The scene shifted, and the girl blinked.
Before her, scattered sparks gradually solidified into the flickering flame of a candle.
Clack, clack—
The sound of footsteps on wooden boards echoed beneath her feet.
She came to a halt, and when her senses returned, she found herself standing inside a room. The candle flame above her head swayed gently, and the melting wax sizzled as it dripped into the heart of the fire.
"'Friend,' we're here," Manhattan Cafe said, still holding her hand.
In the center of the room stood a long table, and across from it, two chairs were placed side by side.
The girl knew—those hadn't been there before Cafe spoke.
"Go on."
Cafe urged her forward.
Guided by her, the two sat down together. The soft, comfortable feel of the chair backs seeped into her spine and up into her mind.
Clearly, her senses were keenly absorbing everything about this environment.
This is bad…
The girl covered her face.
If this continued, her common sense would be utterly shattered by this dream.
Perhaps for Cafe, this world was just how things were—but to the girl, it felt like something out of an unbelievable fairy tale.
This so-called "dream" was steadily eroding her reason, and a bewildering sense of uncertainty washed over her, making it hard to distinguish reality from illusion.
"'Friend'? Are you feeling unwell?"
Manhattan Cafe asked with concern.
Even in a world that had become this irrational, in Cafe's mind, the shifts in the girl's expression still mattered more than anything.
"Cafe… do you know you're dreaming?"
The girl looked into her face as she asked.
"Dreaming…" Cafe blinked. "What do you mean?"
"This isn't real."
"What are you talking about, 'Friend'?" Manhattan Cafe laughed. "How could this not be real? Look."
She held out her hand, showing how their hands were tightly clasped together.
"I can feel… your warmth, your heartbeat, your voice. So how… how could this not be real?"
As she spoke, Cafe interlaced her fingers with the girl's, their hands locking together.
"See? We can even do this, right?"
A satisfied smile spread across Manhattan Cafe's face.
The girl's expression was troubled.
Clearly, the dreamer couldn't realize she was dreaming. No matter how the girl tried to remind her, Manhattan Cafe would only counter with illogical replies.
You can never wake someone who's pretending to sleep—just as you can never wake someone who believes they're already awake.
"You know, this is the first time you've held my hand, 'Friend'," Manhattan Cafe said with a blissful smile. "So this is what 'Friend' feels like… so warm."
The flickering candle flame seemed to alter the girl's perception.
Before she knew it, the two were no longer sitting side by side, but facing each other, their legs intertwined, and Manhattan Cafe gently clasping her hand.
"My soul…"
Manhattan Cafe spoke slowly, "I can feel it… the other half of my soul, here in this kaleidoscope world."
How utterly heartbreaking.
"Cafe, this is a dream…"
"'Friend,' whether it's a dream or reality, illusions are still a form of perception. If you think of it that way, then no matter what happens… it shouldn't feel strange, right?"
As she spoke, Manhattan Cafe leaned closer.
The girl struggled to keep her eyes open. The longer she remained in contact with Cafe, the more her consciousness blurred.
It was as if a veil had fallen over her eyes, and everything around her was shrouded in mist.
She couldn't see clearly… her eyes couldn't focus!
"The sun has already set, 'Friend.' Let us lose ourselves in the night…"
The soft voice seemed to whisper in her ear, yet also felt as if it came from somewhere far away.
The girl could no longer tell whether this was her dream or Cafe's.
I have to… hold onto my thoughts…
The girl desperately told herself.
She felt her body slipping out of her control, her consciousness detaching from her form.
Soon, she would become nothing but a true soul.
Gritting her teeth, driven by a stubborn will, she let go of Cafe's hand, pulled free her entangled legs, and stood up from the chair.
"'Friend'?" Manhattan Cafe's golden eyes widened in confusion, never having expected the girl to pull away from her.
The warmth that had flowed between their souls began to fade the moment their hands parted.
"Cafe." Even standing was a struggle, as if she were on a rocking boat. The girl shook her head, forcing herself to stay conscious. "Please, snap out of it…"
"I am awake," Manhattan Cafe said, moving to her side.
"Cafe, you might not know…"
"The one who isn't awake… is you—"
The tone of her voice shifted abruptly, and the next three words made the girl's eyes widen in shock.
"My other half."
…What?
Those cold, golden eyes seemed to pierce straight through to her heart.
Though her appearance hadn't changed at all, the feeling she gave off was entirely different.
That wild, unrestrained face was now reflected in the girl's pupils.
"Why?" the girl asked, clutching her head with difficulty. "Cafe?"
"I am Cafe, my other half." She drew closer, and the rich, coffee-like scent filled the girl's nostrils.
"What… do you mean?"
"There is only one Cafe in this world."
She smiled gently. "I 'ate' Cafe."
"I don't understand."
"Other half… you, me, and Cafe—our souls were always meant to be one."
She reached out and gently touched the girl's cheek.
"One…?"
"Have you still not realized it? Look." She pointed to a mirror in the center of the room, placed there just for the two of them.
The girl's eyes slowly widened.
Before her, it was 'Manhattan Cafe' who was caressing her face—but in the mirror, it was the girl herself, reaching out to touch her own cheek.
In an instant, a chill ran down her spine, and countless fragments of memory flashed through her mind.
She saw herself running on a track under the night sky, with nothing but emptiness ahead.
She saw herself standing before a mirror, her reflection staring back—utterly unremarkable.
She saw herself sitting in a dimly lit room, flipping through books, drinking coffee, completely alone.
She saw Agnes Tachyon greeting her, still conducting her annoying experiments as usual.
She saw her trainer, her seniors, she saw everyone—but one presence was missing… that one figure.
'My soul is complete.'
Those brief words struck her heart like a nail.
To 'eat' Manhattan Cafe meant to reunite souls that had once been separated.
Personality, emotions, memories—every element that constituted a person's consciousness would now merge and blur with the other.
Gone…
The most important person had vanished forever into this very body.
So lonely…
An overwhelming sense of loneliness flooded her mind. The girl couldn't help but hug herself tightly, her body trembling uncontrollably with cold.
Whose emotions were these?
And who… was 'I'?
Crack—
A crisp sound echoed in her ears. Cracks spiderwebbed across her vision, colorful fragments scattering and falling away. Then, with a pop, the world shattered into nothingness, and everything went dark.
Her eyes snapped open.
She found herself standing beside a bed. Gentle sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the covers.
"Mmm…"
In the bed, Manhattan Cafe let out a soft murmur, her eyes still closed.
She turned over, and her outstretched arm inadvertently brushed against the girl standing beside the bed.
As if sensing something, Manhattan Cafe's sleeping fingers slowly curled around the girl's hand. A contented smile graced her lips.
Heh…
I'm never stepping into anyone else's dreams again.
Once Cafe's grip loosened, the girl quietly left the room.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.