Still "slice of life".

“Continuation” of the dream from before, but now it's in third person. Ah, yeah, he had many dreams like this one.

- Let's see... I have two orbs now. - Said the same young man, but now his face could be seen clearly. It was very similar to how Mat is now, except that his eyes were golden. He was carrying a different sword than the previous time. It looked prettier, to tell the truth, and more lethal, perhaps. - This place... It's cool! There are a lot of puzzles around here, dead ends with lots of traps and no chest at the end, monsters of all shapes and colors, lava pits, lava walls, lava waterfalls... It is amazing! And to think that I would have a life like that!

...But how old is he? He looks like he's twenty, but... Nah, it doesn't matter. At least, it seems that he’s in a better mood now.

It was a dungeon with red walls and burning torches, with red flames too.

- Since I got lost in the previous one, I've become much stronger. I learned to manipulate my life energy to heal myself and make myself armor with aura, to resist blows and maintain temperature, so this is all very easy... But I love the design of this place, and the monsters! Phew... The "real monsters" rock.

  Stop talking to yourself.

- Although... I do wish those two had followed me, but... There’s nothing I can do about it.

  ...Well, he kept moving forward, taking detours every now and then to see the layout of the place and defeat the occasional monster. He finally reached the end of the dungeon, which he didn't want to, because he liked the aesthetics of the place, and defeating the Guardian was going to make him never go back there again.

As soon as he arrived, out of the void appeared a very horrible face of an unknown humanoid creature, at that...

- Ah!

Mat woke up, just like the other time, several years ago... It was 6:45 a.m., it was Saturday. The mark on his hand was glowing.

- ...W-What was that? Oh, shoot... - saw the time. - ...Well, while we're at it... I'm going to see Andr... Wait, Samantha came yesterday... <smiled> I'll see you both then!

He dressed in a white t-shirt, with a pocket, his usual jeans and his only sneakers, which were already a year and a half old. After that, he left his house, but not before saying goodbye to his mother.

.

..

...

- H-hello.

- Hi!

Mat had just arrived. Andrew greeted him and... Well, he didn't expect a visit that day.

- Do you want to go out today? - Mat asked him.

- Don't you have better things to do? Besides, it's early... - Andrew replied.

"I woke up early today, because I had a weird dream and I didn't want it to continue..." Andrew thought at that moment.

- Come on! Don't be like that. - Mat told him.

- Agh... Why don't you go out with Erin? - asked Andrew. - I'm sure she has time.

- I could, but I wanted to go out with you today.

- Agh... Wait, what? - Andrew replied and turned his head upwards, which... I don't know what that gesture is called, sorry... But after doing so he turned to look at him again and said "what?" with a weird tone. - Oi, wha-

- Drew! Who's at the door? - Andrew and Sam's grandmother asked from inside the house. She seemed to be in the kitchen.

- It's Mathias! - Andrew replied.

Andrew's grandmother, at that moment, came out to greet him as well.

- Good morning, Mathias! - Andrew's grandmother greeted Mat.

- Good morning, lady. - he answered with a smile.

- Why are you here so early? - asked the grandmother.

- Ah, I want to know that too. - said Andrew.

- You see... - said Mat. - I had a nightmare and woke up early, and I didn't want to be bored, so I came here.

- How straightforward. - said grandma. - Typical of you, hahaha.

- Oh, and also because I wanted to see how you were doing.

- I see. - Andrew replied.

- And Samantha, she's here, isn't she? - asked Mat.

- ...How can you ask that? - said Andrew. - It's obvious that she is.

- Ah! Then it wasn't a dream? - Mat replied, thoughtfully.

- Of course it wasn't! Damn it, Mat... - said Andrew. His grandmother laughed. Mat, seeing her laugh, laughed with her.

- So... What were you guys talking about before I came over? - asked Andrew's grandmother... It's very repetitive to say this.

- About going out, but... I don't want to go out... - Andrew replied.

- Oh, come on. Come on out. - said Grandma.

- But I don't want to. - he replied. - Wait... What if you go out with Sam instead?

"Then I can get rid of him, I hope."

- With her? Mmm... I don't know.

- Oh, that's right. - Grandma said. - You hadn't seen each other for many years, so you two could enjoy each other's company.

- Oh, that's all right.

- I'm off. - Andrew said, and went into the house. They both looked at him, and continued talking.

- But she's still sleeping. - he said. - So... Why don't you come back in a whil-?

- Good morning... *yawn* You were calling me?

It was Samantha. She was dressed in purple pajamas.

- I just woke up... With you guys talking like that one can't really sleep... - said Sam. - So...

He noticed that Mathias was talking to his grandmother. He hadn't recognized her voice.

- Ah!... H-hello, Mat!

- Hello, Sam. - he answered, laughing... As usual.

- W-what are you doing here so early? - Sam asked.

- He said he wanted to go out with someone, so he came. - Grandma said. - Isn't it, Mat?

- That's right.

- ...I see. - Sam replied.

"But really? At this hour?" thought Samantha.

- So... Do you want to go out? - Mat asked her.

Sam was quiet for a moment and turned to look at her grandmother, who gave her a look like... Well, she basically told her to go with that look.

- Yes! I mean... I-I'd love to... - Sam replied, a little nervously, and added. - But... Come over in the afternoon, okay? I just woke up...

- Okay. - Mat replied. - See you then!

- Y-yeah. - Sam said.

Mat walked away. Sam was still tired from waking up early.

