Chapter Text
“The dream is a little hidden door in the innermost and most secret recesses of the soul, opening into that cosmic night which was psyche long before there was any ego-consciousness, and which will remain psyche no matter how far our ego-consciousness extends.” ― Carl Jung
---
The pencil bounces off his monitor, landing on the table with a loud clatter. It rolls forward until it falls onto the ground.
He can’t be bothered to pick it up.
Mark sighs and leans backwards in his chair, balancing on its hind legs. It’s his final semester of college, and he can’t figure out what to write about for his senior thesis. It needed to draw readers in. It needed to be a topic that would captivate his classmates, his professors, and by extension, the whole world.
But that topic was nowhere to be found, much to his dismay. He propels himself forward, rebalancing the chair, and shuts his laptop. He stands and swings himself over the table, leaning down to pick up his pencil.
A quick flash of light catches his eye, and he peers under the table. A pair of glasses rests next to his pencil, beckoning him closer.
Yo, what is this? Who just left their glasses here?
Mark picks them up and tosses them in his backpack with the rest of his belongings. When he asks the library receptionist if anyone was missing glasses, she denies, so he shrugs and leaves, pulling out his phone to text his roommates.
MK: Thoughts on dinner?
HC: something healthy
HC: it’s a full moon tonight, so we’re not going to get any good sleep
HC: need to make up for the missing energy
RJ: ??? Uhh, okay. I’ll cook.
Mark types a reply as he walks, not paying attention to his surroundings. It isn’t long before he bumps into a pole, falling backwards and landing on his ass. The phone flies out of his hands, landing next to him, and he scrambles to check if the screen is broken.
Luckily, it isn’t. He points at the pole in a threatening manner, raising an eyebrow at the poster stapled onto it.
“Interested in getting paid to sleep? Join our research study on sleep health!” he reads, scoffing. “Earn.. A thousand dollars over three weeks? That has to be a scam. No way.”
The poster gets shoved to the back of his mind as he continues on with his evening, stopping by the grocery store to pick up ingredients for Renjun. By the time he arrives home, Renjun and Haechan are already in the kitchen, chatting absentmindedly about their days.
“What took you so long?! Studying on a Friday, when you could be relaxing.. Are.. Are these hotpot ingredients?! I thought I said we need to eat something healthy!” Haechan digs through the bag, scolding him when he spots the soup mix.
Mark shrugs. “Vegetables are healthy, aren’t they, Renjun?”
“Yep, they’re healthy. Get cutting.”
“Oh my god, don’t point that at me!” Haechan hisses at both of them, taking the knife from Renjun and cutting up the bok choy.
Mark cracks a smile at their antics and excuses himself to his room, setting down his things and changing into comfortable clothes. He returns to the kitchen and turns on the TV, then finds a spot next to Renjun, helping him cook.
It isn’t long before their meal is ready, and they crowd around their tiny dining table, marveling at the beauty of the boiling hotpot before them. Haechan’s eyes are shining, and he digs in immediately.
“Oh? I guess this is healthy enough for you, is it?” Mark teases, and he pouts.
“Look, I know good food when I see it. I’ll just cast a spell later to conserve energy.”
Renjun rolls a slice of pork belly around his chopsticks, dipping it into the broth. “Does that witchcraft stuff even work?”
“Has anything bad happened to you ever since you moved here? No? You’re welcome.” Haechan strikes a pose, stealing his pork belly and wrapping it in cabbage. He holds it in front of Renjun, encouraging him to take a bite. “Take this. It’s enchanted with my love and protection.”
Renjun’s eyebrow twitches, and he takes the chopsticks from Haechan, shoving the food into his mouth. “Oh, this is good. Maybe I should change my major.”
The three of them descend into mindless chatter as they eat, the TV offering soft background noise for them. Within time, all of Mark’s worries about his thesis disappear, replaced by the warmth of good food and good friends.
It isn’t long before the three of them finish off the entire pot, leaning back in their chairs and browsing social media on their phones. Haechan’s head snaps up as soon as he hears a peculiar story on the news, smacking Renjun on the shoulder and pointing to the TV.
