"You have like half an hour before you can return to the Mortal Realm, Serena." Her Life Watcher, Vitalus, informed Serena once she entered the Dream Realm.

She sighed, staring around her empty and blank surroundings. She thought she would be able to rest peacefully without any disturbances.

"Okay, but why do I have to be in the Dream Realm to do it? Couldn't I have done it while back home?"

"Unfortunately, no."

She sighed as he chuckled.

"It's easier for all the gods to get a better reading of what's surrounding your life force than when on Earth and if something is affecting it." He explained.

"Thus, still being able to protect you if that ghostly being turns up again to hurt you, too."

Vitalus gave her an encouraging look.

"Either way, since you're already here, just play around in this Dream Realm. Have fun or something. Maybe go on that dream date since you can't do that on Earth."

She eyed the immortal.

"I choose not to date because I don't really have time for it and it's not a priority."

He scoffed, but didn't comment yet Serena continued.

"Anyway, maybe you can finally ask Korethorani out on a proper date after centuries of making excuses."

"I have done no such things." He denied as he eyed her suspiciously.

"Which one of them told you though?"

"I ain't telling."

Serena cast him with a smug look as Vitalus rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Stay safe and be cautious. Anything can happen in the Dream Realm."

"Yes, yes, Vitalus. I know. Thanks as always."

"Anyway, remember, just find something to do until time runs out in less than twenty-five minutes."

"Okay, okay."

Serena watched as Vitalus teleported away before releasing a long and deep sigh.

"Hmm, what should I do though?"

She gazed about her surroundings, not in the mood to conjure up something for the place to her liking. Heck, Serena couldn't even think of what to wear like usual either. She stayed in the same clothes as she was even surprised she didn't get some type of song going on in the background, too.

"Hmm, probably there is something wrong with me nowadays." She mumbled, sighing.

Maybe she did need the gods to check her life force to see what was up with her. She ran a hand through her hair just as she faintly heard a sound before realizing a song was playing. She listened to the lyrics, but it was not something she listened to, but knew her sister, Melanie, did though.

"Hmm, I wanna show you off. I wanna brag about it. I wanna tie the knot." Serena repeated the words she memorized.

"It's a cute song although I'm not fond of the girl's rapping voice though."

"Oh, hey. It's you! Hi."

A familiar voice happily greeted her as Serena slowly turned to face a smiling Jake.

"Really?" She muttered to herself, annoyed.

Seriously, of all people, why has he been constantly showing up in the Dream Realm?

"Why him?"

Both in hers and she in his as of late. Maybe the gods could find the answer for her, too, if she remembered to ask them. However, Serena had a feeling that another immortal or two were also at fault with the two running into one another more often in the Dream Realm than in real life.

"Nana, right?"

Serena didn't want to correct him and remembered she never gave Jake her real name that time, but recalled Nerok using the nickname the other time they last saw each other.

"Um, yeah."

She might as well give him something to call her instead of some random placement for it. Jake giggled as Serena eyed him.

"Sorry, it's just that I now have a name to call you instead of not knowing these past few encounters."

"Oh, I see."

She quickly changed the topic in hopes for him to not recall their last few encounters with one another.

"By the way, Jake," She pointed a finger above them, "Is the song playing right now your choice?"

The song was now on its second cycle of playing.

"Yes." He answered with a cheery tone, but pouted soon after.

"Wait am inute. Do you not like it? Do you want me to change it?"

"Oh, no, no. It's fine. Just asking." Serena reassured him, casting him with a small smile.

"I really don't mind at all."

She recalled the last time they fought over changing the song and didn't want to deal with that again.

"Okay."

His perky demeanor returned.

"So, how have you been? No more ghostly entities, I hope."

"Um, no. None at all. Fortunately."

"Good, good."

The two silently and a little awkwardly stood near each other, looking around their empty surroundings. Jake broke the silence.

"So, Nana, what do you wanna do? Do you have anything in mind?" 

'Unless you wanna go on a date for like twenty minutes, Jake." Serena immediately suggested in more of a joking manner than a serious one.

The playful words from Vitalus from earlier still linger on her mind and what made her say it in the first place when Jake suddenly asked her what she wanted to do. She made a mental note to punch the immortal the next time she saw him for sure though.

"For twenty minutes?" Jake repeated, shocked.

"Like starting now?"

"Well," She began, but Vitalus' words invaded her again.

She figured she might as well kill time some way and since it was the dream world, maybe it wouldn't be all that made since it wasn't real life.

"Yeah, starting now."

She flashed him a smile.

"However, let's just date for just twenty minutes. Okay?"

Serena was taking a chance as Jake's response could be fifty-fifty. It was either a 'yes' or a 'no'. She could spend time with the guy or she could just travel elsewhere and leave him behind.

"Okay. Let's go on a date." Jake readily agreed, smiling.

Serena inwarly groaned and instantly changed her mind about this whole matter. She knew she should've just backtracked and not have gone through with it. She wanted to run away despite being the one to initiate it not that long ago.

"What do you wanna do?" He asked a second later.

She really needed to just stop interacting with people in general now that she thought about it. So, Serena shot him a sheepish look as she shrugged her shoulders, clueless. Maybe he would drop it and they could go on their own separate paths.

"Tell me what you want to do." Jake urged her, still being patient and giving her free reign on what to do.

She eyed him.

"It's not like you're really going to do it, Jake. Right?"

"What if I actually do it for you, Nana?"

