The fifth time she entered the Dream Mist, after the swiftly engulfing drowsiness passed, Ivette opened her eyes. The familiar ceiling of that cramped rental room was still before her, every mottled mark unchanged.
She sat up slightly and looked around. Night was still deep outside the window, and the place and time she was in remained the final moment from the last Fos River dream: that rental room on the eastern coast of the Rustbone Free State. Even Liana was lying in the lower bunk of the double bed, seemingly already asleep.
Time hadn't moved?
Why?
Could it be that because No. 0 had previously been acting alone, every time Ivette entered, time and space changed? Now that Ivette had become No. 0, control had naturally fallen into her hands?
With those doubts in mind, Ivette closed her eyes and went to sleep, relaxed. When she opened her eyes the next morning, she found that Liana had somehow climbed onto her bed. She lay on her side beside Ivette, staring wide-eyed at her.
"What's wrong?" Ivette wasn't startled by her. Instead, she found her a little cute.
"I was afraid you'd suddenly leave," Liana said.
Ivette remembered the instructions she had given Liana and Firefly at the very end of the last dream. Though she hadn't said it outright, it had indeed sounded strange, like she was entrusting them with her final wishes. No wonder the child had made that association.
She immediately reached out and stroked Liana's soft golden hair, smoothing down a stray lock that stuck up. "Don't worry, I won't." After a pause, she added, "And we don't need to stay here anymore. Get ready to leave."
"Leave? Where to?"
"Emerald Continent. Garde, the capital of Green Oak."
"Okay!" Liana brightened, delighted that they could finally