"Dreams"

What comes to your mind when you hear this word?

An ideal world? A place where all your wishes can come true?

A fantasy?

Or perhaps an alternate reality that resides within our subconscious.

There may be many things that come to mind.

Let me ask you another question,

what if someone tells you that

"your dreams can become true"? What would you do? It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to turn them into reality. You might think, "It's wonderful to make them come true."

A world where our dreams can truly become reality, where we can transform our dreams into reality.

But for me, it's a world that should not exist, a world that should never become true.

You may ask, "Why?"

"Why do you think so?"

In everyone's perspective ,

Dreams are a realm of possibilities, where wishes may come true, and an ideal world seems within reach.

But for me, it's a haunting dimension, a forbidden crossing of paths where nightmares merge with reality. Let me tell you my story, where the line between the dreams and reality blurs, and the darkness of dreams intersects with the shining reality.

I, Araki Ryota, faced a series of nightmares at the age of sixteen, where dreams converged with reality and our lives were constantly kept at stake.

This is the tale of my worst nightmare which is going to begin.

[You can continue to next chapter]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Note:This is a short prologue for this series which gives you an idea about the type of this story and what the protagonist gonna face.

DreamScape is a psychological thriller series, which is my first work as an author. We will follow Araki Ryota's life as his daily routine shatters and his life becomes a nightmare. The story revolves around how he survives the critical situations and finds his way out. For a clear and detailed plot, you can refer to the synopsis of the novel. I've tried to avoid giving too many spoilers in this note.

I hope you enjoy the series! I'll be uploading chapters periodically until July 31st, so you can expect at least 10 chapters before then. If you like the plot and are looking forward to the story, I'm really grateful for your support. This is my original work, which I've been thinking about for quite some time. Your support, likes, and follows are greatly appreciated.

Please feel free to share the novel to support it and show your consideration. Your feedback and comments are also welcome. Let me know how you find the story and if the pacing is well maintained. Additionally, if you have any ideas, feel free to share them. Your thoughts and engagement will motivate me to bring chapters even faster than usual.

Writing the whole story will be a long and interesting Journey, and I'm excited to continue working on it. Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy the journey with "DreamScape."

"Huh? Where am I?"

I murmured in a low voice, the words barely escaping my lips.

"I can't see anything"

I was surrounded by an impenetrable darkness, and I felt as if I'd lost my vision. While I was grasping the situation In the midst of darkness, I heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind me. As I turned, wondering what it was, I saw a man wearing a white coat. He approached me and started speaking

"Why-"

His voice sounded like a faint murmur, as if my ears were struggling to catch every word, or perhaps my hearing was impaired in the darkness.

"Why don't you have any d- beep beep beep"

As I heard the blaring sound of my mobile alarm, my eyes slowly opened. I reached over, woke up, and promptly silenced it, muttering to myself.

"A dream? Whatever"

I couldn't remember the dream clearly, but it felt like I had a long conversation with someone talking about something important Even though the details were fuzzy, His face appeared blurry in my mind. but it left me with a strong sense of connection. Either way it doesn't matter cause it's just a dream. I approached the curtains and pulled them apart, allowing the light to flood into the room.

"Here we go, off to another boring day."

With a sign, I resigned to the prospect of facing yet another uneventful routine. I took a quick shower, changed into my school uniform, and headed off to school.

[September 5th,2025]

My name is Araki Ryota, a 16-year-old ordinary high school student. It has been five months since I started attending high school in Tokyo, and It has been five days since our summer vacation ended and I returned to Tokyo from my hometown. Incidentally, ever since I began high school, I have been living on my own. I reside in an apartment that is a ten-minute walk away from my school. As you can expect, I don't have the luxury of preparing my breakfast, so on my way to school, I usually stop by a convenience store to buy my breakfast and lunch.

After a quick two-minute walk from the convenience store, I arrived at the school. The hallways echoed with the lively conversations of students, filling the air with the sound of their voices. Without stopping anywhere, I proceeded directly to my classroom, avoiding any unnecessary detours, and took my seat at the back by the window, From the left corner far from the back door. my position allowed anyone entering the room to easily spot me.

