"Hey!" I shouted, pounding away at the door ever the more frantically. 

Come on. Please be out there!

"Dani!" I slung my words with such a force that cracking sound didn't look to be far off.

I pressed my ear against the door, praying I'd hear her down the hall, but nothing came. I had an awful feeling about that. For all I know, this room could be soundproofed.

"Okay," I inhaled deeply, clenching my fists as tightly as my chest felt. "Rattle the frame. It can't be that strong." Even if it's soundproofed, rattling the door is my only hope for a quick escape.

I nodded, backpedaled to the whiteboard, and started stretching. That door's steel, so my demand for noise will be more than supplied if I manage to shake it.

Three, two, one.

"Please work..." I sighed with worry as I charged the frame with a flurry of kicks.

Of course, to no avail. Kick after kick impacted the frame, but it stood fast.

Throwing my weight at the door, I cried out, "Would you just budge!? "Come on!" I heaved as my resolve withered away.

"Fuck..." I croaked as I slid to the floor and pulled my knees to my chest.

Hopefully, they find me soon. I don't need to be in here longer than I have to. 

I guess I'll just blare music and see wh... wait, my phone. Why didn't I think of that sooner?

Almost instinctually, my hand darted to my jacket's pocket and withdrew my salvation.

"They better have their pho..." I trailed as my faith for rescue was pulverized by futility.

Goddamnit, there's no signal. Why would there be? Positive things seem to be foreign lately...

"Look at the bright side, Ethan..." I mumbled as I set my phone on the ground.

That vent in the center? It's emitting heat, so you aren't freezing. That's a plus, and you're not claustrophobic, so you aren't freaking out. Always a shining light in the darkness.

That's two positives. What else? Right, I have a fancy reinforced window that I'm pretty sure I can't break, so I have a 'beautiful' view. It's not like I'd want to shatter it either. Getting peppered with glass shards isn't on my to-do-list. Besides, I'd be better off trying to ask the window to open than using that...

The whiteboard... maybe that panel's open now?

"Doesn't hurt to check." I reasoned as newfound optimism was planted. The worst-case scenario is that there's nothing.

I got to my feet, practically ripped the board off the wall with my budding faith alone, and felt a smile take me.

"It's open?" I beamed as blossoming hope wrapped me in its tendrils. There's a single red button about twice the size of a United States Half Union coin.

"Yes!" I dropped the board to the floor, just barely repressing the urge to jump for joy.

I reached forward and slammed my hand down, a spin towards the door following it.

"Okay," I sulked and started pleading as reality kicked me in the teeth. "You don't need to fuck with me, Door! I get it! You have me trapped," I paused for dramatic effect. "Now, if you could please just let me the hell out, that'd be appreciated!"

It didn't do anything. The door didn't move, and the window lacks change. Hell, the vent's still shooting out warm air too.

"Lime?" I wrinkled my nose as a fragrance worked its way up my nostrils. Why am I smelling... it's coming from the vent. Is that all the button does? Who sits down and goes: "Hey, that button we're designing? It's actually just an air freshener."

"They better find me so..." I faltered mid-sentence as a yawn stomped on my words. "Jeez, why am I so ti..."

So exhausted all of a sudden. Did that vent? Why would it though? If these rooms are meant to keep people in here, why give them the option to put themselves out?

Sluggishly, I cast a glance back at the button as my eyelids took on the weight of the sky.

"Maybe..."I let another yawn flutter through the air. "Take a nap."

I went to slump against the door, but instead, slammed against it with such force that bruises were a feasible future.

My legs crumbled beneath me, the floor letting out a thud in response.

I nuzzled into a corner right when my vision started to blur. It's... so hard to think, feels like I'm a million miles away, and my brain's trying in vain to catch up.

To say I fought my desire to sleep would be an outright lie. To say I fought anything at all would be pushing it. It was a minute, at best, before I embraced warm slumber.

- - - - - -

Black sand. Black sand adorning specs of shimmering silver is what graced my vision.

"Ow..." I winced as my neck cracked sharply.

Brushing the brunette hair from my eyes, I propped myself up into a pushup position. 

My hand, it's smaller, a bit more slender too?

"Oh..." I let out a sigh as the pieces fell into place. I'm asleep. Yeah, nothing unusual here.

I got to my feet, staggered a bit, but did (thankfully) manage to catch myself before I faceplanted.

