Yu-na awoke in a space of immaculate white, utterly devoid of any blemish.
Every direction was enveloped in white, making it impossible to discern front from back.
Even her shouts merely echoed, no other sound breaking the profound silence.
Pushing aside a vague sense of dread, Yu-na recalled the Merchant’s words.
‘If you consume someone’s dream while thinking of your grandmother, you will awaken within her dream. Should you wish to escape, simply snap your finger; there is no need for concern.’
Yu-na gently touched her finger.
Yet, now was not the time for such an action.
‘However, if you do so, your grandmother will not be able to return to her original state. Therefore, I will instruct you on what you must do. The first place you arrive will likely be the superficial layer of the dream.’
“Everything is white, without any contamination, you said.”
Yu-na lay down on the floor and slowly closed her eyes.
‘Your objective is simple: continue to sleep. Do so until you eventually awaken in the deepest layer of the dream.’
Sleeping again while already in a dream was a peculiar sensation.
Yu-na remembered her dad once mentioning the term ‘dream within a dream’.
Although she didn’t know the precise meaning, it seemed to broadly describe her current predicament.
As a ringing filled her ears, Yu-na felt her consciousness gradually fade and her body gently float upwards.
When the haze that had enveloped her mind slowly dissipated and the weight of her eyelids no longer registered, Yu-na opened her eyes once more.
Still, there was little perceptible difference from before.
It remained a mere white, silent expanse.
Without rising, Yu-na closed her eyes again while still lying down.
Yu-na surrendered to the familiar sensation.
‘How many more times must I repeat this?’
After about ten cycles of sleeping and waking, the anomaly occurred.
“Hahahaha—!”
Though the space itself remained white, as if perfect purity were a sin, black figures were now roaming about, gathered in small groups.
‘When the first anomaly appears, you will have arrived at the middle layer of the dream. Since everyone’s dreams are unique, I cannot presume to predict what you will encounter, but at least for now, it should not be dangerous.’
True to his words, they seemed to pay Yu-na no particular mind.
Some merely chattered and laughed in an incomprehensible language, while others spun around playfully, as if performing a Ganggangsullae (TL Note: A traditional Korean circle dance).
Suddenly, she remembered a movie she had watched with her grandmother long ago.
It was a film about black spirits coming to capture naughty children.
‘Back then, watching it with Grandma, it wasn’t scary at all…’
The oppressive atmosphere, coupled with her current situation, made her shiver involuntarily.
Recalling the reason she had come to this place, Yu-na steeled her resolve.
Yu-na closed her eyes again.
Having done it a few times already, falling back asleep took less than a minute.
When she opened her eyes, the number of black figures had slightly increased since before.
‘The Merchant said I wouldn’t know when it would get dangerous. I need to be careful.’
To be precise, the Merchant had warned her to be cautious as she wouldn’t know when she reached the deepest layer.
Fortunately, it seemed she was still in the middle layer, as they showed no interest in Yu-na.
When Yu-na fell asleep and awoke once more.
The number of black figures had noticeably grown.
What had been a Ganggangsullae of only about five people earlier had now transformed into a gathering of over twenty.
Yu-na closed her eyes.
‘It’s still okay.’
Thump-thump-thump— Thump—!
Opening her eyes to the loud noise, Yu-na found herself at the very center of the Ganggangsullae.
The black figures circled around Yu-na, their heavy footsteps thudding rhythmically.
And as if spectating, those not participating in the Ganggangsullae were also staring at Yu-na.
Yu-na felt tears welling up in her eyes.
Clutching her finger, she fell back asleep.
Thump-thump-thump— Thump-thump—!
There were even more people now.
And they felt a little closer.
Yu-na forced herself to ignore everything and fell asleep again.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
There were too many of them.
The number of black figures had swelled to such an extent that the white space was almost entirely obscured.
Though still in the middle layer, it felt as if the deepest layer was truly close at hand.
A powerful urge to snap her finger struck Yu-na.
‘I can do this.’
Clutching her trembling hands, Yu-na slowly closed her eyes.
****
‘It’s quiet.’
Yu-na almost wished it were louder.
The abrupt, profound silence made Yu-na hesitant to open her eyes.
She feared that the moment she did, the terrible things she was only imagining would manifest.
“Haa… Hooo…”
However, she couldn’t remain like this indefinitely, so Yu-na cautiously opened her eyes.
In stark contrast to the superficial layer, the entire world was steeped in darkness.
“Is this the deepest layer of the dream? But the sky seems to be squirming…”
And then, the sky opened its eyes.
Eyes opened not just in the sky, but everywhere.
‘The world isn’t dark.’
The black figures were surrounding Yu-na.
Beneath the two eyes, another circle began to spread open.
From Yu-na’s limited life experience, that position indicated a mouth.
