“Don’t move.” A cold voice rang out behind me, causing me to freeze in place. Could someone actually see me? I scanned my surroundings without moving my head, but my view was obstructed by the dead end in front of me. If there was a third person behind me, and if that person was the intended recipient of the voice, I wouldn't be able to perceive them from my current position.

So, left with little to no options, I chose to ignore the command and slowly turned around, immediately regretting my decision.

“I told you to not move.” The sharp, glowing tip of a magical sword hovered menacingly at my throat, and that wasn’t all; roughly twenty airborne blades were also pointed at me. Amidst this array of weaponry stood a tall man with plum-colored hair and frosty blue eyes, observing me with unsettling calmness.

My heart pounded so wildly in my chest, that I heard the blood rush in my ears. A single thought dominated my mind at the sight in front of me: It’s him! 

At that moment, my mind went blank, though I was certain I must have stared at him with wide eyes, judging by his apparent negative reaction. This certainly wasn't how I had envisioned my "encounter" with Ivan, the protagonist of the story.

I averted my eyes and stared at the floor, overwhelmed from this sudden development. If we had met under any other circumstances, I would’ve been overjoyed, but right now, my whole body trembled in fear. Even though I was some weird ghost within my own dream,I had no desire to find out if I could be harmed by magical blades. The novel had demonstrated that magic could affect certain undead creatures, so there was no assurance I'd be immune.

With a clenched jaw, I reluctantly raised my head to meet Ivan’s gaze, who still had all his magical weapons pointed at me. 

“It looks like you realized your situation. Good,” he remarked. 

His tone left my throat dry,  and I certainly didn’t like the dangerous way his eyes glowed. Judging from his appearance, this was his adult version, undeniably one of the most powerful mages in the story.

"I need you to answer a few questions," he continued, his voice somewhat lighter but still carrying an underlying threat. His frost-blue eyes never left me out of his sight, watching my every move like a vigilant hawk. 

If I said something to his dismay, he’d make a piece of swiss cheese out of me. My frail body trembled in the presence of this merciless mage, the gap between us felt like an endless unbridgeable void. 

“Who and what are you?” Ivan asked calmly, but my mouth remained tightly shut. What kind of answer did he expect from me? I didn’t even know what was happening, so what did he want me to say?

In what kind of dream do you get threatened by your favorite character? If this was some weird kink dream I was having, I want it to end!

Sensing his cold gaze upon me, I opened my mouth, then closed it again. With growing desperation, I tried to think of what I could possibly say, until I settled on telling him everything I knew. 

“My name is Rêve,” I managed to press out and was once again reminded of how much I hated it to introduce myself to others. Ivan continued to observe me with caution, but he seemed somewhat less hostile after learning my name. 

“Rêve? What an unusual name.”

He paused briefly, as if lost in thoughts for a second. I patiently waited for him to peak further.

 “Go on, tell me more.” Encouraged by Ivan’s words, even though I couldn’t help but think there was a bit of a mocking edge to them, I continued with my story.

"I was in the hospital and fell asleep," I began, pausing for emphasis, as the words I was about to say would determine my fate. "I don't know if something happened in between, but when I woke up, I found myself here, and my body was like this." I lightly gestured with my translucent hands to illustrate my point.

Ivan listened to my words and stayed quiet for a few seconds, probably contemplating whether I was telling him the truth or not; or maybe he was just planning on how to skewer me best…

Just as I was about to continue, Ivan asked an unexpected question. "Did we ever meet before?" His brow furrowed, and he regarded me with an expression that I couldn't quite decipher.

What a weird question to ask me in my dream! 

Ivan was the main character from [Life Of A Top Mage], my sister's story, so there was obviously no way we could’ve met before, however if this was my dream it wouldn’t be too out of place for him to say something like that. 

I had followed his story for eight years, starting from his adventures during his teenage years. In a way, it had always felt like he had grown up alongside me, making me feel like we were old friends who had known each other for years. This had made it all too easy for the young and lonely me back then to develop a significant crush on him, even though he was only a fictional character. 

I released a heavy sigh and shook my head in response to his question. 

Ivan remained standing with an expression I couldn't quite interpret, keeping his magical blades at the ready. The sharp glowing blade that was still pointed at my throat never wavered, and I felt like a fish on the chopping block.

