Varun gathered everyone (Jay excluded) Sandeep sir asked, in front of the staff room. Sandeep sir welcomed them in and as they were in, he shut the doors behind him as it was just dark inside, except for some light through the closed curtains of the window.
Sandeep sir switched on the lights and they all sat along a rectangular table. The five guys at one side, the three girls at the other and Sandeep sir at the smaller side of the table.
"I don't remember such table being here," Varun pointed out.
"Congratulations, you are seeing through the matrix then. Hopefully I used the proper reference," Sandeep sir said.
"You might have strike some fear in me though," Varun said.
"What is happening sir?" Aria asked.
"Well, you all are… dreaming," Sandeep sir said.
Everyone got silent in confusion of what they just heard.
"Or… it's a dream come true you mean sir," Varun said. "Sorry, coping mechanism again. But, what?!"
"Ok, don't scream. Whoever is causing this may hear you. I don't know for sure," Sandeep sir said.
"Sir… what kind of a test is this? You need a reality check maybe," Varun said.
"There was snow… not the one which you remember as happening twice some time ago and disappeared. There was snow everywhere and you were still in school-college. The doors were jammed shut but you people broke out and I don't know, you just decided on stopping whatever is causing this for some reason. You went places, saw things and fought and won," Sandeep sir said.
"Uhuh, we kids sure seem strong out there," Varun said.
"Somehow you had powers ok, but maybe wanted it a secret, who am I to judge? Then… you found where this started and went there. I tried to reach you and couldn't by then. But I connected to you and here I'm with you, caught here. But, it seems that I'm the only one who remembers about the real reality. Now you need to get out. And hence even I can, but I can't alone. You people need to wake up. And for the record, I jammed the doors by making you believe that it is jammed, but you got through together," Sandeep sir said.
"Um…" Flint said.
"Ok, you don't believe me," Sandeep sir sighed.
"No…" Kara said. "I believe you. I believe whatever you said. I believe the story and that this could all be fake. And I believe if now it fails, you will come back again and try if there is another chance. And I don't need chances. I need this to happen… now!"
"Two people… anyone else have a say?" Varun asked.
"Oh, Phobetor was right about the mockery. How much ever I hate him, we can agree on being against the mocking H.O.D. kid," Kara said and got up. "And we are not a fan of this!"
Kara lifted both her hands as two huge dark swords appeared ahead of them as she held them at the same pace. Aria and Fara moved away from Kara as Aria dragged Fara away, behind her.
"Don't escape… I can and will throw the swords if I need to. As Phobetor or Morpheus, I have no use for you," Kara said.
"Ok, hold up sister. What in the world is happening? And how did you do that?" Varun asked.
"I'm not her… but I'm lucky and thankful that I chose her as the beacon. If things go sideways I thought to use her… and it did. Why don't you just help Morpheus to get what he came for? He just needs you here some more time, why is it that hard? Help my brother to reach our parents," Kara demanded.
"Seriously nothing here is making sense. What is happening?" Varun asked.
"Everything that I told you… And more, it seems," Sandeep sir said.
"Still, not ringing a bell but there won't be a queue anyways. And that is your queue," Varun said.
"Whose…?" Kara asked.
"Mine," Chethan's voice came from across the room.
Chethan came ahead with a metal pole like thingy and hit Kara's head. Kara just fell down and vanished into dust as she hit the floor, but even the dust wasn't there afterwards. Chethan just sighed and still didn't let go of the pole.
"Who else…?" Chethan asked looking at Varun.
"No one, but keep the pole. Things seem to vanish when they hit the floor," Sandeep sir said.
"That would have been my words," Varun said.
"Yeah, I'm connected to your mind and can barely get glimpses of your thoughts… boy your class was this messy?" Sandeep sir asked as if something strike his mind.
"Wow… I was thinking of that and… you are right," Varun said.
"Ok… explanations please," Aria said.
"You all crossed the gate and it led you into the dream realm," Sandeep sir said.
