Talk in Dreams 1

In a sea of strangers, Ithri stood completely exposed. His skin burned with vulnerability, and his instincts screamed at him to shield himself.

Frantic hands moved to cover him, but he froze. Slowly, he dropped his arms, exhaling.

'Classic dream,' he thought with a sigh.'The Dreamcatcher's work. I slept.'

"Enigma dragged me to sleep," he muttered, piecing it together. 'I'm dreaming right now. So I'm safe. He didn't do anything to my body. And I still have my consciousness. That means I'm in my room.'

His sharp eyes scanned the crowd. On the back of his left hand, a faint glow pulsed a four-star symbol, alive with shifting lines.

He focused on it.

--- 

The world around him unraveled.

Shapes and colors ran, blended, dripped, and faded into an empty void like paint running down a canvas.

The darkness was not silent. A low hum enveloped him, faint at first, but rising steadily, pressing into his senses.

A sudden flash of light made Ithri recoil. Instinctively, he shut his eyes and raised his hand to shield them.

The next instant, he opened his eyes to find himself seated at the table. The smooth, dark surface shimmered faintly, alive with subtle movement.

He opened them again, peering through his fingers. Figures in shadow surrounded an oval table; their faces blurred like the dream was distorting. 

 'Can see them but not focus' frustratingly he thought. It's like trying to read in a dream. Blurry, elusive. Same feeling.

Across from him sat a figure, their features entirely concealed by the same shifting haze.

He knew immediately he'd interrupted something.

" Pirate " one of the figures was saying, their voice sharp and commanding, "Are you sure you saw it? This isn't the time for uncertainties. "

"Of course I'm sure! " barked the one called Pirate, his voice full of indignation. " The signs were clear plain as stars! "

Ithri's mind raced, trying to make sense of the scene. ' Looks like I've stumbled into a random meeting. ' The thought brought a faint urge to smirk, which he quickly suppressed.

The conversation ground to a halt. One of the figures turned toward him, and though their eyes were hidden, their gaze felt piercing, like it could see far more than he wanted to reveal.

"It seems, " the figure said in a slow, deliberate tone, "a new party joins our small table."

All the shadowy heads turned to him at once. The atmosphere shifted, heavy and charged, as if he had suddenly become the center of their collective focus.

"And what shall we call you?" one asked, casual and probing at once.

Ithri hesitated, his mind racing. 'I can't use either my real name or the black market one, I have to have some space between my personas '.

"Mr. Boy," he finally said, letting the name slip out smoothly, as though it had always been his.

" Good name, " a female voice responded amused. "You're wise not to use your real name here. "

" I am Phinx " she continued, her voice smooth, steady, and commanding. "That's Mr. Dog. "

She gestured toward another figure. " And over there is the King of Pirates though we simply call him Pirate."

Ithri nodded slightly, keeping his expression neutral while quietly sizing up the group.

"Is this all there is to this… common dream world?" he asked, his voice feigning indifference.

Mr. Dog leaned forward, a faint glint of pride in his voice as he began explaining. " Yes and no. Yes, this is your room now. But no, it's not the only one." He gestured toward the empty chairs surrounding the table. "This space can hold up to thirteen people. Currently, there are eight here. You're the ninth. "

" There are more rooms, then?" Ithri pressed, his curiosity genuine.

"Correct," Phinx replied, her words deliberate and precise. "The room you're in now is assigned randomly on your first entry. After this, it's yours bound to you. You'll wake up here every time."

"Can I switch rooms?" Ithri asked, his tone sharper than he intended.

" You can " Phinx answered, her lips curving into a sly smile. "But it comes at an expensive cost. Most people stay where they are."

Ithri raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly. "I heard you can do business here and there's a bidding auction too."

"Yeah," Phinx confirmed, her tone carrying a faint edge of curiosity as she glanced around the table. "It happens every month, and the dream servant is the middleman. If it's physical goods, they arrange the exchange, but most of the time, it's books, maps, or videos of dungeon discoveries, not physical items." She paused, scanning the crowd with her eyes. "The next one is in about eighteen days."

She gestured subtly to the others. "And of course, we do business here deals are made nightly."

Mr. Dog added his voice in a practical and steady tone. "The most important thing we share here is information. That's the real currency in this place: deals, trades, alliances-everything hinges on what you know, or what you can offer.

Phinx leaned back, her sharp smile cutting through the haze. "That includes secrets and rumors. This isn't just a playground, Mr. Boy it's a marketplace for power and influence. At night, you talk; in the morning, you act. "

Ithri nodded slowly, his mind racing. Information, auctions, investments This dream world isn't just a fun game; it has what I need... and more.

" Eighteen days, eh? " he said aloud, letting a faint smile creep onto his lips. "Guess I'd better start preparing."

The pirate, silent until now, leaned forward with a sneer. " What will you bring? " His tone was brusque, almost challenging.

Ithri's smile widened a glint of mischief in his eyes. " I'll keep it a surprise, " he said smoothly, leaning back in his chair.

" Bah," the pirate growled, unimpressed in the least.

Phinx raised a hand to calm the tension. " Don't mind him " she said with a dismissive wave. " He's always like this. "

Ithri waved lazily, as though brushing off the pirate's irritation, but his sharp eyes caught the simmering frustration beneath the man's demeanor. Touchy, aren't we?

The debates continued. He did not comment yet instead, leaning back in his chair, he let their words flow over him while his eyes darted from one shadowy face to another around the table.

As the conversation flowed, Ithri remained quiet, subtly adding or removing details from his mental file on each person.

After circling two subjects between the three of them including some mention of an unbelievable technique that had surfaced last night in New Atlantis their focus shifted to something more significant: the Revolutionary Act taking hold in New Atlantis.

" Enigma, "Ithri thought.