Yuki had waken up from his dream.
He had gasped awake, panting as he felt the softness of his couch under him.
He looked around, only to see that he was back home.
He exhaled, a dejected smile stretching on his face.
"Thank god..." He said, his voice shaking with gratitude.
"Thank god..." He repeated, choking on the sob that forced its way up his throat.
He was back home.
It was all a dream.
It was all just some sick nightmare.
It had all just been a nightmare.
He was back home.
He let out an exhale, his chest welling up with gratitude.
His vision blurred as tears pooled up underneath his eyes.
The image of his home swam around in his vision as the moisture in his eyes welled up.
That was when he noticed.
The blur wasn't clearing up even as the tears rolled away.
It took him a moment to realize.
His eyes widened in terror.
"No! No! No!"
Alas, it was too late.
Darkness took over the world, and he saw the same morbid silhouette that had tried to kill him yesterday. Its ominous shape stalking him from a distance.
All it took was a second, the shape had already lunged at him.
A wave of terror, and the feeling of being crushed under an immense weight.
Yuki had woken up with a scream, sucking in a terrified breath as he sat up on the bed.
"Woah you okay?"
The first thing he heard was the surprised voice of Asteria, who was already reaching out to hold him, quietly rubbing his back as he struggled to calm his breath.
He blinked the tears away, looking at the soft mattress as he struggled with the remnants of the vertigo from the dream.
"You okay Yuki?" Asteria asked again, still holding him in a tight embrace.
The first time he tried to speak, nothing came out other than an unintelligible croak.
He cleared his throat, taking in a deep breath.
"Yeah.." He wiggled away from her Embrace. "I think i just had a bad dream."
Asteria easily let him go, moving back a little as Yuki took a moment to himself.
He blinked, staring at the blanket that was laid on-top of him.
A slow shiver ran down his spine as he remembered the contents of his dream.
He blinked again.
Then, slowly, he turned his head to look at Asteria, who was still standing awkwardly by his side.
He didn't remember much of what had happened.
All he could recall was that he had gone to the toilet, gotten surprised... then he was here?
He tilted his head.
"What happened?"
Asteria looked at him for a long moment, then gave him a small smile. "Nothing, you were just passed out on the floor when i came back."
She leaned in, pushing the blanket on top of Yuki before taking a seat on the chair next to them, shifting into a comfortable position as she spoke.
"I just thought you'd be more comfortable on the bed."
Yuki nodded, struggling to keep up with the words for some reason. He couldn't be sure, but maybe it was the strange clarity that blessed his mind, the weird lack of clutter in his thoughts disoriented him.
He nodded, trying to figure out something to say.
"How was your meeting?" He finally asked after a moment of consideration, deciding to change the subject.
Asteria let out a small scoff, waving her hand. "The usual, i just had to go chat a little with my co-worker."
She shifted again in her seat. "That aside, have you decided on what do now?"
Yuki considered his answer for a moment.
"Stay alive... probably?"
Asteria blinked, then slowly let out a disappointed sigh.
"What kind of answer is that?"
Yuki gave her a deadpan stare, then shrugged his shoulder.
"What else am i even supposed to do?"
"Maybe find your family?"
"I'm pretty sure i don't have any."
She raised an eyebrow at him.
Yuki bit back the urge to let out a groan.
"Look, i just don't know what I'm supposed to do okay? I barely managed to avoid dying last night."
He was still having a hard time fighting against the terror whenever he thought about the flesh monster.
Silence took over right as he finished his sentence. Yuki only realizing too late that he had forgotten to hold back his mouth. Realizing that what he had said sounded incredibly ungrateful.
Safe to say, he felt like a prick.
Asteria's next words washed those small worries away. Replacing it with confusion instead.
"You're coming home with me."
Yuki blinked.
"What?"
Asteria gave him a deadpan stare.
"I said that I'm taking you home. With me."
"I heard you the first time... i mean, why?"
She sat up straight in her chair.
"You have no where else to go right?"
Yuki considered his answer for a long moment, staring at the blanket that was covering him.
While what Asteria said was indeed true, he still couldn't be too sure. The circumstances surrounding him where too hazy right now. Whatever had put him in this situation, definitely was still out there. Maybe even spying at him from a distance, waiting for a chance to pounce at him again.
He still vividly remembered the voice that had sent a shock through his being, and by now, he was pretty much convinced that everything happening around him was extremely real.
Thinking about it, what Asteria offered was indeed something that would benefit him.
But still, he felt a little awkward just going home with... someone.
"You don't want to come?"
Yuki looked up, only to see that Asteria had gotten out of her chair, and was standing by a cabinet with her back turned to him.
He hesitated, finally mustering the courage to open him mouth.
"You didn't answer my question."
"About why?" She asked without looking back.
Yuki didn't respond. Instead, he just let the question hang in the air, letting the silence between them simmer as Asteria considered her answer.
"Maybe it's because you remind me of my own daughter." She finally said, turning around with something that looked like a pile of clothes. "I feel like i won't be able to feel at peace if i just let you go."
She gave him a small smile.
"So just be a good girl and listen for now, okay?"