued...