An outstretched hand falls limp to my side as I lament my powerlessness. I recall the feeling of waves crashing harshly onto me, and an image of ruin beyond measure, guided by my own hands. Having pinned my hopes on a dream, I entrust everything to her as I drift off into a deep sleep with a shutter’s click.

The puffing sound of a steam engine reaches my ears as heightened awareness fills my dazed head. I'd thought I was supposed to be in a deep sleep, so the surreal sounds of a train engine leave my newly awake mind in wonder.

If this is a dream, there's something off about how surreal it feels. Adding to that, I can't even open my eyes.

The only other alternative would be that it's come time for me to be used again, at last. That doesn't feel right, though, as my intuition is telling me I've done what was needed to protect myself. It could simply be that I'm in a confused, half-asleep stupor. The overwhelming urge to wake myself becomes prevalent, as my hazy mind begins to give shape to the place I should be.

The image of the place is blurry, but the person I should be with is coming into view beyond a great white light- a light that peels my heavy eyelids open.

As if my mind changed channels, I awaken anew. I’m still tired, but by the time my eyes are open, the grogginess is gone.

I find myself in a small room baring a mixed resemblance to both a waiting room and a train compartment. The white walls are lined with murals of abstract shapes and various colors. The room's only other assets are the velvet red couch I'm sitting on just in front of a small window, and a small granite fireplace.

If this is an agency, it’s one I haven’t been to before, at least. Regardless, it's unlike me to be napping at a job appearance, and thanks to that, I can’t remember what the hell I’ve been doing all day. I can't help but fear I've finally lost my mind, even though I'm just twenty-four.

I feel for my hair to make sure it’s still intact and find it as long and voluminous as ever, flowing near the bottom of my black and white-striped blouse, prompting a sigh of relief.

I'll have to call my manager and have him remind me where I’m at. Whether this is a shoot or just a meeting, I get the sense that the place is upscale, or at least trying to look it. The contrast between the white walls and colorful murals gives me a creepy feeling, undeterred by the sofa and fireplace. I get the sense I'm in for a stressful day with whoever the hell is responsible for this kind of decor.

Just as my fingers reach the slightly cold phone in the pocket of my black suit pants, a voice nearly sends my heart leaping into my throat.

“Um?”

Somehow, I've not noticed her until now, even though she's sitting just across the sofa from me. Her confused expression compounds my stress. I don't have time to deal with a newbie right now, since I'm in a predicament of my own.

“What is it?” my sharp response disarms the poor girl along with my glare.

Her pretty face strikes me, breaking my hard glare for a moment. it isn't surprising she's in with the same client as me. The fluorescent glow of her white skin compliments her soft-pink hair that must have taken hours to curl. She's got the frail cutie look down, which is probably what got her in. I'm a bit jealous since I don’t think I ever could have used that strategy despite all my hard work.

My better judgement overcomes the desire to unfairly antagonize her for her charm, reluctant as I am to act like the more experienced professional.

However, before I can even muster the words that will prove me the bigger person-

“Do you…know where we are?”

The way she’s holding her knees, her eyes welling up, were probably something I should have picked up on- and I might have, had I not been preoccupied with my own thoughts.

My face frozen in fear of the answer, I ask in a stammer: “could it be…you don’t remember anything, either?”

“Y-you too?” she asks in utter exasperation.

Shit, this isn't good. There's genuine panic on her face, like she’s scared for her life. I'm not confident I can maintain my composure, now. “Wait…you’re messing with me because I was asleep, aren’t you?” I demand with a forced chuckle. “Do you really think that’s something a newbie should be doing? Actually, I won’t even be mad if that’s the case since that’d be pretty impressive. So just admit it, okay?”

She blinks at me stupidly, raising her brow. “Um…I have no idea what you’re talking about…honestly. I was asleep too.”

Shit is right. I’m sure my expression has lost all composure. “You really don’t know anything? To be frank, I have no idea what I’ve been doing all day. I thought we were at an agency doing a shoot or something, but I can’t remember even a single detail. What do you remember?”

Her eyes light up as she blurts out, “wait, you’re a model? No way! Well, I mean, you’re really pretty so it makes sense…”

Her cheeks turn red, which brings me a sense of satisfaction I can't help but feel slightly guilty for. “Stay focused, pinkie.”

What a perfect ditz. She’d be a great idol after all, assuming she's not completely mental.

She looks away, shrinking back as she replies, “o-oh, I’m sorry. Um, yeah, I don’t remember anything either. Just my name, and not much else.”

“Hm? At least I remember what I do and stuff…what’s your name, then?” I ask with a furrowed brow, leaning in toward her with an inquisitive stare.

“It’s Mirei.”

“Hm, that’s a pretty name." I'm still staring daggers at her, but for some reason she's smiling.

“And you are?”

“I’m Mary." My words match my relaxed posture as I lean back in the sofa.

“Oh, our names sound so similar!” she exclaims, face alit.

I can't fathom why she'd find that so exciting, especially considering our situation. “Yeah, I guess they do.”

