[https://i.imgur.com/BE6qlbh.jpg]

Part 5. APP, Mirror, Dusk

The collective subconscious is like the deep-sea universe under an iceberg, an abyss where countless dream particles exist. Dream particles construct chakras, evolving into dream power. Dream power condenses into dreamscapes, giving rise to dream caves. Dream caves maintain the temporal order and the four processes of dream power:

Displacement: Using dream power to combine two or more dream materials into entirely new ones.

Condensation: Directing dream power to various people and objects to perform actions.

Symbolization: Strengthening emotions with symbolic dream power, transforming either oneself or objects.

Secondary Revision: Integrating dream power into a chakra system to sustain the ecological balance of dreams.

The cycle of dream power, dreamscapes, and dream caves forms an ever-evolving ecosystem – the collective dream, leading to the birth of dream life, or dream spirits. These spirits follow human collective culture, contributing to the development of civilization.

Jasky organized the explanation into notes, and the Wisdom Caterpillar, amused, complimented, "Your organizational logic is impressive, Jasky."

"Oh, it's nothing. Your explanations, Professor Wisdom Caterpillar, are easier to integrate than a certain Frog-san," Jasky replied.

"Hey! Don't take this chance to mock Frog-san!" Toosb protested.

"Alright, let's move on to the next stage. First, Jasky, I have a question. You were brought into this world by dream caves, right?" Wisdom Caterpillar asked.

"Yes."

"But before that," the Wisdom Caterpillar blew a smoke ring in front of the three, "please share your experiences of how you arrived here. The smoke will perform based on your narratives, interesting, right?"

Toosb eagerly raised his hand, "Wow, a versatile smoke show! Let me go first! It happened one evening on a bullet train!"

As Toosb spoke, the smoke turned into an image of Toosb sitting on a train. He waved to everyone, and Amisa said, "So cute!" as she tried to touch him. Mido, curious, bit into the smoke, but both passed through.

"I was playing a mobile app called 'Heart Dreams' on the train. It was magical! After opening the Heart Dreams app, a mirror appeared, and the train went through it."

"The whole train passed through the mirror?" Amisa asked in amazement.

"Yes, all the passengers inside disappeared in an instant. Then, I played the second-level 'Heart Dreams Storybook' game..."

"From then on, Toosb continued his story, 'Once upon a time, there was a man with an ugly face who, despite having no friends, possessed astonishing talents. One day, he fell in love with a girl and taught her everything he knew, turning her into an opera star. However, the girl later fell in love with someone else, leaving him heartbroken. In sorrow, he decided to leave the country and live a secluded life with his mother.'"

"Though I cleared the level, I didn't like the negative story. When I stepped out of the train carriage, a strange scene unfolded. The station was empty at dusk, except for a shadowy figure at the ticket gate sipping tea."

"Wait... is this a ghost story?" Amisa asked, shivering at the sight of the shadowy figure formed by the smoke.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The outline gradually turned into the shape of a rabbit, and Toosb continued, "It looked like haha~ he called himself the March Hare and said his tea was about to run out. So, he quickly gave me rabbit ears and this outfit, instructing me to enter the country, participate in a talent competition, and find the wise one. Then, the March Hare disappeared into the platform. Only then did I realize that the outside had turned into a labyrinth of green grass, so I followed the orders to participate in the talent competition as the Red Heart."

"Disappearing tea party... Are you sure this isn't the..." Amisa said, her expression horrified.

"Oh~ I found it strange at that time too~ but I wanted to go home quickly, so I had to follow the tasks he gave me. Later, I met you guys," Toosb concluded.

Wisdom Caterpillar nodded approvingly, "Quite an exciting experience, Toosb."

"I always feel like the later part was a bit casual," Amisa frowned, thinking.

"My goal now is to help my friends!" Toosb exclaimed, hugging the still somewhat frightened Amisa.

Wisdom Caterpillar displayed the logo of the Heart Dreams app with smoke, saying, "We can explain the Heart Dreams app later. Now, Jasky, it's your turn. How did it happen for you? Your smoke is eager to perform."

"... I was in a hotel at the time," Jasky said, and the smoke transformed into an image of Jasky lazily playing with his phone on the bed. "What move is this?" he wondered aloud.

"Who would have thought that smoke also knows you're a homebody! Hahaha!" Toosb laughed, looking at Amisa, who was trying not to laugh.

"Time occurred in the evening. I was playing the Heart Dreams app on the bed. Suddenly, the whole bed turned into a mirror, and like that silly rabbit, I also had a Heart Dreams Storybook:"

"Once upon a time, there was a white-haired girl born in prison. Due to the death of her biological mother, she was forcibly separated and received strict education at the palace, under the Red Queen. Despite her frailty, the girl had a good sister who cared for her, and they spent a happy childhood together. However, one day, the girl, now 16, faced a political upheaval in the palace and eventually became the queen."