- Well, I'm going to fix breakfast. - said Sam's grandmother.

- Okay, Grandma. - Sam replied. - I'm... I'm going to take a bath.

Sam went to the bathroom, which was on the second floor. As she was leaving, her grandmother said:

- Oh, what it's like to be young...

- Grandma, did you say something?

- No, nothing. - she laughed.

- Oh, ok.

.

..

...

In the afternoon, Mat went out alone with Sam. The purpose? In the end he decided to get Sam acquainted with the town.

As they walked, Mat met several of his friends and introduced them to Samantha, who was nervous. This happened several times. Ah, that's when she met James, who at the time was at his house. He had about five cats and they were all affectionate, but Sam was most fond of a spotted cat. They stood there for half an hour talking. All those times Sam seemed as if she was being forced to talk, this because she had not prepared herself emotionally for so many interactions with people in such a short time.

Mat also showed him several places that might be of interest to him, such as clothing stores and... A bakery. Sam was more interested in the latter, as he had a sweet tooth. He also showed Sam one of the three coffee shops in town and... Ah, the little church I mentioned to you before, some chapters ago, was no longer there.

He also showed her the school where she was going to study after the vacations. It was the only one in town. It was kind of big because it was an Elementary, Middle and High school.

After that...

- Hey, Sam. - Mat said.

- Yeah?

- I've got a place to show you.

- You do? - Sam said, a little excited.

- Yeah, but... It's in the woods, you know? And I don't know if...

- It doesn't matter, let's go!

- ...Ok!

They went into the woods surrounding the town and walked for about twenty-five minutes. Along the way they climbed a somewhat steep hill (Sam complained a little...) and finally came to a clear, grassy area from which they could see the sky and the town. Because of the altitude they were at, they could see some nice scenery.

- Oh! This is... This is beautiful. - said Sam.

- Yeah, it is. - said Mat. - This is... I usually come to this place to think and see, well... This. It gives me a sense of peace.

- I see. - said Sam, who was still admiring the scenery. She sat down and added, smiling. - It was worth it to come up here in the end.

- Yes, it was... But, you know, it would have been better to come at sunset.

- It would, wouldn't it? - she replied. - And so...

Sam realized something.

"Wait... Mat and I, the two of us, we were hanging out all afternoon, this means... Just the two of us... Isn't this kind of a... Date?" she stammered in her thoughts and blushed... It’s not that, you idiot.

...This got worse when Mat sat down next to her.

- And so what, then? - Mat said. - You didn't finish telling me.

- Oh, I-I... W-well... Nothing. - Sam replied.

- Oh, I see. - Mat said and... He asked a strange question. - Hey... Well... Can you see a tree over there on the horizon?

- Err... Y-yeah, wait. - Sam realized the question. - What? No, I can't see it.

- Ah, hahahaha. - Mat laughed and resumed the conversation. - Sorry about that question.

"So she can't see it either..." Mat was referring to a huge tree, reaching all the way... All the way into space, apparently. It was far away, but you could see it... At least Mat could.

No one could see it. Absolutely no one. That tree could be seen from any angle because of the size it was, but... No one Mat knew could see it. Because of that situation, he decided to look for someone with powers similar to his in his town and the city. He didn’t find anyone. But... Despite this situation, he still hoped to find someone like him. He hoped that someone could see it, and, perhaps, know what the tree was and what its function was. That's why he would sometimes ask about the tree to anyone he met, no matter how weird it was (although... before that, he was trying to be close with them).

- Ah, ah... I-it's all right. - Sam replied.

- Well then. Can I ask you another question?

- Yeah, s-sure.

- That necklace you have... - Mat said, and looked at the necklace Sam was wearing that was barely visible. - That... That's the one I gave you, isn't it?

- This one? - Sam answered him and showed his necklace. - Was it the... The one you made me? I-I didn't know.

- And you took good care of it and everything. - Mat said, surprised. - You kept it all this time?

- Y-yes... But... I forgot that you were the one who gave it to me... I'm sorry...

She only remembered that a friend gave it to her, but couldn’t remember who or when. Forgive her, she has bad memory... A really bad one it seems... I’m concerned.

- It's fine! Don't worry. So you did like it, wow... I can't believe it. - Mat said, smiling at her.

"I don't know what to say..."- Mat, he was a little bit uncomfortable.

"This is... Weird... What do I do, what do I say, what do I... Ah!" Sam was getting very nervous.

- That's... Thank you. - Sam said. She had managed to overcome her embarrassment a little.

- Huh? For?

- For giving this to me. - she showed her necklace. - It was the first thing I was ever given in my life... Well, by someone who wasn't my family... That's why I kept it with... Very fondly.

"It’s weird to say that out loud..."

- You're welcome. - Mat told her. - That was the least he could do for a friend.

- Y-yes... One question, did you still consider me your friend even though we didn't see each other for all this time?

- W-well, of course. - Mat replied. - No matter how long we're apart, we'll always be friends! That's what I read in a book, and I liked that sentence because it's true.

- Of course it is... I like it a lot, too.

They were silent for a few seconds.

- Hey...

- Y-yes!?

- Do you want to stay and watch the sunset? It won't be long now, it's only an hour away... I think. - he laughed at the end.

- A-and what would we do until then? - Sam asked.

- Well... Talk, about anything. - he replied. - So, tell me more about yourself.

- Oh, ok...

And they talked about trivial things until they saw the sunset. After that, they went back to the town together.

.

..

...

In the end, this experience was fun, but very stressful for Samantha.