"What is that?" Aria asked.
"I don't know… Varun's mind does but he doesn't. Think about it deeply Varun," Sandeep sir said.
"What was wrong with Kara?" Fara asked.
"She was a HIRY and that's all I can get. Don't block me off Varun," Sandeep sir said.
"My mind might be afraid, I don't do the deciding," Varun shrugged.
"Your bodies entered the dream realm hence you feel this as real as Morpheus could be showing you what he wants… or could be Phobetor. Wow, this is some great story," Sandeep sir said, as if he were impressed.
"Ok… what exactly must we do?" Chethan asked.
"Meet up with the one person not present here. And make a plan on getting out of here," Sandeep sir said.
"I don't properly know where he is," Varun said.
"Just think deeply of him. It'll work… that's me talking and not you. But try," Sandeep sir said.
Everyone sighed and deeply thought of Jay, concentrating on that thought and closed their eyes. They waited and waited, and Varun opened his one eye, curiously. And saw that nothing had changed.
"Nah… need a better plan," Varun said.
"How about we keep going and going deeper? The dream realm won't be a perfect copy of the real world. So, we will find loops and end up in the right place in the end," Chethan said.
"Um…" Flint said.
"Yeah… I know what you are thinking Flint. But he has a point, so worth a shot," Varun said.
"Time is running out and danger waits ahead," Sandeep sir said.
***
"Why must I hide? It's just couple of guys, I can handle that," Jay sighed to himself.
Jay was hiding behind some machine like thingy, from three people. The three were in some kind of suits and had guns with them. Wherever Jay was, was surely not safe in any way.
"Ok… only one way," Jay said.
Jay got up and ran towards the three people. Two were besides each other and he tackled them down. He punched into one guy's glassed helmet and hurt his hand. The third guy took his gun up as Jay picked up the other fallen guy as armour. The guy shot and the second guy died, the first guy pushed Jay away as both of them came together and pointed their pistols at Jay and cocked them.
Jay couldn't think of anything now. From behind the two someone hit them with fire extinguisher cans and the two guards fell down. What Jay saw ahead was Varun and Aria with their cans. Everyone else was behind the two, ready for battle.
"Still think I can't kick ass?" Varun asked.
"What in the world?" Jay asked.
"Actually, in the dream realm," Varun said.
"What?" Jay asked.
"This all is a fake realm we are in and are trapped in here by someone called Morpheus," Aria said.
"Like… like Matrix?" Jay asked.
"Oh, I was right. I got the confirmation, nice," Sandeep sir said.
"How did you get here?" Jay asked.
"Don't," Aria sighed.
"We thought that you'd be here and through loopholes in the matrix we got here," Varun said, proud of what he said.
"Whatever world, I'm sure that's constant," Aria sighed.
"Where is Kara?" Jay asked.
"She was…" Varun tried to say.
"Killed by me, because she was fake and evil," Chethan said blankly.
"Ok, nice comeback Chethan, but really," Jay said.
"I'm serious and there is nothing to be taunted by," Chethan said.
"What do you mean? You just like… actually killed her?" Jay asked getting up.
"You are not listening," Chethan said.
"No… really. Do you think this is something to joke about?" Jay asked.
"Jay… back off," Varun said.
"You be quiet Varun," Jay said.
"Jayke, back off!" Varun yelled.
"What did you call me?" Jay asked turning to Varun.
"Rings a bell doesn't it? We are close to something here. Which will help us to reality. So, you co-operate," Varun said.
"But Kara…" Jay said.
"Is dead… she was fake. Just a HIRY," Varun said.
"I… I trust you Varun," Jay said. "Of all people, you."
"Ok… we go deeper and figure things out of where to exactly go," Varun said.
"What exactly is here?" Jay asked.
"Some big connection to something but don't know what," Varun said.
"Ok… how exactly do we know this is right?" Jay asked.
"Everything here is our thoughts mixed up. When we go deeper, we will find a door back. That is a weird plan but is one way which could work and did work a while back," Varun said.
