Dreaming.
Recently, Redenia had begun dreaming constantly.
There were two kinds of dreams.
In the first kind, she repeatedly returned to that frigid afternoon: the factory, the heavy snow, the broken leg.
The pain kept spreading through her thigh. No matter how much time passed, she could never forget it.
The second kind involved talking and discussing things with another familiar man.
"Lioz's rejection of me is nearing its limit. I don't know whether I can hold on until the ceasefire in 1130. Lia Li is already close to breaking down. I have a feeling that in a few months, she may be exiled."
The man leaned lightly against the armrest of that lonely throne, propping up his face. His temples were gray, and though his face bore not a wrinkle, he had aged far too much compared to when they had first met twenty years ago.
Redenia did not remember his face, nor did she know who he was, but she knew only that she had been very close to him.
Between her and the faceless man was an intimacy like that between a child and her father.
This was not the first time she had heard that name, so she could not help asking:
"You and the Emperor have both mentioned Lioz. Who is he?"
"As you know, this planet, Haynes, is essentially a dream, manifested from the dream of its nominal creator. But this dream is so vast that it requires an anchor and a target to regulate its scope, preventing it from swallowing the entire universe."
The man shook his head and said:
"Lioz—Realize—is that anchor. You can understand him as the manager of the entire dream and the rules themselves. He single-handedly created Reality Society."
"Reality, Hidden, Outer Domains."
She muttered:
"This dream has gathered