“There have been increasing reports of people falling comatose in their bedrooms. The cause is still unknown - it's as if these people are trapped in nightmares. Doctors are advising residents of Neo City to take care of their health, and not rely on sleep as their sole source of energy. ”
“What did I tell you?! This is what happens when Pluto enters Aquarius!” he throws his hands in the air in frustration. “It’s a good thing you live with the best witch in the city. You’re safe with me, don’t worry.”
Renjun rolls his eyes, shrugging at Mark. “Okay, whatever you say.”
Haechan points at Mark with an accusatory finger. “ You might be in more danger, though. Eating all those instant noodles and drinking those americanos all the time. Spend more time at home so our energy can keep you safe.”
Mark squints. “What? No, I’m fine. I have easy classes this semester, so I’m getting enough sleep.”
“Mmm, I don’t believe you. I’ll make a sleep sachet for you tonight.” He pokes Mark’s cheek, peering into his eyes.
Renjun rolls his eyes and shrugs, standing and stretching. “I cooked, so you clean tonight, Haechan. I’m gonna shower and get ready for bed.”
“Fiiine, fine. I just replaced the eucalyptus branches, so it’ll smell good in there. Good night, Renjunnie~!”
He doesn’t turn around, just waves as he leaves.
When Mark returns to his room, he plops down on his bed, letting out a deep sigh as he sinks into the comfort of the mattress. Now that he’s by himself, his mind returns to thoughts of his thesis. He scrunches his face tightly and groans, clutching his head and rolling so he’s lying on his stomach.
He fishes his phone out of his pocket, and notices his backpack on the desk behind him in its reflection. His thoughts bring him back to the pair of glasses he found earlier in the day, and next thing he knows, he’s standing upright, digging through his backpack to find them.
It's just another ordinary pair of glasses, or so he thinks. The frames are round, coated in a thin silver metal. The lenses are slightly tinted, much like his own computer glasses. Oddly enough, though, they had a bit of weight for how little material he was holding.
Don’t do it. You don’t know where these have been. What if they fuck up your vision?
He pauses.
“Hey Siri, flip a coin.”
Heads, we wear them. Tails, we toss them out the window and forget about it.
Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic.
Tails, we shove them in my desk drawer and forget about it.
“It’s heads.”
“Dammit.”
Mark inhales deeply, putting on the glasses and looking in the mirror. He frowns – they make him look extra goofy , and that’s the last thing he wants. The tint from the lenses is barely noticeable, and there's no noticeable prescription. The longer he looks in the mirror, the more he sees different details about his room, and the ghostly apparition standing in his bed.
Wait. The what?
Mark freezes and takes off the glasses, turning around to look at his bed. It’s empty, except for the dent he left when he laid down.
He puts the glasses back on, and the apparition reappears. It’s standing in a familiar manner and wearing clothes he could’ve sworn he saw last week.
“Jaemin? Is that you?”
The apparition startles, stepping forward until they’re face-to-face. “Oh, so you can see me! Good! I’ve been trying to get your attention all week.”
“What? Why not just text me?” Mark takes the glasses off again, then puts them back on.
Jaemin has his hands on his hips, pouting back at him. “Would you stop doing that? I can’t text you because I can’t wake up. I’ve been stuck in this dream for a week.”
“Oh my god, just like the news said.. Okay, come with me.” He pushes the glasses up, resting them on his forehead, and rushes over to Haechan’s room, throwing the door open with a sense of urgency.
Haechan shrieks, and tarot cards go flying everywhere. He points at Mark angrily, and his jaw drops when he sees the apparition behind him.
“Jaemin?! What the hell happened to you? Why are you a spirit now?!”
“You can see him?!” Mark turns around incredulously and puts the glasses back on. Jaemin raises an eyebrow, rolling his eyes. “He said he’s stuck in a dream and doesn’t know how to wake up.”
