Edge of the dream

The soft rustling of leaves and the golden rays of a setting sun painted the real world in warm hues. Yumeko and I walked side by side through a meadow that stretched endlessly into the horizon. This wasn't the dream world; this was reality, and it felt surreal. She was here. Her soft laughter floated in the air as she pointed to a small flock of birds flying in perfect formation across the sky.

"Look, Yanagi! Don't they remind you of the stars we saw last night?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with the same wonder I saw in her when we explored my dreams.

I nodded, my gaze fixed on her rather than the birds. "Yeah... but the stars feel different in the dream world. They're closer, brighter, almost alive."

She giggled, her voice like a melody. "True, but I think it's the way you see them that makes them special."

Her words were simple, but they stayed with me. The way I saw things... did it mean the dream world was a reflection of me?

As we walked further, Yumeko seemed to notice my growing silence. She slowed her steps, her hands lightly brushing the wildflowers along the path. "You're thinking again, aren't you?"

I scratched the back of my neck, feeling a little sheepish. "Is it that obvious?"

"Only because I know you so well," she teased, giving me a playful nudge.

I stopped walking and looked out at the vast landscape. "Yumeko, I've been wondering... does the dream world have an edge? A place where it ends?"

Her expression shifted slightly, the lightheartedness in her eyes dimming just a little. She didn't answer immediately, which only made my curiosity grow.

"Why do you ask?" she finally said, her tone quieter now.

I shrugged, trying to sound casual. "I don't know. It's just... every night, I wander there, and it feels infinite. But if it's a world like this one, it has to have a boundary, right?"

Yumeko smiled softly but didn't meet my eyes. Instead, she turned to face the horizon. "What would you do if you found the edge, Yanagi?"

The question caught me off guard. "I... I don't know. Maybe I'd feel like I understand it better. Like I understand you better."

Her gaze softened, and she reached out, taking my hand in hers. "Some things aren't meant to be understood right away. Sometimes, you just have to trust what you feel."

Her touch was warm, grounding me in the moment. But her words only made me more curious.

After a while, in the middle of our leisure walk, I decided to ask her again. We were sitting by a shimmering lake, the water reflecting a sky full of swirling constellations. The dream world always felt alive, like it was breathing with us.

"Yumeko, I've been thinking about what you said earlier," I began, watching the ripples dance across the water. "About trusting what I feel. But... don't you ever wonder about the edge of this place?"

She was quiet for a moment, her gaze fixed on the stars above. "The edge isn't a place you can just find, Yanagi," she said finally. "It's... something you feel when the time is right."

Her answer felt like a riddle, and I couldn't hide my frustration. "But what does that even mean? If this world is connected to me, don't I have a right to know everything about it?"

She turned to me, her expression a mix of patience and something else I couldn't quite place. "It's not about rights, Yanagi. It's about readiness. The edge... it's not what you think it is."

"Then what is it?" I pressed, leaning closer.

She hesitated, and for a moment, I thought she wouldn't answer. But then she looked at me, her eyes holding a depth that made my breath catch. "The edge is where dreams meet reality. It's where you'll find the truth about yourself. But once you find it, there's no going back."

Her words sent a shiver down my spine. "No going back?"

She nodded, her gaze unwavering. "Some truths change everything, Yanagi. You have to ask yourself if you're ready for that."

I didn't know what to say. The idea of the edge being more than just a physical boundary was something I hadn't considered. It sounded... final, like crossing it would mean leaving something behind.

We sat in silence for a while, the only sounds being the gentle lapping of the water and the occasional rustle of the trees. I wanted to push for more answers, but part of me knew that Yumeko had already told me as much as she could.

Instead, I let myself relax, leaning back on the soft grass and staring up at the stars. "You know, Yumeko," I said after a while, "even if I never find the edge, I think I'd be okay. As long as you're here, this world feels complete."

She smiled, and it was the kind of smile that could light up the darkest corners of my mind. "And as long as you're here, Yanagi, this world will always have meaning."

Her words were comforting, but they also left me with more questions than answers. What did she mean by "the truth about myself"? And why did finding the edge feel so important all of a sudden?

As the dream began to fade, I found myself standing alone by the lake. The stars above seemed to shimmer a little brighter, almost as if they were trying to tell me something.

When I woke up the next morning, the questions were still there, lingering in the back of my mind.

What was the edge of the dream world? And more importantly, was I really ready to find it?