Jake smiled sweetly at her, but Serena still seemed skeptical despite knowing that she was only in this situation because of her own doing.

"Hmm, that sounds like you're just trying to appease me."

"Maybe, maybe not."

Jake chuckled as Serena shook her head in good-nature.

"What?" Jake asked, curiously as she just shrugged.

"Nothing much."

However, Serena glanced around their surroundings to see if time had passed long enough for her to not have to go on this date. A clock magically appeared with it's hands indicating that she was a few minutes away from it being exactly twenty minutes. Serena scowled and Jake assumed it was directed at him. His smile fell, but he remained polite and friendly.

"Hey, Nana, we don't actually have to go on a date." Jake informed her with a soft tone.

"I don't wanna force you into doing something that you don't want to do."

Serena re-focused her thoughts and fixed her expression while shooting him another reassuring look.

"No, no. It's fine, Jake."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's just something else."

"Like what?"

He titled his head cutely and she found him adorable, but dismissed that thought.

"Nothing much, but I really have no idea what to do or where to go." She replied with a sheepish laugh.

"Um, so, could you be the one that chooses instead, Jake?"

Jake's mood lifted as he glanced about them, thinking although Serena wondered what he would conjure up for them to do.

"Do you have anything in mind for what you wanna do, Nana?"

"Not really. Do you?"

"I don't either."

"Hmm, I guess this date will end just as soon as it was brought up." Serena said in a joking manner again, but Jake vigorously shook his head.

"No way, Nana. We're not gonna end it like that."

"Oh? Really?"

Serena was shocked, but remained cool and collected.

"Um, so then, you better think fast, Jake, or these twenty minutes will be over by the time you know it."

"Hold on, hold on. Don't rush me."

Jake panicked upon hearing Serena's words as she giggled. He pouted cutely, but brightened up.

"So, you're down for anything?"

He wriggled his eyebrows at her with a slight smirk and she kept her response aloof and nonchalant, but remaining friendly.

"As long as it's appropriate, Jake."

"Of course, Nana. I know that."

"Just making sure."

The two shared a laugh as Jake's eyes roamed around them.

"Hey, Nana, let's go inside there."

He pointed to behind her as Serena casually glanced over her shoulder to see what building it was, but immediately shook her head.

"Yeah, no thanks."

Her attention returns to Jake.

"Luxury brands aren't my thing."

"What's wrong with Tiffany & Co?"

"Nothing, really. Although I like the Pikachu necklace that was launched."

She shrugs with a nod.

"Anyway, I'm just not the type to shop there."

"Okay, then let's go next door." Jake suggested as Serena glanced over her shoulder once again as previously there wasn't another store next to Tiffany & Co either.

She once again shook her head and gave him a look.

"We're not going shopping at Prada either."

"Oh, c'mon, Nana. Let's do some window shopping." He said, persuading her.

Serena made a face.

"That's hardly something to do for window shopping, Jake."

He chuckled as he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Hey, you're the one that said I could choose."

"Yeah, but I thought you would like to choose an amusement park or a cafe to go for a date." She reasoned.

"Something along those lines, Jake, not shopping at luxury brands."

He chuckled with an easy-going smile on his face.

"Well, Nana, it is what it is."

"Whatever, Jake."

Serena just looked at him, nonchalantly, although she's gotten used to Jake just calling her by her nickname now. Although she wasn't sure how she would feel if they did end up officially meeting in real life and him learning what her real name actually was as well.

"Anyway," He looked behind her again, "So, Nana, if you can't think of anything else to do, then we're going inside Prada."

Serena panicked as she thought of the first thing that popped into her head.

"How about fishing?"

"Fishing?"

Jake spoke the words more out of curiosity than judgement.

"Mmhmm. Fishing."

Serena smiled, thinking that someone like him wouldn't want to do something like that. She used to fish with her father and sister a lot of times in the past, but ever since her parents' passing, she and Melanie have never gone fishing after that. Also, a lot of guys in her past always seemed to pass it up in favor of something else.

"Okay, let's go." Jake readily agreed, surprising her.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

He chuckled.

"Is that surprising?"

"Kinda."

Somehow, him agreeing made her heart feel at ease for some reason. She cast him with a playful look.

"However, if I catch a lot of fish, then you can't be mad at me."

Jake scoffed.

"I'm a great fisherman."

"Let's see."

Serena imagined the pier where she and her family always fished at and the familiar area came into view. She smiled fondly while Jake stared at the familiar place.

"Are you from Lanhom? Especially from Nizho?" He asked a moment later as she faced him.

"Hmm?"

Jake repeated his question, but added the city of the province.

"This looks like we're in Zaira Esme."

"Yeah, we are."

Serena nodded, not explaining further. She now lived in Nizho, but not in Zaira Esme with Melanie. Originally she was from the Siudaya province which was one over from Nizho. Serena quickly changed the topic to get back on to this date of theirs.

"Anyway, Jake, let's get going."

She pointed behind her.

"The person that catches the least has to pay for dinner."

"You're on!" He agreed to the challenge.

The pair excitedly rushed to the end of the pier as everything was there for them to go about their activity. However, after a few minutes, Jake hadn't caught anything, but Serena was on her third fish.

"I'm guessing you're paying for dinner then, Jake." Serena remarked with a laugh as Jake pouted.

"It's because that side is biting." He argued as she chuckled.

"Okay, let's switch then."

The two switched spots and even after doing so, Jake couldn't catch anyway. Meanwhile, Serena ended up catch