In the Nightmare Dimension
Nameless tilted her head as Abhi finished narrating the flashback. Her expression was hard to read, though her narrowed eyes and pursed lips suggested she was analyzing every word.
“So, you think the flashback represents the host’s memories?” she asked.
“Yes,” Abhi replied confidently. “But I don’t think it’s just that. It feels… like a merging. Like two puzzles from different worlds being forced to fit together.”
Nameless raised an eyebrow. “You mean your memories and his are colliding?”
“Maybe. Or maybe they’re trying to overwrite each other.”
“Interesting,” Nameless muttered, pacing across the dark, watery expanse. “But if that’s the case, the question is: why? What’s the endgame for this merging?”
Abhi frowned. “That’s the part I can’t figure out. But the more I think about it, the more I feel like this host’s body—this Abhi—is just a vessel for something bigger. Something neither of us understands yet.”
Nameless stopped pacing and turned to him, her translucent form shimmering faintly. “And what do you make of your interaction with Archana?”
Abhi hesitated. “I think she knows something. Or at least… the host does. There’s something unsaid, something important she’s holding back.”
Nameless chuckled, though the sound was bitter. “Isn’t that always the case? The living cling to their secrets, and we—whatever we are—are left trying to piece together the truth.”
“Yeah,” Abhi said quietly, his gaze drifting upward to the eclipsed sun hanging in the nightmare sky. “But I think her secret might be the key to all of this.”
Nameless folded her arms. “If we’re going to figure this out, we need to dig deeper. Both into your memories and mine.”
Abhi nodded. “Agreed. But first, I need to ask you something.”
Nameless raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“Why do you think we’re here? In this dimension?”
Her expression darkened. “I’ve been asking myself that question since I arrived. But if I had to guess, I’d say this place is some kind of… liminal space. A bridge between worlds, maybe.”
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“A bridge,” Abhi repeated, mulling over the word. “Then what’s on the other side?”
Nameless smirked. “That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it?”
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Back in the Host’s World
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains, painting the walls in hues of gold. Abhi—or rather, the soul inhabiting the host’s body—stirred from the mattress, feeling the strange, heavy sensation of physicality settle over him again.
He moved cautiously, trying to avoid making noise as he tiptoed out of the room. He glanced back at Archana, still wrapped in her blanket and breathing evenly. For a moment, he considered waking her to ask about the task she’d mentioned the night before, but something held him back.
Instead, he ventured into the small kitchen, where a stack of dishes awaited cleaning. He busied himself with mundane tasks, trying to acclimate to the body’s movements. The sensation of water running over his hands felt surreal, almost foreign, as though he were piloting a machine rather than inhabiting a body.
As he worked, fragments of the previous night’s flashback resurfaced. The tears on the host’s face. The careful, almost predatory way he had moved through the house. And the way his mother’s words had lingered, loaded with unspoken meaning.
Lost in thought, he didn’t hear the soft footsteps behind him until Archana’s voice broke the silence.
“Beta, you’re up early.”
Abhi spun around, startled. “Uh, yeah. Couldn’t sleep.”
Archana studied him for a moment, her eyes searching. “You seemed restless last night. Did you have a bad dream?”
Abhi hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. “Something like that.”
She nodded slowly, then turned her attention to the window. “Dreams can be strange, can’t they? Sometimes they’re just figments of the mind. Other times… they’re messages.”
Her words sent a chill down his spine. “Messages?” he repeated.
Archana smiled faintly, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “From the past, or the future. Or perhaps from something beyond our understanding.”
Abhi swallowed hard. “Do you… have dreams like that?”
Her smile faded, replaced by an expression he couldn’t decipher. “Sometimes. But enough about that. Eat something before you head out.”
With that, she left the room, leaving Abhi alone with his thoughts—and a growing sense of unease.
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In the Nightmare Dimension
Nameless and Abhi sat cross-legged on the dark water, their forms casting faint ripples.
“We need to figure out how to access more of these flashbacks,” Nameless said.
Abhi nodded. “Agreed. But I think they’re triggered by something. Emotional connections, maybe?”
“Possibly,” Nameless mused. “Or maybe they’re tied to the host’s physical actions. What he does might influence what we see here.”
“Then we’ll have to work together,” Abhi said firmly. “If we’re going to unravel this mystery, we need to combine our experiences and perspectives.”
Nameless smirked. “I’ll hold you to that, half-real.”
Abhi chuckled despite himself. “Deal.”
Above them, the eclipsed sun seemed to burn brighter, casting long shadows across the endless expanse of water. In the distance, a faint, distorted melody echoed—a haunting tune that sent shivers through both their forms.
Nameless frowned. “Do you hear that?”
Abhi nodded, his expression grim. “Yeah. And I think it’s calling us.”
Without another word, they began to walk toward the source of the sound, their steps sending ripples across the dark ocean. Whatever awaited them in the depths of the nightmare dimension, they knew it was only the beginning.