25. Tix

Icould feel the soft vibrations of the dreamworld around us, Grace's hand clasped in mine, each pulse a testament to our resilience.

We had taken refuge here, hidden amidst the sea of thoughts, dreams, and memories, far from the shackles and confines of the real world.

I marveled at the ethereal beauty that surrounded us.

It was as if time was suspended, and we floated in a liminal space between consciousness and oblivion.

A realm where the concept of minutes or hours became muddled.

Even though I knew it was dangerous, even potentially deadly, to remain disconnected from our bodies for too long, there was a certain serenity in being here with Grace, away from the chaos of our reality.

Yet, I couldn't shake off the niggling worry in the back of my mind, wondering when our absence would be discovered.

Grace, ever the intuitive one, seemed to sense my unease.

She pressed her forehead against mine, her warmth flooding through me. "It's okay, Tix," she whispered, her voice like a melodious lullaby. "Everything will be okay."

Just as the words left her lips, the faint echo of footsteps reached us.

We watched, hidden behind the diaphanous veil of the dream, as guards from the waking world entered our cell.

Their eyes darted around, their expressions a mix of confusion and concern.

"There he is," one of them growled, approaching our bedside. "Hey. Loverboy. You know the rules."

"And the girl from the Prize Pool? She's here too," the other chimed in, scratching his head.

They prodded us before slapping my cheek with an open hand.

I felt the numbed sting of it even from the dreamworld.

When my physical body didn't react — other than the blood rushing at the impact site — the two guards shared a look.

Moments later, a doctor was hastily ushered in, his instruments glittering ominously under the dim lights.

He approached our seemingly lifeless bodies, probing and prodding, checking for signs of life.

"They are breathing," he noted, his voice filled with disbelief. "It's shallow. Almost… non-existent."

One of the guards leaned in closer, nudging me with the tip of his boot.

When I didn't stir, panic started to creep into his voice. "What's happening to them? Why aren't they waking up?"

The doctor seemed equally puzzled. "It's like they're in a deep coma. I've never seen anything like it. It's as if their minds have completely disconnected from their bodies."

The murmurs and speculations grew louder, the atmosphere thick with tension.

The realization that two valuable assets were potentially lost seemed to unnerve them.

Finally, a heavy sigh broke the mounting tension. "Move them to the hospital," the doctor declared, resignation apparent in his voice. "Perhaps there, we can find a way to bring them back."

And as they left, Grace and I remained intertwined, our eyes locked onto one another.

The heaviness in our hearts eased a little, knowing that we had bought ourselves some time, a glimmer of hope in the face of adversity.

For now, we had the upper hand.

The hidden door that Grace had manifested awaited us, and with it, our best shot at freedom.

* * *

The humof the machines became a soft lullaby, echoing in the cold, sterile room.

The soft glow from the monitors cast ghostly shadows on the walls, their rhythmic beeping acting as a constant reminder of our delicate situation.

Grace lay beside me, her face serene even in her induced slumber.

A myriad of wires and tubes snaked from both our bodies, each one serving as a testament to the elaborate ruse we had constructed.

I took a deep breath, savoring the controlled air of the hospital.

Despite our precarious circumstances, the room carried a comforting aura.

Beneath that comfort lay a tense anticipation.

It felt like an eternity, waiting for the hospital's bustling energy to wind down.

Finally, as the clock on the wall signaled the start of a new day, the hospital's cacophony mellowed into a soft hum.

The night shift was smaller, quieter, and, more importantly, less attentive.

It was the perfect moment.

Opening my eyes, I immediately locked gazes with Grace.

Her stunning blue eyes shimmered in the dim light, filled with determination and a spark of mischief.

Without a word, we sat up, disentangling ourselves from the mesh of medical equipment.

We took a brief moment to steady ourselves, the physical world feeling a bit disorienting after our prolonged stay in the dream realm.

Grace reached out, her fingers brushing against the seemingly solid wall behind Uhah's former bed.

Then, in a mesmerizing dance of shadows and light, the wall began to shift, revealing the hidden passage she had conjured.

The edges of the doorway glowed faintly, hinting at the potent power she had channeled to create it.

We exchanged a glance, knowing that every moment counted.

Embracing briefly, we felt the warmth of shared hope and the weight of the trials we'd faced together.

We released each other, and with one last lingering look at the room — our temporary sanctuary — we stepped into the tunnel.

The entrance closed seamlessly behind us, leaving no trace of our escape route.

