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(Perplexed chirping)

W-What kind of creatures are these?!

Oh my, did someone come to?

The crisp sound of heels striking the ground rings out from the shadows.

And thereupon a figure emerges, and slowly draws close to Sakiko.

Clack, clack.

Humph! How boring.

<i>Fairytales tell of a castle that only children can see, somewhere in Victoria.</i>

<i>Kind fairies live in the castle, treating children to banquets and making their wishes come true with sweet dreams.</i>

<i>But no one knows what the Castle of Dreams really looks like.</i>

<i>The sweet dreams begin to fade from memory the moment the children leave the dream.</i>

<i>Sweet dreams are continuously created and forgotten.</i>

<i>A cycle of creation and forgetting.</i>

<i>Is this not rather unfair to the gentle, overworked fairies?</i>

<i>'Yes, Morpheus.'</i>

Welcome to the Castle of Dreams. I am its current Master, Morpheus.

Master of the... Castle of Dreams...? You—what have you done?!

Exactly what you dreamt of, no? I had you all dream a dream. Simple.

*sigh* But your dreams are no entertainment. Just filled to the brim with boredom.

(Mutters) Not to mention those... two horrid pests.

You know them? Iris... and Bena?

I wouldn't say we're intimate.

So they're real? They don't just exist in the dream?

I <i>wish</i> they only existed in dreams.

Now could you stop bringing them up?

You're talking to me! I'm the Master of this place right now!

Let me leave.

Not happening.

Why would I just let you go, now? So few children have come to the Castle of Dreams lately.

The Corettons can't talk. There's a single Wolff and it can't stop stammering.

(Dismayed chirping)

S-Sorry.

You trapped me in this castle because you, personally, were bored?

As if I'd do it to just anyone! No.

Your memories were interesting—your experiences. And those alien places! I studied them over and over.

You pried into my memory...?

Didn't the blue one tell you? Understanding a child's past is vitally important to creating a dream for them.

Now. You're quite special...

Even after all the unforgettable things you've been through, your mind has stayed clear as a whistle.

Now, to make up for this little regret, I'll spin you another sweet dream. We happen to be face-to-face this time, so you can tell me—

Wallowing in dreams and the pain of the past is a sign of weakness.

Heh. Stubborn, aren't you!

Well, if you're to be believed, and those who cannot face the truth are cowards...

Then there certainly are a lot of cowards around.

The curtains are pulled open, and chairs slowly rise from under the stage.

In those chairs sit the most familiar faces Sakiko could know.

Uika... Mutsumi?

Yūtenji-san... even Yahata-san?

...Why are they all sleeping?

The surroundings have become as a stage.

The sleeping girls are like dolls on a set in peaceful slumber.

Not a whisper, not a sound.

Sakiko tries to wake each one of them up, but to no avail.

Save it. It's useless.

I'm more than confident in my abilities. They're deep in their sweet dreams, and you won't be able to rouse them.

Say, is there anything wrong with the dreams I've spun for you?

Your Rhodes Island friends trust you. Isn't that nice? No unwanted farewells, and no need to hide behind a mask.

Look at these girls. Are you calling them cowards too?

Since I can wake up from your dream, they can too...

Suddenly, Sakiko feels powerful forces pulling at her, and finds her limbs caught tightly in threads.

She fights the panic of not being in control of her own body, trying to stay calm.

But the tightly-wound threads magnify her every tremble.

You are SO STUBBORN. Can't you just admit when a dream is beautiful?!

You...

Sakiko struggles to rein in her breathing.

You... you do seem confident in your powers, don't you?

Perhaps no one before me has escaped one of your dreams.

Of course! I'm the top dreamspinner of all the Castle's fairies.

Your awakening was an accident. Give it another shot, and I'm sure it won't happen again!

Sakiko can clearly see Morpheus clenching her teeth through those last few words, but an expression of bright innocence replaces it in the blink of an eye.

Yes... Sakiko Togawa, was it?

If you're so confident, let's make a bet!

...A bet?

Yes! An absolutely fair and even one!

The more childlike the smile on her conversant's face, the more dangerous she seems.

Hah-hah! It's very simple!

Even as the girl rounds the stage, Sakiko can feel Morpheus's glare fixed on her. Not just hers; there are countless more eyes on Sakiko, peering from the darkness.

I'll invite you into each of their dreamlands, and give you the opportunity to wake them up.

You can meet them, get to know them, and see the kinds of lives they're leading in there. I'll let you leave if you can make them wake up like you did.

And if you fail, they'll stay dreaming forever!

...I'll wake them up.

I won't leave a single member of Ave{@nbs}Mujica behind.

I selected each of them because they were the best of the best. I will not allow you to manipulate any of them.

Hah-hah! We'll see about that. If you fail, I'll have a nice tailor-spun dreamland for you to go back into too.

And this time, you won't wake up again. I'll make you forget all your old hurt and make you willingly live inside it.

Well? Getting cold feet? Do you want to take back all that bluster?

I could decline on the spot, but you would hardly let me go, would you?

Hah-hah! You're smart!

I look forward to seeing the look of despair and helplessness on your face when you find yourself in their dreams, Sakiko Togawa.

I'll prove it to you—you won't get away.

Morpheus waves a finger, and Sakiko's vision immediately blurs.

Nngh—!

Colorful, twisted lights and shadows rush into Sakiko's mind.

A cheering crowd in front of the stage.

A shadow in a rainy night.

A lone girl sitting on a chair.

Countless indistinct silhouettes.

Enjoy sweet dreams—

An unending stream of cars, towering buildings reaching into the clouds, and inescapable neon signs.

Am I out of dreamland now?