When I was young, I had a dream. A seemingly unattainable dream, or so I've been told. When people used to ask me what my dream was, I told them I wanted to make music and they laughed and shook their heads in pity. It's impossible, they said. Look at you. You'll never make it. Every time someone squashed my hopes and belittled my dreams, a tiny voice comforted me. It told me to work hard and that some day, I would get there. As long as I got back up every time I fell, I would make it. The voice was right. When I was barely out of my teens, I proved them all wrong. I made it. The dream everyone had thought I would never reach was in the palm of my hands. It was an extraordinary feeling, one I never thought I would forget.

Now, almost six years later, I realized I had forgotten. I'd lost sight of my original intentions. The things I want to do, the words I want to say and the life I want to live is secondary. Pleasing everyone else and maintaining a spotless reputation has become primary.  Everything I have done since then have been premeditated. I no longer have any control over my life. My freedom, my body, my voice. They no longer belong to me.

I am nothing but a caged bird. 

Jiyong let out a shuddering breath as he hit the send button. It was an ambiguous message and revealed almost nothing about himself. But it was a start. It had been so long since he was able to speak freely. It felt amazing.

"Sunshine," he murmured, "you just might be the real deal." 

A second later, Sunshine replied.

You're human. But as time passed, you became an entity. All the things you used to do for yourself, you let others do for you. The moment you did that, you gave others the power to control you. So it doesn't matter what anyone else has done because you are the sole person responsible for yourself. You were the one who handed the reins to someone else. You caged yourself. You just didn't notice it until it was too late. By then, you'd become someone you didn't like. Your existence molded by others without you knowing. 

A caged bird, you are not. You are but a flawed human being.

Jiyong was speechless. This was not the answer he had been expecting. "What the hell is this?" He laughed bitterly. "So this all my fault. Great. I take it back, you're just a phony."

If I had wanted this kind of stupid answer, I would've just asked a shrink. 

He jabbed the enter button and watched as the message sent. He knew this Sunshine was too good to be true. There was no way this person could've helped so many people with their problems. Not with bull answers like that. 

"Give me a ing break." He scoffed. "With answers you just pull out of your , it's a wonder people still come groveling at your feet." 

He glanced at the screen and noted that he had a new message. "Let's see what you have to say for yourself, Sunshine." He waited for the page to load and nearly exploded in anger at Sunshine's reponse. 

Only a person in denial would respond in such a way. Don't blame other people when it's you who can't handle the truth.

"The truth, is it?" He sneered. "I'll show you the truth."

Denial? Right, okay. You said it was my fault. Explain to me how that is.

It wasn't like I asked to be changed overnight. I didn't. It just happened. It was luck. But because of that one time, all expectations rose immediately. I was young and fame was a fleeting thing. So I did the only thing I could. I grabbed onto it with both hands and held on. But fame is a vicious thing. It reeled me in and clung onto me. No matter what I did, where I went, or what I said, fame was breathing down my neck. Reminding me that it had its claws in me and should I try to remove it, my blood would flow. I had no choice but to feed it. But it made everything worse. As fame got bigger and bigger, so did society's expectations. Now, it wasn't just fame I had to worry about. No, I had society watching my every move. I couldn't escape either of them. Everywhere I turned, I was being reminded of who I'm supposed to be, the words I'm supposed to say and the things I'm supposed to do. No one seemed to think there was a problem. No one was able to see my pain. But because this dream was shared, I had to keep it together. If I were to break, the dream would shatter and we would have nothing. I couldn't be selfish, so I bottled it all up. I forced myself to comply with the rules and conformed to everyone's wishes.

By day, I was a puppet only moving according to my puppeteer's wishes. By night, I was prey because fame was a demon and it was eating me alive. 

There were times when I would see light spilling across my vision and I would stare at the grains of light, trying to understand everything. What did I want? What did everyone want from me? But no one would answer. The lights would merely twinkle as if they were laughing at my stupidity. Sometimes I would reach out and try to touch the grains of light, but my fingers would touch nothing, but silent space.

I've tried to speak up. But each time, my voice would be silenced and I crucified for my attempts.

My failures to break free of the norm taught me it was better to keep quiet; for obedience is rewarded. But for every reward comes a price. And every praise, a thousand insults. 

For years, I lay in my bed, wondering if this is the life I would live. If this vicious cycle would ever end. I had no answers, but a tiny voice I had not heard since my childhood did. Persevere, it whispered. One day, this too shall pass. So, I listened. I gritted my teeth against my pain, plastered a smile on my face and tackled through every day. 

Eventually, I became numb to the barrage of insults and demands of society. I lived each and every day. But I wasn't alive. 

I was dead. 

For once, I wished someone would care. I longed for someone to come save me. But here I am, sitting here, waiting to be saved. I sit here, waiting, while the world before me burns.

So tell me, Sunshine. Is this still my fault?

His chest heaved as he struggled to control his ragged breathing. "Damn you, Sunshine." He cursed. He'd never intended to spill all his secrets, but with just a mere sentence, he'd emptied his soul to a faceless nobody on the Internet.

He was pathetic.

Beep! You have one new message.

He sighed and tapped the blinking icon.

See? Now that wasn't so hard, was it?

This is the sound of your voice. Congratulations, you've found yourself again.

Jiyong's head bowed and his shoulders shook. He couldn't believe it. All this time, Sunshine was just trying to get him to tell his story. To give him a chance to rediscover himself. And he thought Sunshine was antagonizing him on purpose.

He laughed and shook his head in wonder.

You, Sunshine, are something special. Thank you.

I'm not special. Just ordinary. Don't thank me, thank yourself.

Jiyong smiled. Who was this Sunshine? How was it that this person could rescue him from the brink of insanity by mere words? Of all the people who ignored him, why was this faceless wonder the only one to lend him a gracious hand?

He didn't know. But he would forever be indebted to this person. If he were to meet Sunshine some day, he would pay it back double.

Who are you?

I am Sunshine. And you are?

You may call me Dragon.

Well, Dragon. Nice to meet you.

As much as I would like to get to know you more, I have to rest. Today has been a rather...taxing day. Would you still be here tomorrow?

Sweet dreams, Dragon. I will always be here.

Jiyong closed his laptop and settled comfortably into his bed. His eyes closed as he drifted off to sleep. For the first time in a long time, he slept peacefully.

A/N: Sunshine and Dragon has appeared! Wanna find out who Sunshine is? Stay tuned for the next chapter~ :D

P.S. You should reread the description again. It should make a teensy bit more sense now. You can take the description as a prologue if you will. Everything from chapter 1 onwards will lead back to the description. Full circle.