"Is this really going to work?" Jay said.
"Do you remember how you reached here?" Varun asked.
"Well, I was onto the case of the truth behind the snow and then that gave me the location of this place. And I came here," Jay said.
"Came here how?" Varun said.
"By… not being at the place I was before? I took a door out and…" Jay said through realisation.
"This all is our thoughts mixed up. Ok, let's all try thinking hard and keep going deeper," Varun suggested.
"From a series or movie…?" Aria and Jay asked.
"Ok… weird people. Just think of a place where the gate or whatever is-is struck in some cube thingy and there are people around it, and we must go through and we can win when we get to the middle. Just something like that," Varun said.
***
They reached a closed door with a see through glass on the upper part of it. Inside, there were guards with bigger guns, taking strolls around a glassed cube. Whatever was inside the cube was not visible. They just stood behind the door, thinking of what to do.
"What is inside the cube?" Aria asked.
"I don't know," Varun said.
"Well, you are the one whose imagination this is possibly," Fara said.
"Actually it's all of you combined. And probably including Morpheus," Sandeep sir said.
"That is clear by now," Chethan said.
"There are a lot of guards inside. Who thought of guards?" Varun asked.
"Probably some kind of defence mechanism set by the villain. Wow, this all sounds so weird but fits nice," Aria said.
"We need to fit in there and survive," Varun said.
"You do sound like you've done some fighting before," Fara pointed out.
"Nah… it's the gamer mind. I have seen some dark things in games, which required strategy… I was meant to do this!" Varun said realising.
"You are not the only gamer," Jay said.
"I could try and learn from the best then. What's your strategy?" Varun asked.
"I don't know… you tell," Jay said.
"You JUST mocked me a second ago," Varun said.
"It just feels right. You are the one who leads," Jay said.
"Ok, that statement has serious flaws. And I would be an idiot to accept it on any world," Varun said.
"The point, let's concentrate," Sandeep sir suggested.
"Well, I have this pole in my hand," Chethan said.
"Any more great weapons…?" Jay asked.
"Nope," Jiant said.
"Huh, we are dying, aren't we?" Jay asked.
"Yeah… it's usually die in dream, then die in reality. According to movies," Adam said.
"And they still win with their wits, somehow in the same movies," Maaz said.
"Ours is more into horror genre, than heroism, though we act heroic, someone will die," Adam said.
"Can't deny that," Maaz sighed.
"Seriously… you both accept on this one thing?" Aria asked.
"We are not some opposite forces to keep opposing each other you know," Adam said.
"Yeah," Maaz agreed.
"Alright, fine," Aria sighed.
"Ok, how many guys are in?" Varun asked.
"Um… one," Jay said looking inside.
"What?" Varun asked.
"One… coming towards us," Jay said backing away from the door.
"Wait… they found us?" Varun asked.
"This one is in some weird armour, unlike the guys we saw before," Jay said.
The door clicked open and the person on the other side opened it. It was someone in some weird armour, just like Jay said. The person just looked at everyone and stopped, without any attempt to attack.
"Hello there," a girl's voice came through the armour.
"Don't you dare-" Chethan said.
Sandeep sir and Chethan vanished from there, before Chethan could finish talking, leaving only the eight of them in front of the girl in armour.
"There, it's only us now," she said.
"What are you, some kind of knight in shining armour? Or some armour girl?" Varun asked.
"You know who I'm… consciousness," she said with a harmless smile.
"The… the voice inside my head?" Varun asked.
"Already used once. But, I'm the 'Warrior of your dreams', to be precise," she said.
"What?" Varun asked.
"Or WOD, for short," WOD said.
"What… why are you here?" Varun asked.
"To enlighten your brain, which you so badly require," WOD said.
"Funny, but sure," Varun said.
"I see Varun as a girl in some armour," Jay said.
"No difference at all," Aria said.
"Time to go guys," WOD said and raised her hand.
***