“Are you from outside Japan?” she asks in a tone still too excitable for my liking.

“Yeah, Irish-actually, you remember you’re Japanese?” I note, turning back toward her.

“Hum… I guess so,” she answers, gazing down on her noticeably thin legs covered by her pleated pink skirt.

“Where from?”

“Shibuya.”

I couldn’t even remember that until now. “Yeah, same for me. Then, surely that’s where we are. I wonder if we took part in some sort of social experiment like you see on tv. Are you sure you’re not some kind of idol?”

“Sorry,” she replies with a smile. “I just can’t remember. I think, maybe I worked with computers though. Just a vague notion.”

“I get it, but why are you smiling while talking about yourself?” I prod, narrowing my gaze on her. “Who knows what kind of situation we’re in? Shouldn’t you go back to being scared?”

She looks up with a meek smile. “Huh? I’m sorry, I just get the feeling I don’t meet people very often.”

“That so?”

“But you don’t think…we were kidnapped, or something, do you? There’s no way, right?” She laughs nervously.

“Don’t even joke about that,” I fire back in a stern tone.

“Ah, I’m sor-”

“I don’t think that’s the case,” I cut in. “This place seems a bit too leisurely for something dark like that. It is weird that there’s only one door, though, if we really are at an office of some sort.”

Before I can stand up and make my way to the door, I'm stopped in my tracks by the sound of flames licking the air.

In the fireplace, the flames rise up to form a menace in the shape of face. It’s a nearly abstract face that I can hardly call a face, baring resemblance to the strange murals on the walls. Its blood red eyes look into my own, rooting me to the sofa.

Mirei's gaze slowly follows mine to the fireplace, at which she lets out a stifled gasp.

“W-what the hell?” I follow, unable to hide the panic on my face.

“Good evening, young ladies,” the fire hisses like a snake. “You needn’t be afraid just yet, nothing is going to happen on this train,” it continues in a deep whisper as the flames comprising its face overlap each other in a hypnotizing cycle.

“What are you talking about? What are you?”

“Ah, Miss Mary, it’s as expected for you to take the lead. I am a mere entity, a god of sorts. You may call me Aku if you like.” Despite its villainous voice sputtering forth from the flames, I can’t help but take note of its polite way of speaking.

“A-aku?” Mirei asks, shrinking back in her seat without realizing she’s clinging to me. “Like…like a demon?”

“Yes, Miss Mirei, you may see me as a god or a demon, whichever you like,” it replies casually. “However, you should not worry about me, but about each other. I am merely your goal.”

“What the hell does that mean?” I cry out, unable to contain my exasperation any longer. “What the hell are we doing here?”

“Indeed, your goal is to, by the end of this train ride, obtain my power- a power of gods.”

“Train ride? Gods?” Mirei asks, flustered.

I recall hearing a steam engine earlier, but there hasn’t been any sound since. I feel the sofa to check for any shaking, but there isn't any. However, just as I do so, the soft sound of beaten railroad tracks reaches my ear.

“And why do we need to obtain such a power?” I demand, ignoring my confusion to stand to my feet.

“That is simple,” he answers slowly. “You both desperately need the god’s power. And you will fight against each other’s very own dreams to obtain it. That is,” he pauses as a thin smile forms within the shroud of flames, “If you wish to wake up from this world of dreams we’ve placed you in and return to your real bodies.”

“Wha-what world of dreams?” Mirei stammers, tears quickly filling her eyes.

“What are you talking about? What the hell have you done to us?” I scream, lunging at the fireplace. Just as I release myself from the invisible nails latching me to the floor, the figure dissipates, the flames returning to a light stoke.

“Mary, what is this? What’s going to happen to us?” Mirei sobs, looking up at me like a lost child as she holds on to her quaking shoulders.

“I don’t know! It’s got to be some sort of sick joke...We need to get out of here!” I make for the door, only to be stopped in my tracks once more as the door opens with a creak.

“Excuse me, please pardon my interruption.”

A man shuffles through the door in a panic, as if he’s just arrived late to a business meeting. I immediately find myself averse to his appearance. Baring a jet-black tuxedo and slicked back hair, he has the look of an attractive upstart nervous to begin his first day at a corporate job.

“Who are you?” I demand, launching all of my lingering ill-will at him.

As if sensing the fear on our faces, he tries to loosen up and form a polite smile, but it’s way too forced. “My name is JC. It’s a pleasure meeting you both. I will be your guide on this train ride, so you may ask me any questions, though I cannot answer everything as I do not remember everything myself.”

“What do you mean you don’t remember? Are you with that thing in the fire?”

His face grows firm with confidence as he replies, “I am like a proxy of Aku’s. I am an escort, an observer, and perhaps in some capacity a participant.”

“Participant? What kind of sick game is this?”

“I assure you this is not a game,” he answers with a stern look. “The situation is as Aku explained to you two. You are in a state of comatose sleep, and the only way you might wake from it is to receive the god’s power, Aku’s very essence that he brought into this dreamscape.”

