Steve's though went silent and this dream take over his mind.
Moon: "The dream has started."
He is younger in his dream.
He is on his bed, lying face down, buried in the bed.
Steve's Thoughts:
" I'm scared of loneliness. If my parents knew how lonely I was, they'd probably just get me another tutor. I'm just… tired of it all. I have nothing to live for. Someone would say, 'Live to fulfil your parents' dreams.' I tried, okay? I tried everything. Even if my body can keep going, my heart is in pain. I don't know what to do or what to choose. I just what shout "fuck it all and just quit living.", I've lost myself in fulfilling my roles. I feel so useless.
The constant comparison crushes me.
The me try to swim by slapping his hand and leg in the ocean of depression.
He grabs onto the only rope he knows—a fleeting escape. "If I'm depressed, I'll just sleep it, I escape the reality for few hours. One of the best to spoil your life.
I don't even know why I'm thinking this. I've lost many because of this. I've lost my innocence. As time passed, I started to love emptiness. I crave loneliness because that's the only time I can be with my raw self—an unpredictable animal that's caged in public. But rarely, very rarely, I feel a pain somewhere in my heart. It's not like the animal which is looking for a master to order it around. It's looking for a warm hand just to pat its head."
As time passes, he reaches adolescence at 15 or 16.
Each day, he tries to change himself. He starts a new hobby: writing whatever comes to his mind and then sleeping, hoping to dream of joy. He is scared of his past self and the emptiness that still lingers. The animal is still waiting. but the regrets were spreading like cancer in his mind.
One day, while he was along in the home, A soft knock echoes through the quiet house.
He freezes, his heart skipping a beat. "Who could that be?"
Curiosity pulls him to the door. He peeks through the window beside it and sees her—a girl, standing there nervously. She fidgets with the strap of her bag, her eyes darting around as if unsure whether she should stay or leave.
He hesitates, then opens the door just enough to see her.
Steve: "Who… who are you?"
Girl: "Um… mmm… I'm your classmate. You've taken my… my… book. I'm here to take it back."
Her voice is soft, barely above a whisper, and she's looking into his eyes like she looking his soul.
His heart pounds like crazy, his palms suddenly sweaty.
Steve (stammering): "I'll… I'll bring it to you."
Girl: "Can I wait inside?"
Her question catches him off guard. He nodded, stepping aside to let her in. The air feels charged, as if the universe itself is holding its breath.
He disappears into his room to fetch the book, his mind racing. "Who is she ?
When he returned, he handed her the book, their fingers brushing briefly.
Steve looking her face with a strange gaze: "Is this your book?"
Girl looking down: "Ya… ya…"
She takes it, clutching it to her chest like a shield.
Girl: "Thank you."
Steve: "Thank you."
There's a brief silence, heavy with unspoken words. Then she speaks again, her voice trembling but determined.
Girl: "And… can we meet again?"
Steve: "Mm… okay."
She smiles shyly, her cheeks still pink, and turns to leave. He watches her go, his heart still racing, unsure of what just happened but feeling a strange, unfamiliar warmth in his chest.
Moon: "The next morning, in his dream…"
He was getting ready to go to high school. His friend Deric was waiting outside in his car, honking the horn impatiently.
Stars: "Deric? That Deric? The one you banned us from watching?"
Moon: "Yes, that's the one."
A new star, curious and wide-eyed, turned to the older stars.
New Star: "Why is watching his dream banned?"
An older star leaned in, whispering so the Moon wouldn't hear.
Older Star: "He has… some rather peculiar and absurd dreams. The kind that are definitely not meant for younger stars. Once, a little star peeked into one of his dreams and was absolutely horrified by what she saw."
Little Stars: "What did she see?"
The older star lowered her voice even further.
Older Star: "Things like strange tentacles… and girls in… very unusual situations. Let's just say it was extremely weird."
Little Star: "Girls in… what kind of situations?"
Older Star: "Yes, those kinds of situations. It's probably better if you don't ask too many questions."
Moon: "Enough of that. He's off to school in his friend's car now."
The Dream Continues:
Time passed in the dream. He found himself sitting on a stone bench under a cherry tree, its petals gently falling around him. He looked depressed, lost in deep thought, staring into the emptiness.
Then, she appeared.
The girl from school was dressed in her uniform—a white shirt with red lines and a short red skirt, paired with long black socks. Her short, brownish hair waved gently in the breeze. She walked toward him, holding a sweet bun in her hand.
She sat beside him and offered the bun.
Girl: "I brought this for you."
He: "Who are you?"
Girl: "I'm your childhood friend."
He took the bun, his expression softening.
He: "You're the one who came yesterday, right?"
Girl: "Yes."
He: "Why do you want to meet me?"
Girl: "I want to tell you… 'I'm here. I came for you. I'm here for you.'"
He: "What…?"
Before he could process her words, she gently pulled his head to her chest. He froze for a moment, surprised, but then relaxed, letting himself sink into the warmth of her embrace.
His Thoughts: "I can hear her heartbeat. It's fast… and warm. This is the best thing I've ever rested my head on."
He slid his head onto her lap, looking up at her.
His Thoughts: "I can't see her face clearly—those… ahem… are blocking the view. But this is better."
She bent down, her face now close to his, their eyes meeting.
She bathed in the bright sunlight. I wish I could sleep like this every day and wake up seeing her face.
