"So, do you want to sleep now? Or take a short break?"
Robin was settled comfortably on the plush sofa, clearly in no rush to leave.
Lin Shuang wasn't in a hurry either—just curious.
"Will you stay and watch me sleep?"
"It's your first time in a dream. I thought I'd hang around a bit and talk."
Robin smiled at Lin Shuang, sipping tea and tasting the snacks arranged neatly nearby.
She looked content.
"My brother mentioned that The Reverie inside the dream is still under renovation. Be careful when you go in."
"Yeah, I know."
Lin Shuang had already sensed it when the siblings were interacting—aside from that first meeting.
Once they became familiar, it was obvious that Robin liked being around Lin Shuang.
How should she put it?
Didn't Robin often teach her how to sing in the evenings?
At first, Lin Shuang thought Robin's punctuality meant she valued her strength and saw her as worth befriending.
But after several meetings—
Lin Shuang gradually realized that Robin, despite being polite and well-spoken, didn't treat her with any special reverence.
Rather, she acted like a normal girl looking for company.
Once, during a video call, Robin got a work message and switched faces instantly like it was second nature.
Lin Shuang laughed for ages.
After that, Robin never answered calls in front of her again.
…
Focus, don't drift off now.
Lin Shuang knew she sounded self-absorbed, but she really felt that Robin liked her.
Still, she wouldn't dare say it out loud.
"Then, I'll fall asleep first?"
"Yeah, I'll leave after you do."
Robin held her teacup delicately and smiled again.
Lin Shuang couldn't think of a reply. She quietly got dressed and stepped into the shell-shaped dream pool.
The fluid inside gave her an odd sensation—it wasn't like any liquid she'd known.
Or maybe it wasn't a liquid at all.
But she didn't mind. She lay back slowly, adjusted her position, and closed her eyes.
As she did, Robin's voice softly echoed in her ears:
"See you soon, Lin Shuang."
Then it faded into the preset voice of The Family:
"Please relax and feel your breath rise and fall…"
"Focus on your breathing… Picture a paradise, a dreamland."
A sensation of sinking quickly overtook her.
It felt like she was falling deep into the sea, drifting with the current—and maybe it was because of the new skills she'd drawn earlier.
Or maybe her old ones had finally activated.
Flashes of images swept past her.
The grandeur of The Reverie's lobby, still under construction.
Broken streets, a massive black void...
Elderly figures, children, Pepeshi.
Origami birds, cries, cheers, battle...
A barren wasteland, a fleeting monster, even the Star Rail's launch.
She saw many things that didn't belong to Penacony.
Maybe they were from an older version of it.
Lin Shuang realized she was brushing against memory. As she drifted deeper, she caught fragments preserved within.
But just like the skill had said—
The images were too fragmented, too fleeting, offering little of real use.
And the sleep came quickly.
The next time Lin Shuang opened her eyes—
She found herself in a dim, heavy space.
The room looked like The Reverie's—but off. Furniture floated, out of place, creating a kind of chaotic beauty.
She was sure of it—this was where the protagonist had once been.
"This place…"
Clearly, it wasn't a proper hotel room.
So where was this?
She activated her [Secret Pattern of Breaking Delusion] to assess her surroundings.
It was indeed a dream—but not the bright, curated dream of Penacony.
A place beyond the dream?
She hadn't thought about that before, but now it made sense.
The galaxy overflowing with memory—wasn't that a natural disaster?
Penacony was just the Family's dream oasis built on top of that chaos.
So it was only natural there'd be disorder on the outskirts.
"Oh right, didn't The Reverie say they arranged guides...? Where are they?"
Lin Shuang walked around, trying to investigate this space.
But no matter what she did, the door wouldn't open. Only a single picture frame seemed usable, just like in the game.
She tapped on the wall. With her abilities, she could force her way out if needed.
But what lay beyond was too uncertain.
If something went wrong, she wasn't sure she could get out safely.
It would be smarter to gather more information first.
She'd only just arrived in Penacony—it was best to play it safe.
With that in mind, Lin Shuang turned off her skill and approached the tall picture frame near the wall.
Even if the Family members hadn't shown up, she remembered this frame led to the proper dream.
But just before her fingers touched it, the frame lit up on its own.
Robin appeared, a celestial ring above her head.
"Hey—"
She landed softly and chuckled at Lin Shuang's startled expression.
She stepped closer, tilting her head playfully.
"I'm not too late, right?"
"Robin? Why are you here?"
"I came just for you."
Robin smiled and waved. Then she took Lin Shuang's hand and led her toward the frame.
"There's been a bit of trouble at The Reverie. Everyone needs a guide, so I thought I'd come pick you up myself."
Lin Shuang let herself be pulled toward the glowing picture frame.
Squinting into the light, she said:
"Thanks, Robin."
"No need—we're friends."
As the light faded, it revealed a vast empty space with a single corridor ahead. At the end was another large frame.
"Come on, this way. We'll go through that frame and enter the golden hour."
Robin raised her hand to point ahead, then took Lin Shuang and walked quickly down the corridor.
--+--
T/N: BE WARNED. I have not played penacony(I think i got to the point where I had to fight SAM then lost cause I had a team from fucking 1.1 w seele and that shi)
So vocab might be messed up.