The air around them was thick with unease. The dark walls of the prison, the endless echo of footsteps in the cold corridors, and the faint flicker of lights made the entire space feel like a place of forgotten souls. Sunny walked alongside the stranger, who had begun to speak about his past.
"I know this place well," the stranger said, his voice steady but laced with pain. "This is the prison of dreams. You are not truly here. None of us are. Every two days, we are taken to a new dream—crafted, distorted. Sometimes it feels like we're on the edge of reality, but... it's all a lie."
Sunny's thoughts wandered as he followed the stranger's words. He couldn't help but notice the pain behind those words, the way they reflected a deep loss of hope.
"It's simple, really," the stranger continued, his voice lowering. "This world—it's designed to trap you. They think they can make you forget who you were. They make you question your own existence, your purpose." He paused, his gaze meeting Sunny's. "What if I told you that all these dreams are just distractions? A game to keep us from realizing the truth?"
Sunny felt a chill crawl down his spine. The truth? What truth?
Before he could voice his thoughts, the stranger walked closer to him, his tone urgent. "These dreams, these illusions—they are all designed to break you down, piece by piece. To make you question who you are. But it doesn't have to be this way. There is power in breaking free from this cycle."
Suddenly, the world around them began to shimmer, like a ripple in water. Sunny blinked, and the prison walls vanished, replaced by an expansive landscape. Yet, it felt wrong, too perfect, too unnatural.
A feeling of dread washed over him as the stranger's face took on a grim expression. "This is it," he murmured. "The ultimate dream. The one where the rules of suffering are put into play."
Sunny's heart raced. The sky turned black, the wind biting cold. A towering figure appeared on the horizon—an embodiment of every nightmare, every fear he had ever faced. It wasn't real, but the sensations felt terrifyingly genuine.
The stranger turned to him, his voice low but firm. "This is the final test. A dream meant to break you. But remember, Sunny—there is a choice here. You can choose to fight or accept. But do not let them control your fate."
As the figure in the distance began to approach, something in Sunny's chest tightened. He clenched his fists, feeling a strange, overwhelming sense of power within him. A power that seemed to grow stronger with each passing second, fueled by his anger and fear.
But then, as quickly as it had come, the world shifted again. The dream began to fade.
"Wake up," the stranger whispered.
The darkness that enveloped Sunny was replaced with an even deeper void. He felt himself being pulled away, back into the cycle of dreams. Just as he felt like he was being swallowed by the abyss, a sudden clarity washed over him. He realized that everything—the prison, the dreams, the suffering—was part of the system that had been set in place to keep them from the truth.
As he slipped back into the unconscious world, one final thought crossed his mind.
The rules of this world were flawed. And soon, they would break.