“Oh my god, just like the news said..” Haechan covers his mouth. He stands and opens his closet, sorting through his various metaphysical goods for the right tool. “Come with me. We’re going over there.”
The two boys exit their apartment, aggressively knocking on their neighbor’s door.
“Jeno! Let us in, we’ve come to help!” Mark calls out, confused when no one answers.
Jaemin kicks at the door, startling when he phases through it. He pokes his head back out. “It’s no use. Jeno’s asleep too, and there’s no waking him up once he’s out.”
“Oh, for.. RENJUN!” Haechan rushes back into their apartment, pulling out a half-awake Renjun and a lockpick.
Mark looks confused. “You know how to pick locks?”
Renjun yawns and nods, pushing him aside and leaning down. He’s silent as he works, the clicking of the lock the only noise coming from him. After a moment, they hear the door successfully unlock, and he stands, satisfied. He turns to leave, but Haechan stops him.
“Wait! What if we need you again?”
He glares but stays with them. Mark throws open the door to Jeno and Jaemin’s apartment, and the apparition of Jaemin leads the way. Sure enough, when they get to Jaemin’s bedroom, his body is still there, fast asleep.
Haechan looks exceptionally pissed. “How could Jeno just leave you here this whole time?! Did he not think to check on you once? Unbelievable!”
“Who are you talking to?” Renjun yawns, stretching. “Actually, I don’t want to know. I’ll wait in the living room.”
“He can’t see me, can he?” Jaemin pouts, folding his arms. “Well, whatever. Any ideas on how to wake me up?”
Mark squints, then flips the glasses off and on once more. There’s a weird glow around the sleeping Jaemin that matches the color of apparition. “Hmm... I have an idea. Haechan, touch him.”
Haechan is taken aback. “You want me to take advantage of a sleeping person?! You’re bold, Mark Lee.”
Mark, annoyed, jabs him in the side, earning a loud squeak from him in response. “You and I both know that’s not what I meant. Touch his hand.”
“What, do you think he’s Sleeping Beauty? Should I kiss him too, make him feel like a real princess? What if he turns into a frog?”
Mark pinches the bridge of his nose. “Just do it!”
Satisfied with Mark’s level of irritation, Haechan does as he’s told. He gasps when the glow overtakes his body, and he collapses on top of Jaemin, fully asleep instantaneously. Mark bites his lip, uneasy.
The apparition of Jaemin swims back into his body, then swims back out. “He’s in my dream now. What did you do?!”
“I just have a hunch.. But I think the only way for us to wake you up is to figure out what’s going on in your dream. There’s probably something keeping you locked up in there.” he leans out of the doorway. “Renjun.. We’re gonna be a bit. Stay here in case Jeno wakes up.”
He nods when he hears Renjun’s mumble of acknowledgement, then points at the apparition of Jaemin. “I’ll meet you in there, okay? We’re gonna figure this out.”
Jaemin swims back into his body, and Mark takes off the glasses, setting them on a nearby desk. He steels his nerves, taking the sleeping Jaemin’s hand in his own. A wave of fatigue immediately washes over him, and he too collapses onto the bed, descending into a deep sleep.
---
When he opens his eyes, Mark finds himself on the streets of Seoul, just outside of a cafe. People around him are mindlessly moving about, and when he looks more closely, he’s taken aback. The ‘people’ don’t have faces, which, in theory, would make it easier to find Haechan and Jaemin, but he didn’t even know where to start.
He turns around, looking up at the signage. “Cafe Jekyll...? Why does this sound familiar?”
Suddenly, three people burst out of the front door, speaking with each other loudly.
“Did you see the way that barista spoke? He was totally trying to put us in a trance. I don’t like it!” Jaemin huffs, talking into his phone mounted on a selfie stick. Haechan is next to him, holding himself and shivering, and Jeno is behind both of them, nervously sipping on his latte.
“Oh, perfect. You’re all here. Wait, Jeno, why are you here, too?” Mark asks. Jeno raises an eyebrow and makes a confused puppy noise.