At this point, I realized I was mentally drained and just wished to wake up. Being held at swordpoint by your favorite character was less fun than you’d expect. Combined with the growing uncertainty, I was nearing my breaking point. In my increasingly unstable state, all sorts of crazy ideas began to surface.

Perhaps getting hurt by him might be enough of a shock to awaken me from this persistent dream? What if this was my best chance to wake up from this dream? I shouldn’t hesitate now! If some pain was the key to waking up, I needed to seize this opportunity.

For a few moments, I took deep breaths, seeking the courage I required in this critical moment.

"You can go ahead and attack me," I stated weakly, accompanied by what I imagined was a miserable smile, earning a curious gaze from the cold mage. "I understand my words might not make sense to you, but I'm currently trapped in a dream. I've tried a few things, but I seem unable to wake up..." I left the rest of my thoughts unspoken, confident that he was intelligent enough to connect the dots.

Anticipating his mockery, I lowered my gaze and closed my eyes. Soon, this would be done, and I’d be back in my hospital bed, though I knew I wouldn’t live long due to my poor health. 

If I had ‘truly’ transmigrated into my favorite novel, I would have been elated to get a second chance in a world that I loved. However, all that awaited me after my waking from this dream was my impending death. Tears welled up slowly in my eyes, and I hoped Ivan would hurry and spare me from crying in front of him.

After what felt like an eternity, Ivan spoke up.

“Why do you assume that this is a dream?” he asked in an  unusual tone, and I heard a swoosh sound in front of me, prompting me to open my eyes. 

Upon opening them, I saw that Ivan had withdrawn the sword and all the flying blades. He regarded me with less coldness than before, replaced by an intense curiosity etched onto his handsome features. 

What kind of question was that? His inquiry made me angry. There was no need to prolong this any further, so why was he so stubborn? 

“Of course, this is a dream! I fell asleep, and you-” I hesitated, not wanting to reveal to him that he was just a fictional character. Even if this was a creation of my mind, I wasn't prepared to drop such a bombshell on him. Instead, I settled on something else. "I do not exist in this world; therefore, me being here means that this has to be a dream."

At those words, Ivan fell silent, but he still continued to watch me. Honestly, this version of him was so strange. Based on my readings, I always had the impression that he was more ruthless and cold, so why was he hesitating to cut me down? From his standpoint, my death might even yield some rare material, considering I was some weird ghost, so why the sudden hesitation?

As if everything wasn’t frustrating enough, my headache had returned and I felt reminded of the memories I had glimpsed earlier. Tears, which I had managed to suppress, welled up again, and I clawed at the growing pain in my head. I started to feel the same sensation as the last time, when I had received a fragment of my memories, and froze up. I didn’t want to see more. The prospect of seeing more was enough to paralyze my mind and I dropped to my knees, clutching my head. In my growing anxiety, I began to mumble under my breath, attempting to stop my mind from wandering.

 I’m scared! Please, don’t show me anymore!! This isn’t real!!!

Thisisadream! 

Thisisadream!

Thisisadream! 

It’sjustadream!!

It’sjustadream!!

It’sjustadream!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My whole body trembled uncontrollably, as tears continued to stream from my eyes. The nausea from before had returned, and I tasted bitter bile in my throat. 

Footsteps echoed through the street, and I vaguely sensed someone kneeling down beside me, all while my head felt like bursting. 

“Try to breathe...” 

Somewhere in my hazier growing mind, I registered Ivan speaking to me. His tone of voice sounded different than before, but pain and anxiety muddled my dulled senses. In a last attempt to stop myself from panicking more, I tried to grab onto him for more support. However, my hands passed right through him, and my vision grew splotchy, as more tears spilled. 

***

Once more, I heard the sound of hurried footsteps and medical staff roaming around my room. I was unable to open my eyes, my body felt heavy, my mind hazy.

“We need to stabilize him quickly. His pulse is dropping…!”

More hushed voices talked, something was brought to my bed.

“His condition is critical. Prepare…”

I couldn’t hear or understand the voices anymore, as I felt like my whole being was suddenly cut off from the world. 

……

……..