Inside, the tunnel was narrow but surprisingly well-lit, a soft phosphorescence emanating from the walls.

It was cool and slightly damp, with the earthy scent of the underground filling our nostrils.

The path ahead was uncertain, but we moved with purpose, knowing that the dream had given us this chance and we couldn't waste it.

Every footstep echoed softly as we navigated the twisting turns of the underground passage.

It felt like we were journeying through the very bowels of the complex, hidden away from prying eyes.

Occasionally, we would pause, our ears straining for any sound of pursuit.

All we heard was our synchronized breathing and the distant drip of water.

The weight of our journey started to bear down on us as time stretched on.

Grace laughed softly. "If we make it out of this, we'll have quite the story to tell."

"That we will," I agreed, the corners of my mouth tugging upward.

As minutes turned into hours, fatigue began to set in.

Our movements became slower, more deliberate.

Yet, just as hope seemed to wane, a dim light appeared at the end of the tunnel.

The end was in sight.

* * *

With a groan,the hatch door began to budge.

Grit and fine sand trickled in, sticking to my hands and making the handle slippery.

I gave it one mighty shove, feeling the weight of the sand pressing from the other side.

As it opened just a fraction wider, the cool night air of the desert whispered in, carrying a promise of freedom.

Grace, her eyes wide with a mix of astonishment and relief, reached out to help.

Together, we managed to push the hatch open wide enough to climb out.

We emerged into a world bathed in the silvery glow of a crescent moon, the vast desert stretching endlessly before us.

As I clambered out, I extended a hand to help Grace.

She grasped it, and I pulled her up, the sand shifting beneath our feet.

The dunes seemed to stretch out infinitely, their edges softened by the moonlight.

Overhead, stars twinkled like diamonds strewn across a velvet canvas, their light a gentle guide in the vast expanse of the desert.

We stood side by side for a moment, taking in the surreal beauty of the landscape.

Behind us loomed the imposing structure of Ikmal prison, its dark silhouette a stark contrast against the night sky.

From this distance, it looked almost benign, but we both knew the horrors it contained.

The very thought sent shivers down my spine, and I pulled Grace closer, her warmth a comforting balm against the cold memories.

"It feels like a dream," Grace whispered, her voice filled with awe.

I chuckled softly, wrapping an arm around her. "Maybe it is," I murmured, "but it's one dream neither of us ever wants to wake up from."

She smiled up at me, her blue eyes reflecting the moon's light. "It's strange," she said, "all those nights we spent navigating others' dreams, and now, our own reality feels more surreal than any dream."

I nodded in agreement, my thoughts drifting to the countless nightmares we'd faced together. "Do you think we'll ever truly be free from it all?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Grace looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "Maybe not entirely," she began, "but I think we can find our own version of freedom. A place where we can be ourselves without fear."

I gazed at her, struck by the depth of her words.

She had always been the anchor in our partnership, the calm in the storm, and her wisdom was something I had come to rely on. "Then let's find that place," I declared, determination burning in my chest.

Grace's eyes sparkled with mischief. "One of the other Prizes mentioned a town on the other side of this desert. Think we can find a way off this rock there?"

I grinned, the prospect of a new adventure igniting a spark within me. "I think we can make a life wherever we choose," I replied confidently.

She smiled back, her expression softening. "As long as we're together," she added, intertwining her fingers with mine.

Feeling invigorated, we began our journey across the desert, the sand cool beneath our feet.

The night was silent, save for the occasional gust of wind that sent ripples across the dunes.

It felt like we were walking on the surface of another planet, a world untouched by the troubles of Ikmal prison.

As the hours passed, the first rays of dawn began to pierce the horizon, casting the desert in hues of gold and pink.

We paused to watch the sunrise, the sight taking our breath away.

It was a symbol of our new beginning, a testament to the fact that even after the darkest of nights, there's always a dawn waiting to break.

Grace squeezed my hand, her grip firm and reassuring. "We made it, Tix," she whispered, her voice filled with wonder.

I pulled her into a tight embrace, the weight of our journey and all we'd been through pressing down on me. "Yes, we did," I murmured into her hair.

We stood there for a moment, savoring the warmth of the rising sun and each other's company.

It was a perfect moment, one that I wished could last forever.

Eventually, we continued on our way, the promise of a new life propelling us forward.

The desert stretched out before us, its vastness a reminder of the endless possibilities that lay ahead.

We were free, and together, there was nothing we couldn't face.