"Good morning"

A guy entered the classroom through the backdoor, greeting as he made his way inside. I couldn't help but notice his gaze directed towards me.

"Eh? Is he perhaps greeting me? why?"

Feeling a bit confused by his greeting, I decided to return the gesture and greet him back.

"Go—"

"Good morning"

Before I could finish my greeting, another voice interrupted me. It came from a boy seated diagonally across from me. I realized then that the initial greeting was not meant for me. Ofcourse it's not, it's already weird enough that someone is talking to me because I am known for my cold demeanour, a guy who never smiles or speaks, and always eats alone and stays alone—a true loner.

At that moment, I was just glad that my voice was low. I silently acknowledged that it would have been awkward if he had heard my voice, maintaining a cool demeanour.

"friends?"

For as long as I remember, I've never had any friends, and I've never felt the need for them. I am certain that from this point onward too, I won't make any and I don't need any. Friends invade your privacy, demand your time, and it's exhausting to deal with their selfishness. In my opinion, the downsides outweigh the benefits. friends often use you and then discard you once their needs were met.

"There are some honest friends out there?" give me a break! Instead of finding one, I prefer to be alone, because they are like a drop in a ocean. That's why I've abandoned the concept of friendship and decided to be alone. It feels so peaceful and comfortable when I am alone by myself.

"Girlfriend?"

The school day came to an end, and as I made my way to the shoe rack on the ground floor to change my shoes, I discovered an envelope in my designated slot. while wondering what is it, I retrieved it and held it in my hands. To my surprise, it was a love letter—a proclamation of affection addressed to me. The note requested that I meet the sender behind the main building.

Regarding your previous question, it's better to show you my answer rather than telling you.

[Behind the main building]

"Araki kun, I-I've been in l-love with you for a long time. P-please, go out with me."

There she stood, the girl who had been waiting for me, confessing her feelings. It put me in a bind. She had a bob-cut hairstyle and was properly dressed in her uniform and upon closer look, I recognized her as my classmate. No wonder I felt a sense of familiarity. If I recall correctly, her name was...

"I really like how cool and reserved you are, that's why-"

"Umm...Thank you for expressing your feelings towards me. But...Your name....What was it again?"

"Eh?"

"Uh"

Upon hearing my words, she turned and retreated to a corner, her figure disappearing from sight. A moment later, a muffled sob reached my ears. It seemed that my response had left her in tears.

Her name is Sanehara Kasumi, my classmate. Of course, I already know her name, and I did it on purpose to reject her without bothering to come up with an elaborate response. There's no need for you to remember her name; I'm certain I won't be involved with her again.

As you can see, I don't want to spare my time with friendship's so having a girlfriend seems like a far-fetched idea. Even if I were to date someone, I anticipate that the relationship would end within a week, she would definitely get sick of me because dating someone demands a lot of time and I would definitely don't want to waste my time on these things.

There are three reasons to why I rejected that girl. First, I simply don't have any romantic feelings towards her. Second, I don't want to waste my time and energy in a relationship. And third, perhaps the most significant reason of all...

"She isn't even qualified to be my girlfriend"

With that thought firmly in my mind, I made my way home. Along the way, I stopped by a vending machine and purchased a can of DLightcola, a popular beverage that had gained popularity in recent times. It offered a refreshing taste, and it seemed to be like many people are buying this you can able to spot at least five people per hour drinking this near convenience stores and vending machines.

Thanks to the meaningless confession, it was already past 6 o'clock, so I hurriedly bought cup noodles at the convenience store and made my way home, eager to cool off and relax.

As I walked, holding the cover that contains the refreshing cola and cup noodles in my right hand and I held my phone in my left hand, glancing at Zwitter on the screen. Accidentally, I got bumped by a guy who is coming from the opposite direction at the crossing, as a result causing my smartphone to slip from my grip and fall to the ground. With a sinking feeling, I watched as the screen cracked a little upon impact.

