Having learned from her previous visit, Angel did not take Klein into the deeper layers of the Inverted Pyramid Dreamland, nor did they lose their way in the First Lamud Baron's castle. They passed through a stone corridor laid with a black carpet, walked past doors that were ornate or dilapidated, some even stained with blood, and arrived at the plain wooden door at the end that seemed to represent Mr. Azik's state of mind.
Compared with last time, the wooden door showed even more signs of age. Its surface had rotted and was on the verge of crumbling.
"Does its position represent how long ago the life took place, while the door's appearance reflects what happened during it?"
Klein, who had extensive experience with dreams, ventured a guess.
"How worn it is might have something to do with the dream itself."
Angel added this while holding Klein's hand to keep them from becoming lost in different dreams. Then she pushed open the wooden door representing Azik's life as a lecturer at Khoy University and stepped inside.
A flash of light passed, and they appeared beside a river surrounded by cypress and maple trees. The paved paths on either bank were crowded with young men and women holding banners or streamers bearing the names of different universities. They shouted themselves hoarse, apparently cheering for their schools.
A rowing race? Angel paused, then immediately realized that this was a competition held by Tingen City's institutions of higher education. The fact that she and Klein had appeared here meant...
Her gaze swept over the racing boats speeding down from upstream on the Khoy River. As expected, she spotted Mr. Azik aboard the boat painted yellow and marked "Khoy University."
He was not wearing formal clothes and a top hat, but a yellow