“Dreamscape? You expect us to believe that shit?” I bare my teeth as I berate him.

“Ah-Mary, look!” Mirei cries out from the window, beckoning me over. I reluctantly leave JC to gaze into the dark through the small windowpane.

Outside, I discover no sign of earth, nor a true sky. Stars shine in the horizon, along with various different sized moons, which reflect in the water we're traveling across.

“Water?” I mutter, stupefied by the scene before me.

JC clears his throat. “As you can see, the world around us is constructed. It isn’t reality. It is a dreamscape that you have been trapped in, one which will allow just one of you to obtain the god’s power and escape. While the other… will disappear along with the dreamscape.”

Mirei's eyes meet mine, as if to confirm our sinking hearts.

Recovering from my shock, I turn back to JC. “There’s no point in trying to run or fight, is there?”

“None at all,” he says with a confident nod. “You’ll simply return to this room if you try to exit the train right now.”

“Right now?”

“Yes, we’ll be having stops on this ride, so to speak,” he answers politely. “We will disembark in the morning and begin the preparations for the contest.”

“Where are we getting off?” Mirei asks, rubbing her sullen eyes.

“You see, this is a very versatile dreamscape, so we’ll be stopping in Shibuya-rather, a replication of Shibuya.”

“So, it isn’t just this mass of water, then…” I mumble to myself.

After a brief pause, JC offers us an earnest smile. “I have to say, you’re both reacting quite well to this. I expected a bit more panic, to be honest.”

I stare out the window again, while Mirei returns to the couch with a downcast look.

“Well, between you and that devil, and this scenery, it’s hard to deny,” I answer with a sigh. “I don’t understand what you mean by fighting each other’s dreams, but it looks like we’ll just have to prepare for the worst if we want to live.”

“I-I agree, we can’t just let things end like this, can we…” The determination in Mirei’s voice strikes me as rare, however feeble, and uncertain it is.

JC smiles again, offering a short bow. “I appreciate your understanding, that makes things easier for me. I hope you’ll continue to show such strength tomorrow. Well then, I’ll be coming to retrieve you in the morning when it is time to arrive at the first stop. Try to get some sleep.”

I ignore the hesitant sidelong glance he gives before exiting, and slump onto the sofa next to Mirei with a sigh.

“Are you…scared, Mary?”

“Of course, I am, who wouldn’t be?” an honest reply comes automatically.

“Yeah…you’re right,” she replies, sounding defeated.

“Something about the thought of my dreams feels really unsettling, but I can’t really think of why," I follow, rubbing my temples to ease my newfound headache.

“I feel the same way. Should we…um…”

“What? Spit it out,” I snap, looking at her crossly.

“Should we help each other… if it gets really scary?” She manages to stumble through the question with an innocent look, despite my bad attitude, which leaves me impressed.

Yet, thinking realistically, I furrow my brow. “Wouldn’t that be counterproductive? If only one of us get to escape…”

She looks down again before sighing. “You’re right... It’s just, I think that if I won because I abandoned you, I wouldn’t want to return to my life.”

Her warm words disarm me and leave me unable to maintain my attitude. “You’re too sweet, you know that?” I flash her a short smirk, at which she blushes. Sensing her embarrassment, I regain my composure. “We don’t even know what grounds we’re supposedly fighting on, right? Why don’t we see what the deal is with our dreams, and if it’s something that’s really scary for both of us, then sure, we can help each other. Just don’t expect me to give up my victory for you, got it?”

Blinking dumbly, she slowly puts on a smile that accentuates her pale cheeks. “Thank you, that really puts me at ease. I’ll do everything I can for you, and I’ll be counting on you for help as well, Mary!”

“Sure, sure,” I respond with a raised brow. You really are an odd one, aren’t you?”

“Hehe, I feel like I get that a lot,” she says, preening absent-mindedly.

“Sounds about right,” I mutter, looking away. A long moment of silence passes over us, as I try to take in the situation.

“The view outside really is pretty, isn’t it?” Mirei breaks the silence in a softer voice than before.

“Well yeah, I guess that’s the upside to being stuck in a dream world, huh?”

“I feel like, maybe, it wouldn’t be all that bad to stay here a while and watch the ocean,” she replies. “I’ve never seen the ocean, actually.”

“What, really? You’re sure you remember that right?” I look at her inquisitively.

“Yeah, for some reason I just know,” she answers, gazing absentmindedly outside. “I think I’ve always wanted to be on a boat in the middle of the ocean.”

“Hmm, now that I think of it, I’m sure I’ve done a summer cruise or two,” I reflect out loud. “Soaking up the sun with the smell of fresh barbeque in the air. Even better when it’s raining, a rainy festival on the sea is probably the greatest thing in the world. Say, you ever tried a fried pork-kabob?”

No answer comes to my ramblings as, before I had realized it, Mirei had fallen asleep, her head sliding down to rest on my shoulder. Chuckling through my nose, I curl my legs and follow suit with one last glance at the moonlit night’s sky.