‘If you truly feel you are in danger, that place will be the deepest layer. You must remember this well from now on.’
Yu-na replayed the Merchant’s words in her mind.
“First, snap your finger!”
Snap—
With the sound of bones crushing, the world began to distort.
The mouths of the black figures stretched wider and wider, then transformed into an unsettling liquid that stained the white space dark.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
‘Then, where you awaken will be the dream immediately prior, just before the deepest layer.’
Yu-na pushed past the black figures surrounding her and bolted away.
‘Keep running. You must find the path to the correct dream.’
Looking back, she saw the circling black figures gradually cease their movements and begin to chase after Yu-na.
‘Once these entities recognize your anomaly, they will gradually begin to pursue you. However, there is no need to worry. Those in the middle layer cannot inflict any physical harm upon you.’
Despite the Merchant’s assurance, her worry did not vanish, and Yu-na had to forcibly steady her trembling legs.
Thump
Thump-thump
Thump-thump-thump—!
The footsteps grew progressively closer.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump
As the sound intensified to a level almost beside her, Yu-na couldn’t help but turn her head.
Right beside Yu-na, a black figure stared at her, its two eyes wide open.
Unconsciously, Yu-na’s hand moved towards her other finger.
‘Therefore, under no circumstances must you snap your finger. If you return to the previous dream after they have recognized your anomaly, they will no longer be the entities you knew.’
“No!”
Yu-na screamed, trying desperately to summon her dormant courage.
‘Now, I will explain how to enter the correct dream.’
Yu-na continued to run.
Normally, she would have been exhausted by now, but perhaps because it was a dream, she felt no particular fatigue.
‘The path to the correct dream varies greatly depending on the circumstances. However, since you are your grandmother’s family, you will undoubtedly discover the way to her dream.’
In the distance, a rocking chair appeared in Yu-na’s sight.
“That’s it.”
As she drew closer, a familiar voice emanated from the chair.
“Long, long ago, in a distant past, when tigers roared, even celestial maidens and woodcutters would flee… The doctor would treat the children of the village…”
It was a story her grandmother had always told Yu-na.
“This is it.”
‘If you find the entrance to the correct dream, you may immediately snap your finger. Ah, my apologies. I have been rather forgetful lately. Let me correct myself: You must not snap your finger. Instead, seek sleep there. I will repeat: You must absolutely not snap your finger.’
Yu-na sat in the rocking chair.
A familiar warmth enveloped her, and she drifted into sleep, forgetting the presence of the black figures around her.
****
The place where she awoke was white, much like the superficial layer of the dream.
It was undeniably a space that exuded the atmosphere of the ‘correct dream’.
And then, a voice spoke.
“Hello?”
It was a girl with a large scar on her face.
“Huh? Who… are you?”
The girl chuckled softly.
“Well, I was supposed to disappear, you see. I even made a deal with the Merchant about it. It seems there was someone else who remembered me. Perhaps… your grandmother?”
The girl spoke in a way Yu-na couldn’t comprehend.
“Anyway, it hasn’t been that long, has it? I helped you once before, you know.”
“Huh?”
“I’m talking about the business card. Do you think you could have made that decision in that situation?”
Yu-na couldn’t possibly understand what the girl was talking about.
“Well, that’s not important right now. You’re trying to find your grandmother, aren’t you?”
“Yes…”
“Then follow me.”
Yu-na matched the girl’s pace and followed her.
Strangely, Yu-na felt no threat whatsoever from this girl.
Soon, the girl stopped before a colossal statue that stood in lonely solitude.
It was a man who resembled her dad, but with a more haggard appearance.
“Stab this with a knife.”
“Who is this? And I don’t have a knife.”
“This man… he is your grandmother’s mistake. It’s time to grant him peace. And the knife is already in your hand.”
“Huh? Oh?”
Just as the girl said, a short dagger rested in Yu-na’s right hand.
“Why is this here?”
“Don’t doubt it. This is a dream. Anything can happen in a dream, can’t it? Outside, you were only crying, but here, you’ve been exceptionally calm, haven’t you? Dreams, after all, often diverge greatly from reality.”
Yu-na nodded and slowly took a step forward.
One step, two steps.
The statue waited silently for Yu-na, utterly devoid of movement.
Yu-na raised the dagger high.
“Aargh!”
The tip of the blade then fiercely plunged towards the statue’s chest.
Thwack—!
As Yu-na withdrew the dagger from the statue, a transcendent light burst forth from the wound.
That light began to collapse the dream world.
And from the fissures of the fading world, the girl’s voice resonated.
“Thank you…”
****
The place where Yu-na opened her eyes was unequivocally reality.
The peaceful grassland had vanished, replaced by a ruined city where countless people lay fallen.
In this dire scene, only one person stood, clutching their arm.
“Yu-na… well done.”
