Story Reader / Festival Event Story / Slumberland / Story
Blooming Wings
It's been so long since anyone set foot in the cell down at the bottom of the spire, that even the dust in the air has grown stagnant.
Closing her eyes, the soul shard sits quietly in the ruins.
With her wings torn into pieces, she is no longer able to fly.
Everything about her and the place is stagnant—so much so that even her heartbeat is barely palpable.
She's been left alone in the corner of memories—and seemed destined to remain so for the rest of eternity.
Things, however, seem a little different today...
In her head, she doesn't see the same endless nightmares anymore—but a young student speaking with an old instructor.
What are they talking about? And why does she find it all strangely familiar?
Slowly, she's drawn toward it ever so slowly—all the while taking care not to destroy this rare sight of an illusion.
With a pair of determined and sincere eyes, the young student stands unfazed.
That alone is already enough to make her feel safe.
Bang! Bang! Bang...
That doesn't sound like a heartbeat...
With the bangs, the illusion vanishes.
Someone is trying to break this cage from the outside, sending a rainfall of dust down from the rotten bricks up above.
Bang!
...
And the bricks now broken, through the hole comes a hand with fresh scars.
There is no way the light of day can ever make it down to this part of the spire, and the torch in hand has stopped working.
Even so, the two of them can still see each other clearly...
With their similar lights that shine through their souls and even outshine the dark of the night.
Words are spoken to her, but she can't hear them clearly.
Sometimes, the heart needs no language to communicate.
As their hands touch, the cold cell disappears in the blink of an eye...
She's deep in a warm embrace.
Everything around her seems to be crumbling—and with it, she feels as though she's falling down at the same time she's floating up through the air.
The nightmare is over.
Falling no more, you now feel what feels like the world's softest mattress against your back.
You thought it was the "safety trigger" that pulled you out of the forest into the M.I.N.D. diving chamber in the lab.
The floral aroma lingering by, however, seems to be telling you that you could be wrong.
You open your eyes and slowly rise to your feet, all the while unable to look away from the petals in the wind that guide your attention in a certain direction.
Standing next to you, a dark green figure looks at you gently.
Yes. Thank you, Commandant.
This place is safe, and I figured you needed some rest.
And...
Putting a hand on her chest, Liv seems to be listening to what her heart wills.
She doesn't finish her sentence, but the dancing petals all around her seem to betray her mind.
And finally, deciding that she's going to shun no more, she looks up and sees straight into your eyes.
The flowers, the trees, and the sun... All these are beautiful and put my mind at ease...
None of these is going to last forever, and they'll probably wake us up in no time...
But I really just...
With a wishful smile on her face, her voice cracks a little.
I really just want to be here with you for just a little longer, Commandant...
So I wouldn't have to see you keep fighting...
And end up hurting yourself all over...
I don't want to say goodbye to you again...
I feel safe feeling your warmth and heartbeat...
I know this is an illusion.
And...
I also know that this is the kind of future I'll always be pursuing going forward.
Liv bares her soul and pours her heart out.
You, however, can't tell if it's the doing of the M.I.N.D. shard or if she's only finding it easier to do so since you're in her subconscious mind.
With the petals swirling up to the breeze, the girl raises a question.
So... how do you like the views here, Commandant?
Hearing your words and breaking into a smile, she carries on.
Care to elaborate?
The cozy sunlight filters through the swaying treetops and shines upon the dancing dust.
The grass under you feels ever so soft as it lifts you up to preserve the tranquility in the air.
Save for the bird cries that travel far and wide, there is not a single sound here.
This place is exactly as Liv said—without gunshots or ear-splitting alarms, this place is so quiet that you can hear her heartbeat and breath.
The breezes that come by every now and then are messengers with messages from afar.
You say as you give Liv a positive nod.
Little did you know, however, that Liv would take your joke so seriously.
Uhm... if that's what you're thinking, you can probably build a cottage where there isn't anything around.
You have all these trees here at your disposal, but you'd still need to be careful so the wood won't go bad...
And you would of course need some electric generators here to make life easier...
Seeing her all excited about coming up with plans for your retirement, you aren't quite sure if you want to cut her off.
And before you know it, Liv seems to have already finished planning your living room.
