The Artist Who Paints Dungeon

When I first awoke in this hut and saw the dawn sky just as the sun was beginning to rise—

“I felt a peace I had only imagined until then.”

It was a beautiful sky.

Unlike the concrete forest where nothing beyond was visible, here the view was vast.

A pristine Milky Way that seemed it would sparkle endlessly when touched by enough light.

A sweet hint of nature carried on a wind both cool and warm.

An inexplicable longing ached through the dryness of her corneas, and her heart pounded heavily.

It was overwhelming—so much so she couldn’t even think.

“Unlike reality.”

Here, there was no noise at all.

“Sergio.”

“You’ve finally called me that.”