"S-sorry," the stranger stuttered, his voice filled with genuine remorse.

"No problem," I replied, giving the impression that everything was okay despite the inconvenience.

I crouched down to retrieve my phone and then *blink*

 I noticed a notification blinking on the screen. So I stood up and clicked on the notification. It was an invitation and a strange e-mail It read: "WE INVITE YOU TO TURN YOUR DREAMS INTO REALITY: DreamLink Corporation - Selected Participant."

"Turn your dreams into reality?" The phrase sent a jolt down my spine, causing my eyes to widen as I read it.

The email continued, saying, "Araki Ryota-sama, you have been invited to participate in our experiment. Through our innovative technology, you will have the ability to remember your dreams and control your actions within them. We greatly value your assistance in this experiment, we are awaiting for your reply and in return,

we are pleased to offer you to..."

"MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE"

When I spoke those words Everything around me seemed to freeze in that moment, as if time itself had paused.

"Is this-"

*beep*

The sudden sound of a car horn bought me back to reality, breaking my distraction caused by that email, and reminding me that I was standing in the middle of the zebra crossing. The pedestrian light had turned red, indicating it was time to hurry to the other side. I quickly made my way across and continued on my path towards home.

Nevertheless, I couldn't help but wonder about the email. What was that email actually? spam? Even for a spam, it looked surprisingly official. Well, Either way, whether it is just a spam or not, it's clear that I won't be taking part in this play. "Make your wishes comes true?" No matter how I look at it, that seems so suspicious and besides it's just a waste of time. To think about it, It's not like me to take these things too seriously based on just an email. For now, I will just go home, relax, and forget about it.

Quickly dismissing the strange email from my mind, I returned home while exhausted and I don't have the energy to make my dinner, so I ate the cup noodles which I have bought at the convenience store earlier and went to sleep.

The next day arrived, and as I expected, I completely forgot about the email and proceeded with my daily routine.

Soon,

Days turned into weeks, As I continued my normal lifestyle, October is in the corner, However, it didn't take too long for me to notice a change in my routine. Amidst the repetitive days, I began to sense an irregularity entering my lifestyle, a feeling began that something was off.

However,

Over the course of three weeks since September 5th, I finally realised what that irregularity is.

[September 26th, 2025]

Due to my cleaning duties and errands, I found myself walking home late at 6:45 PM. As I made my way, I began to feel that something was off.

It's faint but I can sense it. There is no mistake.

Unbeknownst to me, my uneventful and peaceful life is about to collapse, and going to take an unexpected and drastic turn in some moments. because..

"I'm being followed".

To be continued........Next time chapter 2:Encounter

This feeling. There is no mistake

I'm being followed"

[Three weeks back, September 6th, 2025]

It had been 24 hours since I received that suspicious email and I have long forgotten about it. Sticking to my boring yet peaceful routine, I bought the Dlightcola and purchased some vegetables to make curry in the convenience store.

It's not good for my health to buy dinner at the convenience store every day so 4 days a week I try to cook my dinner. But thanks to that girl and the email this week I am going to cook for 3 times only.

After coming home and taking a quick shower, then changed into my hoodie and relaxed for a while.

"Ah I forgot the eggs"

I realized I had forgotten to buy eggs, which I had planned to use for making an omelette for a late-night meal.

So I went out to buy eggs I locked the door and climbed down and made my way to the store.

No one was walking on the road outside my apartment, And I found myself alone going to the store.

After a minute I began to hear someone's footsteps coming from behind me making me aware that I am no longer alone and someone is behind me. The sound of that person's footsteps was peculiar and heavy But that doesn't matter to me anyway so I quickly made my way to the store and bought the goods and went home.

[September 7th, 2025]

I closed the door of my room and made my way to school. As I walked, I began to see my school gate and the road was bustling with students and then *tap*

Among the crowd, I began to hear the same peculiar footsteps that I had heard yesterday night.