What would you like to have as a pet, Commandant?
While the question hits you as baffling, Liv seems to have a difficult time making up her mind.
Sheep are good, but chipmunks seem like a good choice, too... Oh, I want to have some butterflies in the garden, too, if that's okay.
I'd love to go for a walk during sunset with you, Lucia, and Lee—just the four of us, with the setting sun and all the butterflies around us...
Opening your mouth wanting to cut Liv off, you remain silent after seeing how happy she is.
You see no reason to cut off her dream when she's still moving forward.
And I want to try growing some veggies, too...
Half giving up, you decide to hop in.
While the clock is ticking away on this sea of flowers…
You know that the future you all dream of is quickly coming your way, too.
Your words hit Liv as a surprise.
Why not, though?
All the plants here grow in the most primitive of ways, and you can never figure out which way is which with the ever so flimsy cries of the insects and birds. You feel as though you were in an empty box that's indefinitely big and left forgotten by the rest of the world.
This place is every bit as untarnished as it is devoid of any traces of visitors.
Quiet, peaceful, lonely, and beautiful, this place might be someone's forgotten dream... yet it just isn't your cup of tea.
I never knew you couldn't stand being alone, Commandant.
Hearing your words, Liv breaks into a gentle smile.
Before you could even finish what you were going to say, Liv holds up your hand.
...
Liv says nothing, but the blush on her face already says it all. Seeing you caught completely off guard, she tightens her grip so that your palms come even closer.
You can feel Liv's warmth as your heartbeat and hers come together to form a cheerful piano duet on the skin.
Starting light, however, the duet slowly turns into an unsettling quick march...
While you can't be sure if this is happening because she's being influenced by her M.I.N.D. or whether it's because she's feeling temporarily comfortable enough to show her true self with her M.I.N.D. shard now back to herself...
You are taken aback nonetheless seeing Liv putting herself first, which is something she rarely ever does.
I felt you back then... Commandant.
Liv's hand hovers over the fresh wounds on the back of your fingers that you ended up with from smashing through the wall.
When she moves her hand away, you don't see the wounds that were still there just moments ago.
Her face grows redder still as her tone grows more firm.
I want to hear more of your story, Commandant. Can we stay here for just a bit longer before we go?
Holding herself back no more, Liv now turns her thoughts into actions.
She turns her head down, her grip as tight as ever.
Sure. Where should I begin, Commandant?
Her voice reaches you along with the fragrance of the flowers.
With only seconds left in this sea of flowers...
You know that the future will be waiting for both of you when you open your eyes again.
You see the white light in the lab when you open your eyes, a sign that you're back in reality.
Commandant...
Turning your head, you see Liv just a few meters away who seems to have come to just a few moments before you.
[player name] is back. No sign of contamination.
We're fixing M.I.N.D. and analyzing the interactive data over here.
Is the data looking valid?
Working on that now...
Asimov's hands swish a mile a second over the device before him as he speaks, sending all sorts of charts and codes flying across the screen.
You can see a progress bar making progress on the screen. While strings of data are collected, multiple analysis reports pop out. When the progress bar finally reaches the end, a window pops out.
Ignoring the overly lengthy report itself, you train your eyes straight at the short line at the very bottom.
Matching Expectation
The validity of the data went beyond our expectations. We can go ahead and get ready for the trial coming up next.
Which means that, until we're done improving Deep M.I.N.D. connection, you'll need to go through one simulation after another—and no, you won't be allowed to leave Babylonia no matter what.
Hippocrates shoots both you and Liv a threatening look when she finishes speaking.
Got it?
Of course...
You'll be able to move around normally after this, but remember to come back for the regular check-ups.
Right then, your terminal buzzes.
She seems to be calling a little earlier today than usual.
Is it Lucia?
Professor...
It's all good. Both of you can leave now.
We'll be able to see Lucia and Lee in person when this is over, right?
Dreams could be a heavy burden when you face reality...
You can feel something soft and gentle against you.
Let's go, Commandant.
But don't ever fear all the good things the world has to offer and throw your dreams away.
As long as the light in your soul still shines through, you're bound to attract your kind through the long night.
Because when you no longer have to trek through the night alone, dreams will no longer be a heavy burden but wings of hope.
