Milo knew he had no choice. He had to traverse the dreamscape, to let himself be confronted with nightmares, to learn about the Regis’s intentions. 

Are you sure? Ashtai asked, giving Milo one last warning before he let the spirit drag him through the nightmares. 

“Shut up, you know I need to do this.” 

For the first time, going to the dreamscape hurt him. Milo felt as if every cell in his body was too small, too fragile, too vulnerable. He was disembodied, a shadow, a memory, barely a thought. 

Until he woke up in his room, as it had been so many years ago. 

He tensed at the too-familiar knock on the door. 

“It’s only a dream…” he muttered to himself as he held the doorknob, dreading what was on the other side. 

“So, are you ready to go to the park?

Those eyes. That smile. That voice and the carefree demeanor with which he held himself… 

Stars, all Milo wanted was to say yes to his favorite. To follow Corym and never let him go. 

Never again…

But he wasn’t real. He was a nightmare. 

“I- I can’t.” 

Corym’s smile fell. “But you promised last time.” 

He had promised him so much… 

“I know… but I have something I need to do. Something that’s far bigger than I think even I understand.” He resisted reaching out to him. “Next time, okay?” 

Corym sighed. “Okay…” 

Milo had no more strength to resist, and pulled Corym into a tight hug, refusing to let himself break down any further as he rubbed circles over his back. He closed his eyes, unable to let go, until Corym was simply no longer there. Soon enough, everything went dark around him. Brushing tears away from his cheek, he followed the too-familiar path down the university hall, trying to make his way outside of the building. 

He had to find the palace. 

Every step brought a new memory to the surface. A new taunting mockery, a new nightmare that he yearned to bask in if only for a twisted illusion of comfort. 

“How do I look, Mi?” 

“Come here, look at this!” 

“Can I kiss you?

“Come here, I want a hug…” 

Every word tore at Milo’s heart, each one digging a little deeper into a bottomless well of grief he had not been able to process. 

It’s just a nightmare… I need to keep moving forward

That’s when he felt it - the brush of fingers on his back as he walked away from the university. 

“Please, don’t leave me…” 

Milo paused then. Not once had he ever heard Corym’s voice be so broken… Every part of him wanted to stay in the nightmare, to pull him close and promise he would never leave him. 

He left him… he let him go to the battle and die on that field. 

Alone. 

It was his fault. 

No. No, no he had asked, had begged him to stay with him, to stay safe. 

But Corym had too noble of a heart to not play a role to help the city he hated. 

I need to help the people of this f*cking nightmare of a city, too… 

Corym had taken that step. The step away from him to serve his city.

It was time for him to do the same. 

“Well done, Milo” 

One step after another, he ignored the urge he had to succumb to the nightmare built for him. He walked dutifully towards the palace, Corym’s pained plea resonating in his mind, like a cruel echo that never seemed to settle into silence. 

[At this point, Milo found the Regis doing various demon-related shennanigans that I won't disclose because well, spoilers. But the Regis did tell Milo that he was a stain on his family so... that was fun!]

The images of the Regis blurred around him as that part of the nightmare ended, but Milo knew he was still in the dreamscape. He turned to look back at the university.

"Corym..."

Maybe, just maybe, it wasn't too late.

Maybe he could finally apologize. Maybe he could finally say goodbye.

And yet, every step towards the university was slower, more torturous, as new images surrounded him.

Reyna, blaming him for being a coward.

Micheal, not understanding why he disappeared.

His mother, refusing to talk to him.

His sister, disappointed beyond forgiveness.

His grandfather, embarassed.

And yet, Milo walked on, tears running down his cheeks and staining the collar of his shirt.

He had left Corym.

And he woudln't find him again.

...

When Milo awoke again, his companions seemed worried, and kept asking him what was wrong. What had happened. If it was normal. Wordlessly, he wrote the information he had gathered about the Regis from his dream.

He couldn't mutter a word for the rest of the day, too afraid to display how shattered he really was.

But still, he followed the mission, step by step, to the Regis's palace.