"Huh? This sound, I heard it yesterday as well. Was it a coincidence?" Without turning my head or stopping, I continued on my way to school.

[After school]

I quickly made my way home and crossed the school gate and walked alone and after I travelled a few metres *tap* it started again.

"Again?" I thought, a puzzled expression slightly showed on my face as I continued walking While making sure to maintain my composure.

The days went by,

Day by day, day by day, day by day

Whenever I go out, I can able to sense and hear those footsteps behind me. From home to school or coming back from school, going out on weekends, going grocery shopping. Even walking among the crowd

Regardless of the time, I could always hear those footsteps behind me.

That's when I started realising that an irregularity that should not exist in my day-to-day life has entered and then...

[Present day - September 26th,2023]

I came to conclude that

"*SOMEONE IS FOLLOWING ME*"

"Who is it? Why are they following me? More importantly, what is their motive? "

My head was filled with these thoughts but I remained cool on the outside to avoid that person becoming aware of my knowledge.

Without stopping anywhere I simply came home and after a fresh up and sat on my sofa and started figuring out how to deal with him.

"They are just footsteps. Why are you getting so worked up over it? You can hear them everywhere when you go out. And aren't all footsteps the same?" You might be asking me, and it perfectly makes sense.

I would have agreed with your question If I was in middle school. But now I find it hard to believe that.

Because We can able distinguish the footstep sounds and identify the details behind them and I am able to do that. This factor is going to help me in identifying and confronting the stalker.

When I disconnected myself from relations and friendships after starting middle school, all the time I spent alone is not meaningless. I became a keen observer and started observing my surroundings and learned the sound variations around me and I gained the ability to distinguish sounds *very accurately*

There are many sounds that we can able to identify easily, suppose you are at the beach, you can easily identify the sound of waves, While walking on the road upon hearing *a beep* you can able to tell it's a vehicle horn without a second thought.

These sounds are very easy to identify but when it comes to identify a person through his footsteps is a whole different level.

Even though you can able to say you can hear footsteps but identifying a person through their footsteps is not an easy feat.

There is a way to compare footsteps and identify which person is making that sound.

The wavelength, the sound intensity, the walking pattern, and the time intervals between each footstep - everything matters when comparing footsteps.

Every parameter will help you in identifying the person. But there are some limitations,

Every person creates a distinct footstep sound when wearing different types of footwear. When someone wears sandals, they produce a unique sound, and when they wear shoes, the sound is different.

There might be similar sounds but they are just similar and not the same.

"Isn't that an obvious thing?" You are absolutely right. It's an obvious thing.

But when it comes to identifying whether a person is stalking you or not, this fact plays a crucial role and helps you in identifying him. And fortunately, the person who is following me didn't change his footwear in all these days which worked in my favour.

After many days of repetition, I became familiar with the footsteps of the person following me to the point where I could easily identify his footsteps even amidst a noisy crowd.

Another reason I can identify the footsteps is that they started suddenly all of the sudden.

I am sensitive to sudden changes and it makes me aware of the change for a certain period. when we talk about the

Footsteps and after I became aware that someone is following me I can't simply ignore it. Of course, there are other footsteps that I hear in my daily life like my classmate's footsteps but this case is wholly different from that because, whenever I went out I was able to hear them.

I can't determine clearly whether it's a man or a woman but I can definitely able to tell that person is wearing loafers by the sound he is making and judging by the intensity and walk pattern, the person is most probably a man and he is keeping a fair distance between me as the sound he is producing is low but heavy. the time interval between each footstep is less than average.

The average number of footsteps people take per second is typically around 2 to 3 steps at a normal pace. This can vary from person to person based on their pace.

But this particular person is taking barely 2 steps per second which suits well for a person who is following someone. I tried to be as nice as possible but maybe I should admit that he is a stalker irrelevant to his reasoning.

These details are enough for me to deduce this much and conclude that he is following me.

"Now, it's time to finally see him."

