Arising Flame of The New Phoenix

Prologue, Part 6: Dream?

"Where...Am I?"

In a vast, empty void, Annie stood in confusion, questioning how, why, and when did she get here.

The last memory she could remember was moments before drifting off to sleep on her cozy bed, nestled under a warm blanket. However, when she opened her eyes, she found herself standing somewhere in an unfamiliar unknown. At first, she thought she was dreaming, but she felt like she was fully conscious and aware of everything in her surroundings as well herself. She believes that being fully conscious and aware inside a dream is only fiction, thus she convinces herself that she is currently experiencing a pretty unique lucid dream.

She proceeds to wander around hoping to find something other than the endless blinding void that does not seem to reach anywhere. She can only hear nothing but her own footsteps that echoes infinitely even though there are no walls or floor for sounds to bounce around. She wonders if she is even stepping on something to walk or is just floating in the air.

"Hello??"

She tries to yell, hoping for a response from the abyss, seeking assuring that she is not alone in this infinite void.

Unsurprisingly, the void stood silent.

"Is anybody here!?"

Not giving up, she calls for a second attempt, but as expected, the void stands silent again.

She continues to wander again and again, yet finds not a single hint of hope. The unending search for something in the infinite dream has started to wear down her mind, her face begins to show frustration and anxiety. In an attempt to avoid surrendering her mind, she recollected her mind and calmed herself.

Acknowledging that there might be no help or anything in a while, she sat down, pondering on what to do.

She wonders if this is even a dream or if she has actually been transported somewhere else. Was it the rifts? should have she listened to Mia? Or perhaps, she has finally plunged down to insanity? Exploring every possibility that could happen and may lead into this situation, but it only resulted in even more confusion.

After several minutes trying to find an answer, the best effort she can currently do is to wait until something finally happens. With this resolve, she proceeds to lay down to the invisible ground, stretching her hands outwards.

For some inexplicable reason, she felt drowsy. She wondered if it is possible to sleep inside a dream thus dreaming twice. Without giving a second thought, she closes her eyes for a brief moment.

"Are you bored?"

Startled, Annie immediately wakes up upon hearing a voice right beside her ear.

"Huh!?"

She turns around, seeing another person right beside her standing with a smile.

The person in front of her appears to be a light blue haired woman that looks nearly identical to Annie, almost as if it's an exact copy of her or a figure coming straight out of a mirror. She wears an unbuttoned deep blue colored coat with a dark gray suit and a vest covered by the coat, along with dark blue slim tactical pants.

"Who- Who are you?" Annie asks in confusion.

The woman paused briefly, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, right! I suppose I should introduce myself first." She said with a smile, tilting her head slightly.

"My name is Leina. You can just say Lina."

She pauses momentarily before continuing her speech.

"Before you're going to ask, what I'm about to tell you is something you're not supposed to understand yet. So, if you're confused, don't freak out! You will understand later. I can't tell you exactly at the moment." She said with another smile while shrugging.