Ana's lips trembled as a gentle, sweet feeling touched her. The handsome man beside her kissed her lips without warning, with a movement that was soft yet firm. Ana could only surrender, letting herself be swept up in his rhythm.
Her hands, as if beyond her control, began to embrace the man's body, feeling the warmth radiating from him, as if they were one under the sparkling blue sky above the beach.
While in that dream bubble, Ana was savoring passionate moments with the handsome man on the beachside. In the real world, her body was still sitting upright in her chair with her eyes closed, looking peaceful as if immersed in a deep sleep.
Lein watched this scene intently, his eyes shifting to the large bubble floating in front of him. The scene in the bubble showed Ana walking along the beach, her hand intertwined sweetly with the man.
"Did it work?" Lein muttered in awe.
He examined every detail carefully, witnessing how vivid and lifelike the image was. In the dream world he created, Ana seemed to truly immerse herself in the role, enjoying every second without realizing that this was only an illusion.
"Amazing... she doesn't even realize it?" Lein shuddered, unable to hold back his admiration.
His new power was truly incredible; he could create dreams and captivate people to enter them, making them get lost without realizing they were merely actors on the stage of illusion. A satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
Faintly, a soft voice echoed in his mind, like a very familiar whisper.
"So handsome... hold me, darling."
Followed by a small laugh full of happiness.
Lein froze. The voices echoed in his mind, as if coming from somewhere very close yet difficult to reach. He turned, scanning around, trying to find the source of the sound. But with his sharp perception and far-reaching senses, he didn't feel anyone's presence.
"Whose voice is this?" Lein muttered, puzzled. He didn't see anyone who could project such thoughts or feelings toward him.
He thought for a moment, then shifted his gaze back to the dream bubble floating in front of him. Realizing, Lein let out a small snort.
"Is this… Ana's heart's desire?" he murmured, almost in disbelief.
He realized that the voice he was hearing was the echo of Ana's deepest feelings, her hidden desires manifested in that dream world.
"This is crazy… such an insane ability…" Lein grinned with inner delight.
Imagine, hearing someone's heart's desires, even the deepest and most hidden ones! For a moment, he thought that while this was quite entertaining, this situation could turn into a disaster if he heard lewd thoughts from someone undesirable. He felt slightly relieved that the heart's voice he heard came from Ana—a smart, beautiful, and charming assistant.
But Lein also imagined how terrifying this ability would be if he accidentally entered the mind of someone dirty or unpleasant. "That would be torture," he thought, shuddering slightly.
Lein glanced at the dream bubble, checking the remaining time.
"The dream duration is only one minute..."
"There's still 21 seconds left," Lein muttered, his eyes shining with enthusiasm.
Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Lein quickly made modifications to the dream bubble. He controlled the gray energy swirling around him, adding a new element to the illusion. With a little concentration, he made the sun in the beach sky slowly move closer to the surface, growing larger and more dazzling.
In the dream, Ana and the handsome man running together along the beach suddenly stopped, staring in surprise at the strange shift in the horizon. Their eyes squinted against the now scorching light.
"Darling… is it just me, or is the sun actually bigger?" asked the handsome man, his eyes still locked on the view in front of them.
Ana nodded, swallowing nervously. "Yeah… you're right," she replied softly, a feeling of unease beginning to wash over her heart.
The two of them froze for a moment, watching in anxiety as the giant ball of fire drew nearer, burning the air around it. Fear was clearly etched on their faces as they finally realized the gravity of the threat. With a horrified expression, their eyes widened, and a spontaneous scream escaped their lips.
Ana and the man turned and ran as fast as they could, their feet digging into the sand in panic, trying to escape the ever-approaching sun. But its oppressive heat was unavoidable. As her body began to feel scorched, Ana, now separated from the man beside her, felt a tremendous fear.
In her panic, she called out to the only person that came to mind, the one she always trusted in dire situations.
"Help me, Master Lein!" Ana cried, desperate.
However, the sun kept descending mercilessly, threatening to consume everything. Ana ran faster, her breath ragged, no longer caring about the man beside her, no longer caring about anything—only the instinct to survive consumed her. She didn't dare look back, only hearing the deafening heat as it came closer…
The massive sun finally touched the ground, creating a colossal explosion that shook the illusion world. In an instant, everything around Ana—the beach, the sand, the handsome man, herself—vanished in a burst of dust that obliterated everything. Nothing remained, no trace of life.
Ana, who had been sitting calmly in the control chair, jerked awake, her eyes wide open, her face pale. Her loud scream echoed, startling everyone in the room. The soldiers on guard and other staff members stopped in their tracks, exchanging anxious glances before rushing over to try to understand what had just happened.
Ana sat frozen, her body still drenched in sweat, her breathing ragged as if she had narrowly escaped death. The look of fear still lingered on her face, and her heart pounded hard and fast. She shivered, feeling the cold seeping between her heavy breaths. Her awareness hadn't fully returned.
"Where… where am I? That sun...?" she whispered, her voice hoarse and full of confusion.