He closed his eyes, savouring the moment.
brrrrrrrrrrrr….. brrrrrr…. brrrrrrrrr…
The alarm in the real world rang, pulling him out of the dream. He woke up at 6:00 a.m., the warmth of the dream still lingering in his heart.
He couldn't remember the dream, but the feeling remained—a strange, comforting warmth that he couldn't quite explain.
Stars: "Mom, that girl in his dream… was that Sister Vega Lyrae the 5th elder sister, right?"
Moon: "Yes, it was her."
Moon and stars move to the other side to watch over the night as the sun rose.
The Moon turned to the new stars sent by Grandmother Nebula, her light glowing softly.
Moon: "Now, little ones, gather around. I am your mother, and the Sun is your father. From now on, you have many older sisters and brothers. Together, we will shine over the night and watch the beautiful dreams of all living creatures on Earth."
Little Stars: "What are dreams mother?"
Moon: "Dreams are built from the shadows of our emotions and memories. They bridge the conscious and unconscious mind, created by the unconscious mind.
Or you can say
Dream are strong emotions take in from"
[For the nerds who want more detail:" There are two types of dreams. The first is the 'real dream,' where the dreamer has some control over their actions. Like today, Steve's dream was real —he had control over himself, but the unconscious mind still shaped the world around him.
The second is the 'regular dream,' where the dreamer is like a doll, completely controlled by the unconscious mind.
In Steve's dream, Vega manipulates his unconscious mind, creating the illusion that she is his childhood friend. She isn't, but the unconscious mind builds the memory and every detail to make him believe it is real.
Vega is attached to his unconscious mind, subtly guiding his decisions in the dream. However, she can only influence him—she can't control everything.
There's also a rare type of dream, 'loose dream' where the dreamer knows they're dreaming and has full control over their dream. But those are exceptionally rare."
For real: Vega is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra and the fifth-brightest star in the night sky. has captivated astronomers and inspired countless legends across cultures.]
(As the sun rose, the moon travelled to the other side to peek into dreams.)
The wind blew, carrying the clouds across the sky. Wind and Cloud were brothers—Wind, the older one, always teased Cloud, who often ended up crying when they fought.
Wind: "Can't you walk on your own?"
Cloud: "No, I can't. Why do you keep asking that all day, just to get the same answer? You're the older brother, so you're supposed to carry me around!"
Wind: "I can't carry you forever. You're so heavy."
Cloud (pouting): "How can you call me heavy? Look at my soft, fluffy body. You're the one who's all air and no substance!"
Wind: "Okay, I'm done. I'm not telling you the story about him."
Cloud (eyes welling up): "No, no, no! Not that! I was listening to the dream from Sister Moon, and I wanted to know what happened during the day. I couldn't see him from here. But you—you can go anywhere and see everything. The little stars keep asking me about the daytime too. Please, please, please!"
Wind (sighing): "Stop that, and stop crying, or it'll rain. Fine, I'll tell you what's happening…"
The Day Unfolds:
Steve was on his way to work in his friend Deric's car. The morning sun streamed through the windows, casting a golden glow on the road ahead.
Deric leaned toward Steve. "Have you seen our company's new recruit? She's pretty attractive. Last night, I checked her Instagram, and guess what? She's single now. Her name's Lisa. Honestly, she's got the kind of looks that make you stop scrolling. I'm usually more into… well, you know. But even I was impressed."
He paused and waved a hand in front of Steve's face.
"Hey, hello? Are you even listening?"
Steve was lost in thought, that strange warmth still lingering in his chest.
"Yeah," he said absentmindedly. "She's good."
Deric raised an eyebrow. "Good? At what?"
"At work…?" Steve replied, finally looking at him.
Deric burst out laughing. "No wonder your bananas are still untouched."
A faint smirk appeared on Steve's face. "I'm waiting for someone who'll choose me for who I am. Someone who'll be the chosen one."
"Yeah," Deric said with a grin. "Good luck with that 'chosen one.'"
Steve quickly changed the subject. "You know that client with the huge nose? He still hasn't replied about the project."
Deric shrugged. "Call his manager."
The conversation drifted into work talk, the car humming along as the city passed by.
Time Passes:
Later that evening, Steve returned home. His mother was sitting on the sofa, watching TV. The soft glow of the screen illuminated her tired but content face.
Steve: "You're early today."
Mom: "Haven't I told you? The coffee shop owner's mother passed away, so I've been helping out there."
Steve: "Oh."
Mom smiled as she placed the food on the table. "I made your favourite today."
A few hours passed, and the house grew quiet except for the faint sound of the TV. Steve sat beside his mother, feeling that strange warmth in his chest growing stronger.
"Mom… Mom…" he called softly.
She shifted on the sofa, her eyes slowly fluttering open as she woke from her half-sleep.
"What…?" she murmured.
Steve hesitated for a moment, glancing at her before quietly asking, "Can I rest my head on your lap?"
She looked at him, her eyes softening, and smiled.
Mom: "Do you even need to ask? You can rest all you want."
Steve lay his head gently on her lap, her hand instinctively patting his head.
Mom's Thoughts: "It's been years since he's done this. I miss my son resting in my lap like this." Her eyes welled up, but she blinked the tears away, focusing on the rhythmic tapping of her hand on his head.
Steve fell asleep like a feather drifting to the ground, the warmth in his chest spreading through his entire being. For the first time in a long while, he felt at peace—not just in his dreams, but in the real world too.