Up until now, I haven't taken any actions that would make him aware of my knowledge of his existence. However, if I turn my head to see his face I don't know what he might do and I might miss my chance to catch him, and even worse he could abduct me.

So I came up with a plan to take a look at him without making him alert.

But before that, I should confirm his existence once more.

[September 27th, 2025]

It was Saturday and a day off for my school so it's a perfect day to confirm it.

I went out in the morning wearing a T-shirt with a black color jacket on it, and wearing jeans on the bottom and I walked in front of the fashion malls in Tokyo.

*tap*

"Perfect! He is following me"

I decided to stop and take a look at the shirts that were placed inside the shop. I stood in front of the shop, facing the glass. As I had expected, the footsteps also stopped.

"It stopped," I thought.

After standing there for a brief two minutes, I decided to move on. Just a few seconds after I resumed walking,

*tap*

"Just as I expected, he is watching my actions".

Whenever I stop, the footsteps also cease. This confirmed without a doubt that there is a stalker following me.

"Now then, it's time to see how he looks"

I came across a park and went inside the toilet and took out my mobile opened the back camera and kept it in my back pocket so the camera can record whoever walking behind me. This is the plan I was talking about earlier.

He must be walking at least ten metres away from me so he may not be able to notice that I am spying on him.

Then after I left the park, I took the same route as I came to the park and headed towards the shopping malls,

As usual, after a few minutes, I entered the main streets and I started hearing the person's footsteps.

My phone kept on recording the whole session while I was out.

Upon arriving home, I immediately opened my phone and checked the recorded video of my back.

The footsteps of that person were definitely audible, but I couldn't see any suspicious individuals. There was a couple walking behind me, a middle-aged man engrossed in his mobile phone, and a group of teenagers, among other people. However, none of them seemed to match the sound of that person's footsteps.

It was at that moment, the person who is responsible for the peculiar footsteps entered the frame.

All of a sudden, I became alert and watched the video carefully, feeling a jolt run down my spine.

"It's matching, the sound matches with the footsteps" I uttered

As I suspected, it was a man. He appeared to be young and was wearing a hoodie with headphones on his head. Although he was far from the camera, I couldn't make out his expression. However, what caught my attention more than anything else was the fact that he was undeniably looking in my direction. After that, the focus of the lens became more clear, giving me a better sight and then I looked at his legs and there I saw...

HE IS WEARING LOAFERS.

who wears loafers in that outfit? But, regardless, all the checkboxes are ticked. There is no mistake He is the guy who has been following me.

My expression turned into a smirk

"Bingo."

I decided to confront him tomorrow, but before that, I would like to take a look at his appearance properly.

[The same day 7:30 pm]

I went out to the convenience store, and as usual, I could hear his footsteps. While walking, I took out my mobile phone as I approached the store and opened the camera. I put it on selfie mode and stopped, pretending to be scrolling. The footsteps stopped as well. I tilted my camera to my right side, zooming it to 2x, and then I saw the person standing behind me. To my surprise, there was a delinquent? He is standing near the vending machine, with yellow hair and piercings glowing on his ears.

With one hand holding the phone, I tilted it downwards to see his shoes there I saw...

"Loafers? " I thought briefly while surprised

What's going on? Where is the person following me? I'm certain they must be visible in my camera. Why is there a delinquent here wearing loafers and is it that person who is making the exact same sound with the same pattern?

My mind was filled with these thoughts as I assessed the situation.

I kept my phone in my pocket and decided to walk past the convenience store and started walking, Incidentally, footsteps also began again.

Then I realised, slowly as my expression turned into a smile I started speaking with a low voice,

"I see. Disguise huh"

[September 28th, 2025]

Today I decided to confront him, So I came at night and repeated the same routine as yesterday morning and walked in front of fashion malls at 8 pm. This time I am going to see his face with my own eyes.

I threw my purse deliberately making sure he doesn't notice it and I crouched down to retrieve it.

"The moment he stops, I will get up and start walking towards him then I will take a good look at his face". I thought to myself

While crouching, I was waiting for the moment when the footsteps stop.