"Balance is a bit off?" I scratched my head. It's typically fine whenever I have a dream similar to this. Probably just a coincidence or the dreams are doing their best to make things feel real for me. All those years of keeping a dream journal paid off in the end. Full lucidity about two or three times a month. And I get to recollect them with ease. The catch is that faces are never easy to make out within them.

"Whatever." I shot my concern down and allowed my joy to take flight. "A decent dream... well, not yet. I have some changes to do, but it will be."

I cleared my throat and began testing my voice. "Ahem. Testing, one two three. This is... Aria."

Yup, that's her voice. That same feminine voice with a hint of frailty to it. Certainly not passable as a guy's. Ethan is a product of reality, and right now, I'm anywhere, but.

"I wonder..." I trailed with a shake of my head. "I'll check out my face in a bit."

I peered down at my clothing to be hit with displeasure. Generally, it starts me out with something more pleasing to the eyes, but I guess my brain is a bit off today. All it provided me was an ordinary white garb. Nothing impressive, just something to keep me decent.

I snapped both my fingers above my head and swung them downwards, appending it with, "surprise me!"

"Well, I guess that is technically a surprise." I murmured at the still ever-present garb. Apparently, being a smartass is second nature to my mind.

I glanced up and felt my eyebrows attempt to leave orbit.

A menu?

I motioned towards the hexagonal rectangle box, causing it to fly towards me and stop just before my face.

Open was the only thing plastered on the box.

Tapping the silver hexagon, I muttered, "my dream a game or something?"

The box burst open with a cloud of confetti, a loud metallic clink, and a message.

Welcome back! We have good news and bad news! We'll start with the bad news so we can end on a positive note. Bad news: You lost your progress when we tried to import it Sad [https://www.royalroadcdn.com/public/smilies/sad.png] It appears alpha progress isn't compatible with the main game. Terribly sorry! Onward to the good news, though!

We did successfully import the basics of your character! Go us! Anyway, they are as follows:

Name: Aria King

Age: Sixteen

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

Sex: Female

Facial Features: Blue eyes, Brunette hair (Long. It ain't curly, you're welcome.) Oh, there's some beauty marks too. Mostly on your earlobes.

Starting Items: White Garb (Clean). One gold cirn (first era).

Starting Location: Pass... what? Fine. I don't know, okay?!

System Narration Type: Overly enthusiastic... Hey! Actually, nevermind. I'd say that's accurate. Just add a drop of narcissism in there, and everything'll be all pickles and rainbows! Why yes, I am self-aware in addition to charming, witty, beautiful, courageous, pleasant to be around, and of course, dependable.

Oh, and humble, almost forgot that.

One, I give the narcissism a ten out of ten and two, credit where credit's due. My head went all out for the dream. It's typically an average night within some big neon city full of a bunch of faceless people, but never nothing like this.

"Um... objectives?" I said aloud as the message box changed to a status screen.

Objective: Find the boatman. 

He should be able to get me into Southern Alceria. He only accepts money from the first era, so do not lose that coin. Assuming he's not fake. There are rumors that Alceria might not even exist. I don't buy it. It has to be real. It might just be what I need to turn everything around. I can make something out of myself there, I'm sure. Grandma always insisted I was good with a bow, and I intend to do her proud as soon as I get my hands on one.

I guess I can go along with this dream. It seems like it could be fun. That and my mind seems uncooperative currently, so adjustments may be a luxury.

I started my stride, allowing the warm sand to squish between my toes along the way. It was so relaxing. The sand was pure, unlike the beaches I've been to in reality. Perfection was second-nature to this place.

The shoreline, too, blessed with an untainted emerald green water hugging its edge. It took everything I had to fight the water's lull into a daydream.

Even then, that still wasn't enough to free me from the curiosity's grasp. I strolled over and fell to my knees, peering into the water to meet the pair of crystalline blue eyes staring back.

She's so... clear. The long brunette hair, curling up at the bottom, with a strand sticking up here and there. The reasonably thin eyebrows, and fuller lashes (that's not saying much when compared to Ethan's). Top that off with a small mole on each of my earlobes, granting the illusion that they're pierced. Honestly, though, I got a fair bit of Mom's looks. I can see some of Dad in there too, but not nearly as much as before.

More importantly, however:

"I can see faces now?" I murmured as awe wrapped itself around my words. I could never see faces in my dreams. I would know who the individual was supposed to be, but in the dream itself, the face was never apparent.

What changed? Am I in a deep dream, or did I just get lucky?I could sit here and lose myself for an eternity.

