dream in a dream

Xukun found himself in a vast white space with no walls that stretched on and on. There was even an endless ceiling that seemed heaven-like with wisps of clouds swirling about. Only the cream-colored tile flooring surrounded in mist was the most solid thing Xukun could make out while standing upon it with his reflection looking back at him. Everything was bright, but not blinding.

Xukun looked about him and wondered what he was doing here. And where was this here anyways? He felt like it was a dream, but he also seemed awake, too. He pinched himself and winced, but the feeling subsided just as quickly as it had come. This was the second time that he's been in a similar situation. The first time it happened was when he got shot in the head five years ago.

The experience had him lingering between life and death before he awoke in the hospital and was told about the bullet in his head. Maybe this time around death had finally caught up to him and he was wandering in the afterlife. Then again, Xukun figured the afterlife would look more grey and gloomy. Everything here seemed neutral and undisturbed.

"Hello?" Xukun called out in a soft tone as he moved a few steps forward and received no response except for the echoes of his own voice repeating 'hello' before fading.

His tentative steps continued forward on their own accord as Xukun looked to the left and right of him yet it looked the same. There was no sound except for his own breathing and footsteps. No other being except for himself, or none that he could physically see. Why was he here?

Just as Xukun thought that his surrounding suddenly shifted. He was now standing at a park with the sunset almost disappearing, but there was no one else around for him to interact with. Before Xukun could take a step to explore he heard a few soft barks and turned his attention to the source and saw a tennis ball fly right by him with a black blur right after it.

Following the sight Xukun saw a weird looking dog fetching the tennis ball and trotting pass him and towards a female that wasn't there earlier. It wasn't until she took the ball from the canine and stood up that Xukun instantly recognized her when he clearly saw her face. "Miss Lynn?"

"Oh, KunKun? Hey!" Melanie waved at him with a bright smile on her face while Xukun looked at his former caretaker from the care home Pelias that he hasn't seen in five years. "What are you doing here?"

Xukun was at a loss for words as he stumbled towards her. "What do you mean what I'm doing here? What are you doing here? I thought you died at Pelias five years ago?"

Now it was Melanie's turn to be at loss for words, but she recovered faster than the male. "Died? What are you talking about, KunKun?" She laughed at his words. "You and the  boys have been playing too much tricks for me to fall for them now."

Melanie gave Xukun a once over with a mother-like proud smile. "I've see you've grown up, KunKun. Aren't you a handsome young man now?" She then let out a chuckle after remembering something. "You can finally meet my sister now. I still say that you're her type even though you're a lot younger than she is." Melanie let out another laugh. "Although you guys haven't met yet after all the