But, the footsteps didn't stop. It continued and became louder and louder than usual.

He isn't stopping. Is he approaching me? I didn't expect that.

The loafers came into my vision, he is now standing right in front of me. I turned my head upwards to take a glance at him. The man stopped and look at me and started speaking.

"What's up, young boy? " The man asked

"It's nothing. I just dropped my purse" I stood up while speaking, trying to maintain a calm demeanor.

This time office worker disguise huh

He is taller than I expected and is holding a bag in his right hand and wore a suit and his hair is dyed black again and he look like he is in 30s.he appears to be like an office worker who is going home from his office.

"Um... Are you going home from your office?"

"Yes, Fortunately, my overtime work didn't take much longer"

Caught him.

"Even though it's a day off? " I spoke as I glared at him with a smirk on my face.

Let's see how will you answer.

"In adult life, there will be days where we should work even on days off, this is one of those days" The man replied instantly.

"Tch," I thought internally, frustrated by his quick reply.

"I see, being an adult is tough"

"That's right. Well I should better get going"

The man turned around and began walking briskly, increasing the distance between us.

For the first time, I found myself standing behind the person who had been following me all these days. It's ironic, because this time it's me who is pursuing his identity and purpose.

I am sure he will follow me again. With that thought, I turned back and started walking.

I came to the streets and headed towards my apartment

*tap*

"Here he is"

[Third person point of view]

The man who had been following Araki appeared behind him and cautiously continued to follow. Araki turned the corner towards his apartment and vanished from the man's vision.

The man was wearing the same outfit as before, holding the same bag. The difference now was that he was wearing glasses and had changed his tie, altering his appearance.

As the man reached the turning point and turned,

"Yo," Araki stood there, speaking while leaning against the wall.

[Araki P.O.V]

"Haven't you gone home yet? I thought you finally got some time off." I said, sarcastically.

"W-Who are you? Have we met before?" the man asked hastily.

"Playing dumb, are we? Didn't we just meet earlier? Right, Overtimer-san, or should I call you STALKER-SAN?" I spoke while glaring at him.

"S-Stalker? W-What are you talking about? And besides, what is a kid doing outside so late at night?"

"You can change your appearance in such a short time heh that's impressive. But if you change your footwear, your disguise would be perfect."

The man fell silent, a serious look washing over him as he looked down.

"First, you were a headphone boy, then a delinquent, then an office worker, and now office worker 2.0. It must be hard to maintain your disguises."

Suddenly, my expression turned cold, and with a piercing look, I asked

"So why are you following me? Isn't it time already to confess everything, what is your purpose?"

The man started shaking. Is he scared? crying? For real?

"Mmmmm"

I started hearing murmuring sounds from the man, and then...

"Hahahahahahhahahahahahahahah,"

all of a sudden, the man burst into laughter. If you ask me how was he laughing, It was an evil laugh. Tension filled my mind, and I quickly put my guard up and took a stance to prepare for the worst.

The man threw his glasses and put his hand on his head, ripping off the mask he was wearing while loosening his tie. He has a handsome face and looks like he is in his 20s.

"Good grief (yaare yaare), you caught me, huh? Or rather, you knew it right, from the very start, don't you?" he said, smiling.

"Well, yeah, you're not wrong. By the way, is this how you really look?"

"Who knows"

The man smiled and started speaking formally,

"Sorry for the inconvenience I've caused you Araki Ryota-kun. Don't worry I don't mean to do any harm. Well then, Let me introduce myself, Nice to meet you or else Nice to meet you again I guess. I am Kurogane Tatsuya from DreamLink Corporation. I am here to invite you to participate in the experiment."

"DreamLink Corporation?" My eyes widened as I uttered, realising that I had heard that term somewhere before.

"Experiment? Invite? Why does this link feel so familiar? Déjà vu? No, I definitely saw those terms together before. Am I forgetting something?"

As I closed my eyes, the email I received on September 5th flashed before me, and I remembered,

"That email?!"