Part I:

Real Nightmares, Real Dreams

chapter one

Pathcode #KAI

Seoul

She knew she was sleeping. She could feel the soft sheets beneath under her.  She could feel the duvet that she tangled in it. She could feel the sounds of her roommate while studying. Sound of turning pages, sound of a low melody playing her lips. But also she didn’t feel like sleeping. Maybe her eyes were closed but not her mind. It felt like she was taking a break from her sleep and she was trying to catch the scream that was about to leave her lips. She wasn’t sure if she was trying to scream or she was trying to warn someone and probably she would never know because the moment she open the scream her mind stopped her. Her roommate was awake and she couldn’t just scream. I shouldn’t bother her, she thought and maybe it was pointless to be trying to kind in her sleep.

But she heard her own voice, not a scream but a moan.

Then she slept again.

When she woke up she saw her roommate’s smile. “Good morning sleepy head. Tough day?”

She tried to smile but a yawn suppressed her smile. “I really don’t like classes.”

“Do you have full time classes tomorrow too?”

She pouted little and nod slowly. Her roommate laughed but then she buried her head into her books. Exams were coming and no one had time to fool around.

But Rina could always find time to sleep.

Young girl looked into her sheets for her phone. She remembered her phone call with her mom before sleeping but she wasn’t sure if she slept before or after hanging up. She found her phone under her pillow and released it was already 10 pm.

“Hey, did I talk in my sleep?”

“No but I think you were having a nightmare.”

“Nightmare?”

“Yeah. You were anxious and you tried to say something and I actually thought about waking you up but it was like… only for ten seconds. Then you continued to your sleep.”

“Ah, thank you. I guess I overtired myself.”

“Exams. Sleep a little more if you want.”

“No, I’ll be fine,” Rina said. She got out of the bed and stretched herself. “And also I have two exams after tomorrow.”

Her roommate laughed. “Good luck with that.”

Rina send a smile to her friend and walked to her desk. She was still feeling a little shaken but she didn’t want to overthink. Overthinking was her mom’s hobby, not her and she always hated it.

And probably it was