As Gabriel settled into the freshly made bed, he let out a deep sigh, feeling the softness of the new sheets envelop him. His eyes closed, and he began to relax, letting the warmth of the bed seep into his bones.
Alex and Ryan sat on the couch, sipping their beers and watching their friend with concern. They had tried to engage him in conversation, but Gabriel had been quiet, still reeling from the aftermath of his dream.
Ryan set his beer down and spoke up, "Hey, man, you okay? You've been pretty quiet since... you know."
Gabriel's eyes remained closed, but he nodded slightly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm just... trying to process everything. It felt so real."
Alex nodded sympathetically. "We believe you, bro. We're here for you."
The room fell silent, with only the occasional clink of beer bottles breaking the stillness. Gabriel's chest rose and fell with each breath, and his friends watched over him, a sense of protectiveness and camaraderie filling the air.
Alex and Ryan's eyes flickered rapidly as they dreamed, their minds conjuring up surreal images. The spinning white space gave way to a haunting figure - a one-eyed robot with a creaky left leg that seemed to groan with each movement.
Their dream selves felt an eerie sense of familiarity as the robot's gaze fell upon a vibrant poster in the distance. "Eldrida" was emblazoned across the top in bold letters, with a picturesque landscape beneath. Lanterns glowed softly, and creatures floated about, their faces filled with joy.
But the serene scene was short-lived. The dream took a dark turn, and the landscape transformed into a desolate wasteland. The same black coppery dust that had coated Gabriel's bed sheets and pyjamas now swirled through the air, stinging their dream selves' eyes.
Alex and Ryan's minds recoiled in horror as they realized they were experiencing the same dream as Gabriel. The connection was undeniable, and they felt themselves being pulled into the mystery of Eldrida.
The three friends sat in stunned silence for a moment, the weight of their shared dream experience hanging in the air. Then, as if a dam had burst, they began to talk, their words tumbling out in a rush.
Gabriel leaned forward, his eyes locked on his friends. "I know this sounds crazy, but I think I've had this dream before. Not exactly the same, but... similar."
Alex's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
Gabriel took a deep breath. "I had a dream about a robot drowning in a lake. It was so vivid, so real. And now, this dream... it feels connected."
Ryan's expression turned thoughtful. "I think I see what you mean. The one-eyed robot in our dream... it felt like we'd seen it before."
The three friends sat in silence for a moment, their minds racing with the implications. They knew they had stumbled into something much bigger than themselves, something that blurred the lines between reality and dreams.
Ryan's fingers flew across the keyboard as he opened his laptop, searching for any information on the suicidal robot incident. The screen flickered to life, casting a soft glow over the room. As he scrolled through the search results, one name caught his eye: Annet Lee.
Managing Director of Scintillating Sky, a company specializing in neural connections manipulations – or, in simpler terms, dream extraction. Ryan's eyes widened as he read on, his mind racing with connections.
And then, he saw the photo. Annet Lee, the woman they had met at the divination party, smiled back at him from the screen. The same woman who owned the drowning robot, the same woman who seemed to be linked to the strange dreams they'd been having.
Ryan's eyes met Gabriel's and Alex's, a spark of understanding passing between them. They knew they had stumbled into something much bigger than themselves, something that blurred the lines between reality and dreams. And Annet Lee seemed to be at the center of it all.
The nickname sent a shiver down their spines. Annet Lee, the managing director of Scintillating Sky, was known as "The Dreamwalker." The moniker seemed to whisper secrets, hinting at a power that was both fascinating and unsettling.
Gabriel's voice was barely above a whisper. "The Dreamwalker? What does that even mean?"
Alex's eyes were wide with unease. "It sounds like she can... manipulate dreams or something."
Ryan's gaze remained fixed on the screen, his mind racing with implications. "If she's involved in dream extraction, it's possible she can influence or even control people's dreams."
The room fell silent, the only sound the soft hum of the laptop. The three friends exchanged nervous glances, their minds reeling with the possibilities. What did it mean to be a Dreamwalker? And what did Annet Lee want from them?