Unfortunately, I couldn't make out much past the immediate shore and maybe twenty feet ahead of me. There was a thick fog swallowing up the land. Seeing beyond was clearly a no go. It's somewhat annoying, I'd like to get a view of the whole of this place.

"Oh, well." I smiled slightly and shuffled a bit of sand around with my foot after the rise to my feet.

This dream is amazing. I'll have to remember to recreate it when I get a chance. The environment itself was love at first sight.

The silver specs in the sand were like stars, calling out to their brothers and sisters in the darkened violet sky above with each twinkle. The black sand; a warm void one's thoughts could swim in until time's end.

I continued my stroll at the pace of a snail, pausing here and there to admire the shimmering stars at my feet. I wonder how long I've been out. Hopefully, not too long. My aunt will tear me a new one if I show up at say, three in the morning.

I don't intend to tell her about the structure under the school, either. That would be an entire world's worth of questions that I couldn't hope to answer. And that's ignoring the fact that she'll rip us to shreds about exploring an abandoned building.

A few minutes of walking passed me by with nothing eventful. All that lived was the blowing of cold wind... and a person?

"Is that?" I squinted in a laughable attempt to get a good look at a white lump ahead of me. It seriously is a person. A girl, curled up and unmoving.

"Please don't be hurt." Were the thoughts that ran through me as I began my mad dash to her, kicking up sand along the way. 

"Hey!" I waved towards her crumpled body but received no response.

Sliding to my knees, I shook her paired with the words, "Hey! You okay?"

No response. She was so still I pressed my fingers against her neck to check for a pulse. Her breathing, it's a bit on the slow side. That can't be good.

"You alright?" I inquired once more, another shake complimenting it. Come on, please don't be injured. I haven't the slightest idea of how to deal with that.  And it looks like no one's around to help.

I was about to opt for drenching her in water, but as I rose to my feet, she started coughing.

Turning on her side, she hacked up spit and rubbed her eyes, "Mh... just five more minutes."

"Hey," I insisted as hope took hold, "wake up. You might be hurt."

"Mom, I don't care if I'm late." She grumbled and swatted at the air. "I'm sixteen, being late won't cause all hell to break loose."

I braced myself for a potential slap in the face and continued shaking her until she eventually faced me with a glare.

"Mo..." Her glare crumbled to pieces with a single blow from curiosity. "Aria? Is that you?"

"Yeah?" I raised an eyebrow. "You ar-ow!" I was cut off as she tackled me to the ground, earning a whimper from me.

"Aria!" She beamed, her blue eyes flooding with glee. "God, it's been..." She trailed as her words seemed to escape her. "eight years! I got to see Ethan today, and you!"

Wait, Ethan and me? Is she... Ashton? Red-head, blue eyes, even the same dimples Ashton has, incredibly prominent.

"Ashton?" I whispered to be met with the same grin he always gave me. Why is he a girl, and why am I dreaming about him?

She let me up and pulled me to my feet with a hug just as firm as earlier. "In the flesh."

"Ash, why are you a?" I questioned as the words tried to escape me. I get why I am. I have dreams as... well as Aria here and there, so this isn't exactly unusual. Still, though, Ash shouldn't be in my thoughts.

Her eyes widened in confusion as she looked down.

"How did you not notice that?" I asked slowly.

She started patting herself down, mumbling with widened eyes, "I guess I just didn't notice." She held her throat. "I wasn't really listening to my voice, and you kinda took my attention. Can you turn around for a second?"

I didn't have much of a say in the matter. She spun me around, and all I overheard was a high-pitched squeak.

By the time I turned back around, Ash was beet red and motioning me after her.

"Um... Ash?" I called ahead. "Why is your face red?"

Stammering, she stopped in her tracks, "because I thought this body was fake! And I just found out it wasn't!" She threw her hands up in the air. "Or this is a really fucking weird dream that you're in for some reason!" Is she not a figment of my imagination? 

"So, you're finally back?" She changed the topic with a forced grin, the blush maintaining its intensity.

We continued our walk, all while unease bloomed within my mind. Ash is gonna ask, especially if it's really him. There's no way around it.

Before I could brace for impact, she dropped the bombshell I was hoping to take shelter from. "How was Russia?"

"It was... nice," I mumbled as a shooting star passed overhead. How do I say, 'Yeah, I was lying to you the whole time? Aria wasn't even real. It was me, Ethan, the entire time.'

