Silence fell over the containment chamber—and across the multiverse.
Then, the chat group erupted.
"WTF?! The Reverie was a child's imaginary world?!"
"And it collapsed because the kid died?!"
Conan's deduction hung in the air like a requiem.
Clef studied him. "Explain."
Conan glanced at Jade, still kneeling by the box, then spoke softly:
"Because only children understand children."
He painted the story:
A boy. A shoebox. A world born from folded paper and boundless imagination.
Dragons. Giants. Beasts.
A Pact to share this realm.
Then—
"The creator died. The Foundation's clinical scrutiny starved the Reverie of wonder."
The agents stood frozen.
As if to confirm his words, the box shuddered.
The red dragon emerged—wings torn, barely flying.
It dropped a note before collapsing into Jade's palms:
[War.]
[Goodbye, friends.]
A dragon's last breath.
Jade sobbed as she pressed a cartoon bandage onto its wing.
The multiverse ached.
Then—
BOOM!
Flames erupted from the box—1700°C inferno.
Distant roars echoed—true dragon cries.
Shredded paper rained down.
The red dragon's corpse among them.
Jade cradled it, weeping.
Clef opened the box. Inside:
A scroll, partially burned.
[Are you there, friends? We miss you.]
[The Reverie is gone. Giants dead. Minotaurs fallen. Avians fled.]
[We burn our Chamber. We won't risk harming you.]
[Perhaps one day, your kin will rebuild. Until then—farewell.]
The words "Here Be Dragons" charred away—
Replaced by:
"Here Were Dragons."
Site-0 • Office
Clef stared at the dead paper dragon on his desk.
For the first time, the unshakable doctor hesitated.
Memories surfaced:
A world of floating mountains.
Golden shores.
Dragons soaring under twin suns.
A Pact forgotten.
"We betrayed them," he murmured.
"Not with malice. With neglect."
The New Reverie
A dragon and a giant sat by a waterfall.
"Will they come back?" the giant rumbled.
The dragon watched the horizon.
"Someday."
"I miss them," the giant admitted.
The dragon flexed its wings—newly folded from fresh paper.
"Then let's find them."
Epilogue
Perhaps one day,
You'll find a paper dragon on your desk.
Don't be afraid.
It's just an old friend,
Keeping a promise.