“Who in the – MARK!” Haechan rushes him with a hug, relieved to see him. “We’ve been here for ages and can’t figure out what’s going on. Jaemin said he’s been reliving this entire day for what feels like forever.”
“What? No, it hasn’t been that long. It’s only been-” Mark fishes his phone out of his pocket, “...Why does this say it’s midnight? We’re in broad daylight..”
“Mark, you idiot, the laws of real life don’t apply here! We’re in a dreamscape. Anything can happen now.” Haechan wags a finger in his face, which he shoves away.
Jaemin scratches his head, putting away his phone. “Now that you mention it, I have some sort of power. I float when I feel any sort of strong emotion. Jeno’s pulled me down several times.”
Mark thinks hard about all the details of this dreamscape. He looks at the people nearby, then back to them. “Jaemin. Has Jeno had a face this whole time?”
Haechan looks up at Jeno and gasps. Where his crescent eyes would normally smile back at them is nothing, his face a blank canvas. Jaemin slowly turns back to Mark, smacking him on the shoulder.
“Do you understand now why I’ve been trying to get your attention this whole time?! He’s been like that since I fell asleep. I just follow the script every time and then it resets.” Jaemin frantically whispers. “It’s freaking me the hell out! Even worse than that cafe!”
Mark offers a kind smile to Jeno and pulls Haechan aside. “Is it possible that there’s some sort of evil spirit keeping Jaemin locked up in here?”
“I think so. Why, do you think it’s Jeno?”
“Look at him!”
They both turn to look at the faceless Jeno, who tilts his head in confusion. He takes a sip of his latte, and both are confused when liquid actually moves in the straw.
“Okay, it’s probably him. But how do we draw it out?”
Mark points at him. “You’re the self-proclaimed witch! You tell me!”
Haechan clutches his head, racking his brain for answers. He stares deep into Jaemin’s eyes and speaks. “After this part of the dream, what usually happens?”
“Umm, we usually walk to the train station, then it starts over. Why?”
“There it is. Mark, grab Jeno and follow me!” He grabs onto Jaemin and takes off in the opposite direction, hooting and hollering.
Mark looks at ‘Jeno’ and knocks his latte to the ground, grabbing his arm and chasing after Haechan. He doesn’t turn around to see if it’s working – he doesn’t need to. He can feel Jeno’s arm transforming in his hand the further they get away from the cafe. It becomes slimy and thorny, and absolutely gross.
“How much further are we going?!” He yells to Haechan. He and Jaemin turn back and shriek at the sight.
“We’re almost there. And whatever you do, don’t turn around!”
"What the fuck, Haechan?! That thing has been with me this whole time!?” Jaemin exclaims as they run.
“Not any longer! Once we get rid of it, you’ll be able to wake up, I’m sure of it. And then I’m casting a spell on your place so you never have to deal with this shit again. Got it?!”
He hops on the railing, sliding down into Yeouido Hangang park. Mark panics the closer he gets to the stairs, worried about losing his grip on Jeno.
Wait... This is a dream. Anything can happen.
He squeezes his eyes shut and imagines a soft landing. When he jumps from the top of the stairs, it’s as if time slows down. It feels like he’s moving through jello, and when he opens his eyes, he discovers he’s gliding down the stairs. He looks at Haechan and Jaemin incredulously, the latter of the two floating in shock.
Mark reaches the ground and it’s as if time resumes its normal speed. He takes off running towards the river, and finally peeks behind him to see what he’s been dragging with him. His heart jumps out of his chest at the sight.
A humanoid made of dark energy is looking back at him. Its limbs are thorny, and it has yellow eyes, all twenty of its red pupils blinking at different intervals. It opens its mouth and smiles, letting out a maniacal warped laugh.
“Yo, what the-?!” As soon as they reach the river, Mark shuts his eyes and imagines he has superhuman strength. He grabs onto the creature with both hands and spins in circles, gaining momentum. The creature continues to laugh, and it holds onto him, wrapping its thorny tendrils around his arms.