"Just a story of a girl enjoying being a queen. Later, I fell into a strange space where the Mad Hatter was hosting a tea party. He said... he had a falling out with time, and this tea party could only last until 6 o'clock. So, he gave me this costume and hat, along with teaching me magic using biscuits. He asked me to complete the mission on his behalf. So, I followed his instructions, transformed into a dessert magician, participated in the talent competition preliminaries, and... ended up winning."

"Rising to the top in one go~ Is that what they call a cheat?" Toosb teased.

"Who's cheating? That's my genuine ability," Jasky retorted.

"You guys, one says the tea party is ending, another says it's stopping at 6 o'clock..." Amisa expressed her confusion.

"Anyway, both the Mad Hatter and the March Hare are madmen. Don't bother too much about what they say," Toosb advised.

"Not necessarily. Toosb, actually, what they said is all true," Wisdom Caterpillar said, noticing the fearful expression on Amisa's face. He hastened to explain, "But I assure you they're not ghosts; they're restricted by some kind of phenomenon. I'll explain more after you finish sharing."

"Really... really, Professor Wisdom Caterpillar?" Amisa asked with uncertainty.

"Of course. Now, it's your turn," Wisdom Caterpillar said.

"Okay..." Amisa, with crossed hands and an uneasy expression, began, "It was the dusk of North London. The Heart Dreams app suddenly sent me a message guiding me to Kenwood House... I said, isn't the fidelity too high!"

The smoke took the form of little Amisa running into Kenwood House, a meticulously designed building. Wisdom Caterpillar proudly explained, "When dream power reaches a certain level, you can achieve this level of detail."

"... I arrived in a room filled with paintings, and I found a portrait of Alice. I read the poem in the lower right corner, and the portrait turned into a mirror, pulling me in."

"What poem?" Jasky asked curiously.

"At the hazy moment of dusk, connect the Heart Dreams chakra..."

"Hey? I seem to have read this line before entering the mirror on the train," Toosb said.

"I fell into the mirror as soon as I read this line..." Jasky added.

"Oh? So you all saw this poem?" Wisdom Caterpillar noticed their puzzled expressions and redirected their attention with smoke, "I understand you're curious, but I'll explain after Amisa finishes sharing. Do you also have a Heart Dreams Storybook?"

"Yes, the story goes like this:

There was a 7-year-old girl named Alice. She received a mushroom split in half from the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. Later, she met the Red Queen and became friends with her daughter, Princess Mary. They spent innocent days together, learning and playing. However, one day, Alice accidentally triggered a mechanism, found an underground passage, fed mushrooms to the white-haired woman in the dungeon, and was captured by the Red Queen and the playing card soldiers..."

"It's just a regular Alice in Wonderland story, slightly modified," Amisa concluded.

"Alright! Why is your story about Alice?" Toosb complained, sticking out his tongue.

"To be judged for eating mushrooms... Your story is also quite strange," Jasky said.

"Exactly! Later, I fell into a bottomless pit, found this," Amisa took out a smiling heart-shaped pendant hanging around her neck.

"Oh?" Wisdom Caterpillar took the pendant and observed.

"Later, I fell into a dark small room, met the sharp-toothed rabbit hiding in a black box. He inexplicably asked me to participate in an audition. As a result, I was thrown into the Knife and Fork Dark Forest by a moving chair, then robbed of my pendant by a lobster, and finally treated as food by wolves and crocodiles... Actually, I'm the most unlucky..."

"Amisa became more and more deflated as she spoke. Wisdom Caterpillar sighed and consoled her with a wry smile, "You've been through a lot, Amisa."

"So~" the three smoke figures dissipated, and Wisdom Caterpillar blew out three new smoke figures, "let's summarize. In the experiences of the three of you, there happen to be three common points. Anyone want to take a guess?"

"I'll go first! All three of us played the Heart Dreams app!" Toosb exclaimed.

"Correct," the first smoke figure transformed into the shape of a phone.

"Haha! You went for the easiest one first!" Amisa complained, hands on her hips.

"Ah well, I have one too. We all accidentally said an incantation and passed through a mirror," Jasky contributed.

"Correct," the second smoke figure transformed into a mirror. "There's one more."

Jasky slowly continued, "All these incidents occurred at... dusk."

"Very good!" The third smoke figure turned into the shape of the sun. Wisdom Caterpillar rearranged the three smoke figures, putting them in the order of the sun, mirror, and phone. "Regarding the question of why you all ended up here, I'll explain the principles one by one in this order. After you have a better understanding, I'll tell you the answer."