Kathleen's mind floated in the void. She wasn't awake, but she wasn't quite asleep either. Images blurred before her, unclear and shifting like half-forgotten memories.

She stood barefoot in a strange room filled with desks and chairs. The walls around her gleamed with a cold light, though she couldn't feel any magic power in them. The air was suffocating still, yet she could sense multiple presences in the room with her. Where are they? The unsettling feeling crept into her chest. Ahead, through the thick, swirling haze, she saw four figures. Kathleen squinted, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. The figures' faces were blurry, indistinct, but something about them felt eerily familiar.

One of them was a girl, sitting right next to a window which was glowing from the outside light as if it is a middle of day. In front of her sat a guy, positioned sideways on a chair, looking at a large figure standing nearby. The last figure stood directly in front of the girl.

Kathleen’s eyes widened as she look at the strange outfit the girl was wearing. It wasn’t armor, nor was it the layered tunic . The fabric was unnaturally smooth, with colors so vibrant they almost glowed—a deep green paired with a stark white. It clung neatly to the girl’s body, with crisp lines and a strange ribbon tied around her neck. The ribbon seemed decorative, not functional, yet it added a touch of formality that Kathleen couldn’t quite place.

The lower garment confused her even more—a skirt, she realized, but cut far shorter than any she had ever seen. It ended well above the knees, revealing the girl’s legs, which were covered in thin, black fabric. Were they stockings? Why wear something that mimicked bare skin instead of covering it properly? The girl also wore strange, shiny black footwear with small, sturdy heels—nothing like the worn boots or leather sandals Kathleen was used to.

“What strange armor,” Kathleen murmured to herself. “But it doesn’t look like it could withstand even the smallest blade.

Kathleen turned her gaze to the boys standing nearby. there attire was equally puzzling and unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was neat and structured, almost resembling the formal wear of a noble. The upper garment was a deep green jacket with sharp, clean lines, buttoned up the front with small, shiny fasteners. The fabric was smooth. Beneath the jacket, a stark white shirt peeked out at the collar, crisp and perfectly fitted. His lower garments confused her even more. They were not breeches or anything loose-fitting like she was used to seeing. Instead, they were snug trousers that seemed to mold to his legs, made of the same fine material as the jacket. Kathleen couldn’t help but wonder how he could move or fight in something so restricting.

And it was practically the same for the other three boys, which made Kathleen even more shocked. “What kind of order do they belong to?” Kathleen whispered to herself, her mind racing. She had seen knights in formation, soldiers on the march, even monks in their robes, but never had she seen boys so uniformly dressed but uniformly unarmed.

Though she could see all of this, the thick fog still obscured the faces of the figure, leaving them blurry and indistinct. No matter how hard she squinted or focused, their features seemed to melt into the haze, just out of reach.

"Who are you?" Kathleen asked, raising her hand in front of the girl. As she moved her arm, it felt heavy—unbearably heavy.

The fog started to clear, and fragments of another dream flooded back to her mind—the one where she had seen herself riding a magic train. As the haze began to dissipate, Kathleen finally noticed the faces of the figures, and her heart stopped in absolute shock. She recognized three of them.

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Though they looked slightly different from what she remembered, Kathleen was certain of their identities. The girl sitting by the window—it was her. Yes, her own self from the forgotten dream.

The one sitting sideways on the chair, glancing back, was Theo. There was no doubt about it.

And in front of Theo, the towering figure was unmistakable—it was Barren.

How can this be? Who are they? What are these dreams? Kathleen's thoughts raced.

The fourth figure then turned toward Kathleen, almost as if inviting her closer. Before she could respond, another figure suddenly passed through her, sending chills down her spine.

The new figure stepped in front of Theo's chair and began playfully rubbing Theo's head.

How is this possible? Why does he feel so familiar? Kathleen thought. Then it hit her. Though it was hard to recognize at first, she realized the fifth figure was Eddy—much younger, but there was no doubt in her mind. It was him. Kathleen could see all their mouths moving, but she couldn't hear a single word. She tried to step closer to them, but the fog began to thicken once again. Just like before, the five figures, the desks, and the chairs started vanishing, dissolving into the void.

This time, however, one figure remained.

The lone figure began walking toward her, stopping right in front of her.

The closer the figure came, the more Kathleen noticed its face—or rather, the lack of one. Calling it a face felt wrong; it was a black void, an empty mask with no eyes, no nose, no mouth—nothing. Kathleen was so terrified by the sight that she screamed and tried to turn and run.

But what was this? She couldn’t move. She couldn’t even turn her eyes away from that faceless void.

Forced to stare at it, she began to feel her consciousness slipping away, as though she was being hypnotized. In the haze of her fading awareness, she saw the figure reaching out, trying to grab her hand, as if it wanted to keep her there. But its grip couldn’t hold her, and she finally lost consciousness.

".........."

"Pant, pant, pant!"

"Where am I?" Kathleen frantically looked around, taking in her surroundings.

She was on the bed in the inn where she had come with Eddy, Theo, and Barren. Sweat dripped from her forehead as she thought about the crazy dream she had just experienced. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember what she had seen. That oppressive, uneasy feeling lingered, though—haunting her.

She stood up from the bed and turned on the magiclight. As the light illuminated the entire room, Kathleen walked toward the window by the bedside and opened it.

A cold breeze swept into the room, chilling her to the core.

It was still dark, with some time left before daybreak. She closed the window and returned to her bed, but the feeling of uneasiness made her restless. She sat on the bed, staring into the dim room, waiting for morning.

It didn’t take long—after about half an hour, the window began to glow with the soft light of dawn.

Knock, knock.

"Are you awake?" a voice came from the door.

The sudden voice startled Kathleen.

Knock, knock.

"Kathleen, are you awake?"

Finally, she recognized the voice—it was Barren calling to her.

"I-I’m awake," she answered.

"Freshen up, will you? Let’s head to the guild first. We’re leaving the inn in one hour."

"Okay, sure," Kathleen replied, opening the door.

"Oh, good morning!" Barren said loudly, grinning.

"Morning," Kathleen replied softly.

"I thought you’d still be asleep, so I came to wake you up. But since you’re already up, my job here is done," Barren said cheerfully.

"Hey, Barren," Kathleen said, her expression turning serious. "There’s something... Never mind. Nothing. Go ahead, I’ll freshen up."

"Hey, don’t leave me hanging!" Barren said, frowning. "Finish what you wanted to say."

"It’s nothing special. Forget about it," Kathleen replied, brushing him off.

"Fine," Barren said, shaking his head. "If you don’t want to tell me, I won’t push you. But know this—if something happens to you, don’t hesitate to ask me for help, okay?"

With that, Barren turned and headed back toward their room.

Kathleen closed the door behind him and tried once more to recall the dream. But still, nothing came back. It was as though the memories had vanished from her mind.

Yet, the uneasy feeling remained—a nagging voice in the back of her mind, whispering that something is not right.

To be continued...