All at once, Mark lets go. The momentum is enough to send the creature flying into the Han River, where it lands with a huge splash.
“What the hell did you do?!” Haechan and Jaemin catch up, both watching as the creature sends birds flying in all directions. It melts into a thick, sludgy puddle in the middle of the river, before disappearing entirely.
Mark rests his hands on his knees, panting. “It’s like you said. This is a dream, where anything can happen, which means we’re capable of anything, too.”
“Well, good work. I hope I never see that thing again.” Haechan huffs, hands on his hips. “Now what? Are we going to wake up?”
“Yeah, I think so. Look around us.” Mark points behind them. One by one, the people disappear. A vortex appears in the center of the skate park, twisting the surrounding area into itself until nothing is left but a black void.
---
Mark awakens with a sharp inhale, gasping for breath. He can feel something repeatedly smacking him, and he rolls off of Haechan and Jaemin, falling onto the floor. They hear footsteps, and suddenly Renjun and Jeno are in the doorway.
Jaemin shrieks upon seeing Jeno, covering himself with his blanket. Haechan also shrieks, diving under the covers next to him. Mark stands up, putting some space between the five of them.
“It’s okay, Jaemin. It’s okay. The dream is over, you’re awake now.”
Renjun folds his arms, leaning in the doorway. “What the hell happened? Why do you all look like you’ve seen a ghost?”
“Mark did see a ghost, genius! That’s the whole reason we came over here!” Haechan points at him, accusatory, then sets his sights on Jeno. “And you! Your roommate and best friend was missing for a week, and you didn’t think to check up on him?!”
“Huh?!” Jeno raises his hands in surrender, taking a step back. “I’ve been sleeping at a friend’s house near the gym, I didn’t know! Last night was the first time I’d been home all week!”
“You should be ashamed of yourself, Jeno! I get that you care about your boxing career, but you should care about your friends, too! What if we weren’t here? Would Jaemin have been stuck in that dream cycle for two weeks? A month? Who knows!”
"I’m sorry, Jaemin, Haechan. I’ll try to balance my time better.” Jeno sighs, bowing his head deeply. “But can you please explain to me what’s going on?”
“Yeah, actually, how did this happen?” Mark asks.
“I.. I don’t actually know. I didn’t do anything different from last week, aside from finish a research study..”
“Research study?” Mark thinks back to the flyer he saw the previous day. “You fell for that scam?!”
“It’s not a scam. My psych professor is the one running it. I’ve been interested in the psychology of dreams, too, so I chose to participate.”
“Did they give you any weird drugs?” Mark’s expression is serious.
Jaemin shakes his head. “No, no. I was just sleeping like normal. The last day of the clinical trial was actually Monday, so I don’t know why.. Oh, this doesn’t make sense..”
Haechan rolls out of Jaemin’s bed, shaking his head and glaring at Jeno. “It must be this full moon that has everyone acting crazy. Whatever. I’m gonna go make a protection spell for you two, because this cannot happen again. I’m not going into another dreamscape and fighting goopy monsters.”
“What do you mean? Mark did all the fighting...” Jaemin scratches his head, watching Haechan intentionally bump into Jeno as he leaves. Renjun shrugs, turning and following to get more sleep.
Mark looks to Jaemin, then to Jeno. “Sorry. You guys know how he is. He just gets angry because he cares.”
“I know, but even so, he’s right. I need to be here for you guys more, especially if this was like those cases on the news.” Jeno replies. “But how did you know to come here and try to wake Jaemin up?”
“Well, I put on these glasses, and then I could see him.” Mark gestures to the glasses that sat on the desk, exactly where he left them. “I wonder.. Do you think those people on the news are also like that? Wandering around, separated from their sleeping bodies? Stuck in dreamscapes like the one we were in?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. But what can we do? We’re just a bunch of kids.” Jaemin huffs, burrowing further in his bed. “I don’t want to do anything.”
“No, no, you don’t have to do anything.” Mark says, deep in thought, eyes on the glasses. “But I think ... I might have my topic for my thesis.”