Ash'll be pissed. Dani and I, we never told them. She and Violet are literally the only ones who know.

"Hey," I grabbed Ash by the shoulder to be met with a look of intrigue as her blush slowly faded. "How did you get here, by the way?" Come on, take the topic change. I can't deal with an interrogation right now.

"Oh," she nodded sluggishly as it seemed to click for her. "Oh! That's right!" A moment passed, and she drooped with a sigh before perking up like it was no issue at all. "Look, it was really nice talking to you again, but I need you to do me a favor."

"That is?" Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

Pointing to her face, she proclaimed, "I need you to hit me in the face!"

"W-what?! No!" I shook my head, fighting the urge to check her for a fever. "I'm not gonna hurt you!"

"Look," she pleaded with me. "I passed out in a small room I was locked in. I saw Ethan's phone through the window. He has to be out there, and I need to find him."

Wait, he ended up in the room next to mine? How long was I out? This seriously might not be a dream? But what else could it be? A place with a violet sky and shimmering black sand. That doesn't exist in real life.

And that's disregarding the drop-down menu.

"Ash..." I pursed my lips together and grabbed her hands. "Ethan's fine. I saw him earlier." I lied. Telling him the truth is not happening. No one is going to find out about Aria. She's going to the grave with me if it's the last thing I do.

"Aria," she shot back, never the one to be dissuaded when it comes to her friends. "I need to see for myself if he's all right. So," she squeezed my hands, "please, hit me in the face."

"Ash, that's not what I meant," I replied with a shake of my head. "Ethan passed by me. He introduced himself and went on without me after I insisted I needed some rest. We were walking for quite a while."

"I'm sorry?" She stared at me as skepticism overtook her gaze. "Ethan wouldn't leave you behind."  

"No," I continued pouring it on. "You're right, he doesn't seem like it. That's why I had to pester him about it. He was still insistent that we'd meet up again, though."

She hesitated for only a second, thankfully crumbling under my pleading gaze. "All right." She nodded. "I believe you." She took the lead as her gaze fell to the sand. "I'd like to know why we're sharing a dream then, and why Ethan's in it."

I kept silent because, honestly, I'd like to know too.

The fog thickened as Ash and I trotted through it with anything but silence. Saying we caught up would be a bit misleading. I mostly fired off a bunch of lies about what I've been up to for the last eight years. Aria now has a grandma that lives in Russia. Awful friend counter: one point to me.

It took us maybe ten minutes to find it, the fog cleared away as if to guide us in the right direction; Aria's goal, my goal, a dock.

A small, beaten up dock, ample enough for two people, complete with a bell at the end.

Its appearance drug our words into the now distant haze. We made our way toward it, step by step until we reached the first of four wood stairs.

"Up we go?" Suggested Ashton with a confident nod in spite of the holes littering the structure.

We traversed the dock, avoiding the occasional hole like they were the plague, and eventually arrived before the bell.

I reached out and grabbed the thick, coarse rope extending from the bell and gave it a ring that sang out across the water's surface.

What happened next, surprised us both. More bells sang in response to the melody of their kin. Once, twice, thrice and so on. Each one in a different location and pitch as the fog peeled away to reveal a man paddling his way towards the dock.

"You think Ethan went this way?" Questioned Ash with hope behind her voice.

"I'm not seeing anywhere else he could've gone," I replied as the man reached us. That's two points.

In silence, he docked his dingy raft right next to us and glanced up with only apathy in his amber eyes. The man appeared young, but at the same time, his eyes told me he's seen more than I can experience within two lifetimes.

He sat his oar in his lap and spoke with a voice laced in boredom. "One gold cirn grants passage. Per person... and first era only."

I looked to Ash and back down to the guy as a coin manifest itself in my hands. A flawless coin with an image of a king sitting atop a castle's wall.

It was almost instinctual, I flipped the coin to him, and he snatched it from the air before tightening his palm. The coin burst to nothing, a puff of gold dust shooting from between his fingers, and he motioned for me to take a seat.

I obliged and took a seat across from him. The boat rocked in response to my weight, but I didn't let it deter me. I steeled my nerves and looked up to Ashton.

Reluctantly, she mimicked my actions and joined me in the boat. I should probably say something.

"Do as I say." The man dipped his oar back in the water. "I agreed to your passage. Should you wish to cross in one piece, you'll heed my words."

Ash and I glanced at each momentarily before throwing a quick nod the boatman's way.

He merely grunted and began our journey across the water.