Rigel took a startled step back, his heart racing. "It's you, you're—you're her."
The girl rose a brow, tilting her head to the side in confusion. "Pardon? Have we met before?"
"Yes, in my dream!" He blurted out before he could stop himself, the words tumbling out like an uncontained rush of water.
Her eyes widened in shock at his admission, and then realization dawned on her face. Rigel immediately recognized how utterly weird that sounded.
"Fuck!" He cursed under his breath, the heat of embarrassment creeping up his neck. He looked back at the girl, who was still staring at him with an unreadable expression that made him even more anxious.
"I'm sorry—I didn't," he stammered, clearing his throat as he already turned to walk away, desperate to escape the awkward situation. "Forget what I said."
"Wait!" The girl yelled, but Rigel was already running toward the door, reaching for the doorknob—anything to escape the tension that hung thick in the air.
"You can't leave!" she called after him, her voice laced with urgency. But Rigel ignored her, twisting the doorknob and stepping outside—except it wasn't outside at all. Instead of stepping into the bustling street he expected, Rigel found himself entering a completely different space. It felt surreal, as if he were floating; but there was something solid beneath his feet, yet he couldn't see what it was. The space sparkled and shimmered around him, with clouds swirling around a luminous moon that hung in the middle like a watchful eye.
Rigel swallowed hard and turned around to leave, only to discover that the door had vanished entirely.
"What the fuck—" he breathed out shakily. "What is going on?!"
"You're in the dreamscape," came a voice from behind him.
Rigel spun around again and took another startled step back. His heart raced as he stared at fourteen teens standing before him—a group that seemed both familiar and foreign. Among them was the auburn-haired girl who had initially caught his attention.
A girl with long flowing silver-blonde hair that seemed to shimmer like starlight stepped forward confidently.
"You're in the dreamscape," she repeated, her voice melodic yet firm.
"I got that," Rigel sighed warily, trying to steady himself amidst the whirlwind of confusion and disbelief. "But why am I here? And why—" He swallowed hard as his gaze fell on the auburn-haired girl again. He took another step back, looking away from her piercing eyes. "Who—who are you guys?"
"You said you saw Mira in your dreams," the silver-haired girl stated matter-of-factly, and Rigel knew immediately who she was referring to.
His eyes flickered back to the auburn-haired girl; he gulped nervously and took another step back, desperately maintaining enough distance between himself and this strange group of teens.
"Not just her," he said cautiously as his gaze shifted to a blonde boy standing with his arms folded tightly across his chest, glaring at him with suspicion. Beside him stood a raven-haired girl who regarded him with an expression of boredom that only added to Rigel's discomfort. "I'm pretty sure you all were there."
"This isn't right, Elara," a boy with dyed blue hair interjected suddenly, his tone urgent. "He isn't supposed to remember us; this has never happened before."
"He isn't supposed to be in the dreamscape either," another dark-skinned boy commented thoughtfully.
All eyes turned towards Rigel then, and an overwhelming sense of dread washed over him; he really should have just gone home.
"Who are you?" Elara—the girl with silver-blonde hair—demanded fiercely. "And who sent you here?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Rigel exclaimed in frustration, raising his hands defensively. "I—I really don't! Please believe me! I don't know what's going on or where the hell I am or what is happening!"
A heavy silence fell over them as all fourteen teens just stared at him intensely. Rigel held his breath under their scrutiny; it felt like they were peering straight into his soul. Finally, it was broken by Kael—the dark-skinned teen who had spoken earlier.
He let out a loud groan of exasperation. "He isn't lying; I sense no deceit or falsehood in him. He's telling the truth."
Elara turned sharply to look at Kael, her brows furrowing with concern. "Are you sure? We can't afford to be wrong about this."
Kael nodded firmly, determination etched on his face. "I'm sure."
Elara sighed loudly in frustration and snapped her fingers decisively. In an instant, a bright light began to shine behind Rigel like a beacon in the darkening gloom of confusion that surrounded him. He immediately spun around again and gasped as where there had once been empty space now stood two enormous open double doors that seemed to glow with an inviting warmth. The fourteen teens began walking toward it purposefully while Rigel watched in stunned silence.
"Come on," Elara urged as she walked past him with an air of authority. "We have a lot to talk about."
Rigel hesitated for just a moment longer before reluctantly following them.
God, he really should have just gone home.