…………

For a time, I felt like I floated in a void of nothingness. I couldn’t feel my body at all; it was as if I had been disassembled into countless fragments. Eventually, I heard another distorted voice.

Yo□ k□□w □h□ h□p□□□e□ □o m□. 

□□u □□o□ □f □□e h□□□i□□e e□d□□□ t□□t a□□it□ □□is '□□'.

 I□ y□□'r□ r□□lly □□nn□□te□ □o t□□s ‘□□’, □ro□ve □□ m□ t□a□ t□□re □s h□pe.

I couldn’t make out what it said, the words pierced straight through my head. Yet, a strange sense of comfort washed over me, as I drifted through the void.

***

When I regained my senses again, I was kneeling on the floor, tears streaming down my face, as I muttered to myself.

“I think I died”, I sobbed, words barely intelligible, to the point where it was unclear whether Ivan, who was still kneeling beside me, even understood anything. 

Ever since I first experienced those memories, a heavy feeling in my gut told me that I had died. How else could I explain this ghostly existence? But I kept reassuring myself that I was trapped in a dream. It was a more comforting prospect for my mental well-being. Now, I couldn't deny the truth any longer. I had seen it with my own eyes.

Ivan watched me with an unreadable expression after I finished speaking, but I couldn't bear to meet his gaze. Instead, I focused on wiping away my tears, my mind consumed by this bleak and despairing revelation.

Ivan waved his hand in front of my face, trying to draw my attention. When I looked back to him he attempted to touch my hand, but as expected his hand just passed through my own. To my surprise, he didn’t give up and instead pointed at the ground beneath us. 

“You’re not dreaming or in the afterlife, I can tell you that much, he declared, his eyes filled with determination and a warm smile gracing his face. “And I don’t think you're really ‘dead’ either. Look here.” Again, he pointed to the ground and I took a closer look at what it was he wanted to see me. 

On the stone pavement beneath me,I noticed  little wet splotches. Puzzled, I furrowed my brow and glanced back at the mage, intending to ask him the significance of this discovery.  The cryptic bastard simply smiled at me and pointed to his eyes. Instinctively, I touched my eyes and felt the remains of my tears, at which point the obvious conclusion hit me like a jackhammer. 

Instead of finding relief, my mind decided to stoke my anxiety once more, fueled by the memories of that distorted voice. What was the meaning behind those incomprehensible words? The overwhelming sense of having died lingered, so did I really get transported into my favorite novel like in those transmigration stories? Why was I in this world? My head was full of contradicting ideas and theories, leaving me unable to decide what to believe in.

Desperation led me to gaze back at Ivan,  as if this would dispel all my fears. He caught my helpless stare and studied my expression for a moment, before speaking. 

“I can faintly sense some warmth from you, so you’re definitely not ‘dead’. Ivan once again brought one of his hands close to my body to illustrate his point. Suppressing the urge to flinch, I felt his left hand pass through my own.The uncomfortable sensation, akin to bugs crawling under my skin, sent shivers down my spine, but I tried to stay concentrated until he pulled his hand back. 

“In all my battles against the undead, I’ve never encountered a ghost, so there is definitely something else going on here,” Ivan explained with a curious expression. For the first time today amid all these bizarre moments, I felt something akin to hope stir in my heart. 

When I looked at Ivan, he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, seemingly lost in contemplation about something I wasn’t privy to. 

“Earlier, you mentioned not existing in this world. What did you mean with that? Did you come here from another world?”

His words cut through me like a knife. I stared at him wordlessly, my eyes wide with unease. How did he remember this, and why was he so sharp to bring it up again? I had no intention of revealing his status as a character in a novel, especially when he looked like an ordinary, living human. But knowing Ivan, he wouldn't let me off without an answer.

In the end, my panicked mouth worked faster than my brain. “Yes, my world is pretty different from yours. We don’t have any magic at all.” I bit my tongue mentally for revealing so much.  At least he had used his magic in front of my eyes, so I could pretend that this was the reason why I brought it up in the first place.

My response seemed to pique his interest. A curious glimmer danced in his eyes, and he smiled with intrigue. To my surprise, he let out a light laugh, though it sounded somewhat ominous to my ears. "A world-hopping ghost, huh? Do you want to stay with me for a while, Rêve?"