Lily's eyes fluttered open, her eyes adjusting to her surroundings. Her breathing was panicked, and her head whipped around in confusion.
Where the hell am I…? Where's Yoshiki?! Did we win that fight?!
Her temples throbbed, and when she tried to move her arms, she couldn't. Lily's arms were chained to the wall above her head, her clothes were torn, and blood dripped from her lip, leaving a metallic taste against her tongue. The room was lit by a singular gold torch in front of her. The stone wall behind her was cold, and the smell was musty. To her left, she could see a purple void, swirling, endless.
A pocket dimension… whoever has us here is no joke…
"So, you're finally awake. You were out cold for a while…" Lily startled upon hearing a broken, raspy voice to her left.
She saw a young man, around the same age as herself and Seijuro. His chest was bare, his black hair stopping just before his eyebrows. A huge scar ran across his chest. His arms were pinned to the wall in a similar manner to herself. His black eyes looked at her, awaiting a response.
"Who are you?"
"Jiro. They brought you in five days ago. You were pretty banged up. You must've met that bastard, Jashin, huh?" He spat to his left and let out a bitter chuckle.
"Fucked me up pretty good," his chuckle breaking into a cough.
"Yeah… me too," Lily muttered. "Was… anyone else brought in?" Lily's voice betrayed a hint of concern as she looked at Jiro.
There was a short pause. His tone was cold.
"No… if you were with anyone, they were probably killed, left you, or weren't brought here." Lily's stomach sank.
No… they… didn't leave me, right? I know that much! Yoshiki wouldn't…
"Most likely," Jiro continued, "we're gonna die here. No one who gets taken from this place ever comes back. If the people who got us here can create pocket dimensions, we don't stand a chance. I'm sorry."
No… they… didn't leave me, right? I know that much! Yoshiki wouldn't…
Lily glanced at Jiro, searching his face for any sign of hope, but he looked away, already resigned to his fate.
Her legs instinctively curled towards her chest,
Big brother… you would've saved me… right… like you always do…? Why did you have to die…? I wouldn't be here then… big sister you'll come save me though, right?! That's right… you will… I know…
Her eyes began to glisten with tears, and fear filled her heart. She looked down, and a quiet sob broke from her lips.
"Hey…" Lily let out a sniffle, and she slowly looked at Jiro.
"You didn't tell me your name."
"Lily…"
"Nice name," Jiro murmured.
Lily offered a tight nod, the compliment doing little to ease the ache in her chest. The silence between them stretched, filled only by the faint hum of the swirling void nearby and the soft crackle of the torchlight.
"You've… been awake this whole time?" she asked, her voice hoarse.
Jiro let his head rest back against the wall, eyes half-lidded.
"On and off… my injuries from when they brought me here haven't healed yet. They didn't bother to patch me up."
Lily frowned. Her fingers flexed uselessly against the cold iron cuffs above her head. The skin at her wrists was raw.
"I was sent to find you and a group of other Dream Catchers with my partner…"
"The Fear Foundation really loves taking the piss… coulda sent a lieutenant, and Jashin would've been dead in minutes."
"They've got enough on their hands since the release of the Kings…" She sighed, looking back at him. "It doesn't really matter… because we're…"
"Dead anyway?" Jiro cut in. "Yeah."
A moment passed—and then, without warning, a dark shadow spilled across the floor.
A head emerged from the shadow. A woman shot upright as if yanked by invisible strings. Her hair was long and black, and a wide, unsettling grin split her face. Her skin was pale, and she was wearing a green jumper, black jeans, and worn trainers. The air in the room grew dense, suffocating.
"Modern clothing is still annoying to wear," she muttered as she glanced at herself, her gaze showing her disdain. "We prefer how clothing used to be…" Her focus shifted to Jiro and Lily, both staring wide-eyed,
Her… dark matter… it's… it's completely engulfing everything in here…
"We can taste your fear, you know," she said, giggling, the sound paralysing and unstable.
She placed her hands behind her back. The woman then leaned forward, her face inches away from Lily's, her breath—cold.
"You both talk, don't you? Then, can you tell me something, please?" She smiled sweetly.
As Jiro was about to speak, her right hand grasped around his mouth, slamming his head against the concrete wall behind him. Her head slowly turned to face him, her eyes bloodshot. Her smile was replaced with something ancient. Lily whipped her head to the left,
She's so fast! I didn't even see her move..:
"Do you really like to talk? Does fear not grip you like it does your little friend over there?" She moved her left hand directly onto the left side of his chest.
"Or, maybe…" she whispered, her breath tickling his ear, "we could just check…" Jiro's eyes widened in agony, feeling a sharp pull inside him, but his scream was muffled by her grip,
My chest! She's… gonna rip out my heart!
"W-wait!" Lily cried out.
In an instant, the woman was directly in front of her, her two slender fingers hovered over her eyes, glowing a faint dark purple,
"And just who," the woman whispered, her voice ice cold, "gave you permission to speak?" she suddenly blinked, and then broke into a childish giggle, "Oh wait! It was me! Haha! Sorry!" She began patting Lily's shoulder with eerie gentleness.
Lily and Jiro were frozen in confusion, she thought to herself,
What is with this lady…
"Sorry! My sister likes to get in the way of things! Always so serious!" The woman's fingers trailed down Lily's cheek now, her nails grazed her skin just enough to sting,
Sister…? What does… she mean…
Jiro coughed violently, blood dripping from his mouth as he struggled to breathe. Lily's eyes flicked toward him, her jaw tightened,
"Looks like moving his heart a bit has damaged him a little, you humans are quite weak, it's genuinely sad."
"I'm not afraid of you," Lily lied.
The woman's eyes lit up — not with amusement, but something colder. Purer. Like hunger wearing a human face.
"Good," she said. "Fear is boring when it's obvious. But denial? That's delicious."
She turned away, her body already starting to dissolve into black mist.
"Don't worry," her voice echoed as the shadows swallowed her, "We'll be back for your heart. His first, though. My sister likes to take her time." She giggled, and just like that — she was gone.
The torchlight flickered violently. The air felt thinner. Jiro slumped forward, barely conscious.