The moment we step into the sea of light, we find ourselves on solid ground in a train station that looks a little too normal, all things considered.

There are people all around us. Many of them flood by us to board the train behind us, which seems far too normal compared to the inside of the train we’d been on. Ahead we find a series of white-blue pillars and small food booths. No doubt, this is the real Shibuya Station.

Before I can fully comprehend the sense of relief I’ve gained by simply exiting the train, JC tugs my hand and begins to weave through the traffic. I follow suit, pulling Mirei through several long winding halls and flights of escalators before reaching the outside of the station.

Now that we’re outside, I can truly appreciate the feeling of fresh air filling my lungs. My gaze falls on the sea of pedestrians navigating the vast Shibuya Crossing, and pans beyond toward the sunny portrait of downtown Shibuya. Everything looks real, as if this were the real world.

Actually, nothing feels any different from the real world. I pay close attention while JC leads us through the crowd toward the apex of the crowded crossing. Everything I see begins to sync with my lost memories. The cars, the people, and the billboard screens are all as they should be. Nothing feels out of place.

“Hey,” I blurt out, unable to hold back any longer. “Why does this look exactly like the real world?”

“I told you before, it’s a replica made by a versatile dreamscape,” JC answers, not bothering to look back. He seems to be in a great hurry, making me unsure why it’s necessary to keep pulling us along like this. Unless…

I stop at once, forcing the man to look back, showing his disheveled face beaded with sweat, and a mixture of nervous frustration.

“I don’t know what kind of sick game this is, but if you don’t want the police on top of you, you better come up with a good reason why we should keep going with you.”

Strengthening his grip and furrowing his brow, he says, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. This dreamscape may be versatile, but if you get lost here without me this early on, you won’t stand a chance.”

“Enough of this farce, this isn’t any different than the real-”

“It’s not the real world,” he cuts me off abruptly. “If it was, don’t you think people would be gawking at us walking like this? They’re basically NPC’s, if you understand that. I’ll admit, I don’t know the extent of what they might do, which is why I’m hurrying.”

“Then, why don’t we take a car?” Mirei adds, finally appearing from behind me with a fearful expression.

“Like I said, I don’t know how they might react,” he answers sharply. “This place contains too many variables that I can’t account for right now. So, we’re going to make it to the lab on foot.”

He tries to pull me once more, but I don’t budge, instead hardening my glare at him. “That all sounds nice, but I’m not convinced. Why else would you be so nervous? You’re acting exactly like an abductor would.”

“You know, Mary,” he says as he turns back, his face tightening and going red. He wipes the sweat from his forehead as his tone grows more aggressive, “if I had planned this, why would I be reluctant to use a car? Wouldn’t I just have one prepared? Do you really think an abductor takes a risk like waltzing his targets through the goddamn town?”

My eyes grow wide at his sudden loss of patience. He clearly is nervous about something, but I can’t ignore the possibility that what he’s saying is true. For some reason, however, I can’t see past the thought of being taken. It’s getting hard to breath, and I feel my vision narrowing. The longer he stares at me with such impatience, the more cornered I feel. My hands shaking, my eyes darting around for an escape route, I-

“I think he’s right, Mary,” Mirei cries with an air of certainty, gripping my shaking right hand with both of hers. “If this was so organized, I don’t think JC would risk taking us through busy streets like this. Besides, we’re making a scene and nobody’s really paying any attention to us… right?”

I focus my frenzied mind and turn back to see her smiling softly, albeit a bit forced. She turns to the nearest passerby, puffing her cheeks out and sticking her tongue out at them.

When the person walks by without making notice of her, she looks back at me and chuckles awkwardly.

“O-okay,” I stammer, calming my breaths. I still can’t shake the foreboding feeling in my stomach, but I know I can trust Mirei, at least. “Fine. Let’s go.”

JC simply nods and hurries ahead, the aggressive aura he’d been projecting suddenly gone. As we walk through the crowd, I’m once again accosted by the thought of having my freedom taken from me, and a vague memory begins to form in my head.

Suddenly emerging from what feels like a black out, I discover we’ve passed through Shibuya Crossing and started down a less crowded sidewalk. We travel several blocks before reaching a part of town I’ve never seen before, stopping at a vacant intersection. To the left and right lie park trails and benches. Straight ahead, the road is outlined with trees, marking the first unrealistic prop that, in one fell swoop, clears the doubt clouding my mind.

The trees bear a beautiful spring volume, but what steals my glance is the color of the leaves. Bright pink and ocean blue leaves sit amongst the light green leaves in every tree, unashamed of being completely out of place and bouncing with the wind like they belong there.

I glance back at Mirei, who is also captivated by the sight. I find myself slowly trailing off toward the trees with her in tow, but JC strengthens his hold on my hand and guides our path straight down the right side of the road.

I realize I’ve become relieved by the sight of the trees, understanding that this must be a dreamscape, after all. I can’t fathom why I feel a sense of relief knowing I’m trapped in some sort of dreamscape, rather than having been abducted in the real world. I wonder how screwed up I must be, thinking that, but I feel like it’s something I can’t help, something ingrained in me.