In the distance, an abandoned bus stop stood.
No vehicles in sight, no uniformed staff.
Under the gloomy sky and falling rain, a small group huddled together on the wide platform. Four or five passengers at most. The station's decay was evident - exposed red bricks on the platform, weathered rain shelters hanging precariously overhead. The few travelers were forced to crowd into a corner to stay dry. All their eyes fixed on a single point in the distance.
Through the curtain of rain, about 30 meters away, stood a man with an umbrella. He hadn't moved for at least 10 minutes. As the passengers whispered among themselves, the man suddenly stirred, walking toward the platform. Drawing closer. Indeed a man, well-proportioned, decent-looking, wearing an over-sized work jacket several sizes too big, and below... it's a pair of plaid pajama pants and cartoon slippers. His soaked slippers made squelching sounds with each step.
Jiang closed his umbrella and looked up at the group before him, rain streaming down the umbrella's fabric onto the platform.
"Are you new here?" a petite, innocent-looking girl asked cautiously.
"Don't be stupid." growled a muscular man with a full beard. His gaze lingered on Jiang's slippers before meeting his eyes. He studied Jiang like predator sizing up prey before adding, "Interesting newcomer - unusually calm for someone who just arrived."
Five people in total. Jiang saw no one else near the platform. Besides the innocent girl and the bearded man, there was a plain-looking woman around 35 with thin lips and a mole. A sleazy-looking balding man in his fifties. And a young man in office attire, hair meticulously combed, but hunched over with traces of tears in his eyes."We call this the Dream Realm," the muscular man replied. "Everyone here arrives through a black door that shouldn't exist - a door from their dreams."
Jiang nodded. This matched his experience. "What are we supposed to do?"
"You find clues based on the scenario you're placed in, complete the task, and try to survive," the muscular man gestured toward the rain. "Dream Realm is just what the first arrivals called it. Don't ask what this place really is, or where we are. None of us know. Just know that after opening that door in your dream, you might find yourself in a village, a high-rise, a forest, a snowy wilderness, or a wasteland. Any scene that exists in our real world could appear beyond that door."
"Any scene from our world?" Jiang probed.
"Yes."
"Then what's the difference between this place and our world? Isn't this just our reality?"
It was an astute yet challenging question.
"But our world would never have two identical versions of the same person," the muscular man's voice grew heavy.
Though cryptic, his meaning wasn't lost on Jiang, who frowned. "You mean someone encountered... themselves here?"
"Yes."
The muscular man fell silent, either disturbed by these memories or seeing no point in explaining further to a newcomer who might not survive their current task.
"We can return to reality after completing the task?" Jiang asked.
"Yes," the man nodded, his gaze fixed on the rain, which was growing heavier. The world around them seemed saturated in gray, the sky darkening ominously.
"Newcomer," the thin-lipped woman with the mole suddenly addressed him, "Dying here means being erased from reality. Aren't you afraid?"
"Technically, I guess it's disappearing," Jiang corrected.
The woman's eyes widened with interest as she looked Jiang up and down. "For a newcomer, you're far more capable than this crying waste."
She shot a contemptuous glance at the office worker, who visibly trembled at her words. With a cold laugh, she turned back to Jiang. "If you survive this time, perhaps we could become... friends."
Jiang ignored her completely, turning his attention to the muscular man instead. The man stood at the edge of the rain curtain, anxiously scanning the surroundings, worry etched across his brow.
"You're waiting for someone," Jiang observed. "One more person hasn't arrived."
The muscular man turned, surprised. "How did you know?"
"Hmm... I also know the person you're waiting for is quite agile, despite being overweight."
"Newcomer, you're becoming more intriguing by the minute!" The man's expression had moved beyond mere surprise. "You're right - we're still waiting on one more, which is why the task hasn't begun. But how did you know? Especially such specific details about their build and agility?"
Instead of answering, Jiang walked to the man's side. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he called out in a specific direction: "Hey! It's safe here! Come out - we're all waiting for you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a figure suddenly sprang up from the rain about fifty meters away, sprinting toward the platform as the others watched in amazement. Legs like sausages moved with surprising grace, dodging puddles before making an impressive leap onto the platform.
Everyone's minds echoed the same thought: Holy shit! He really is an agile fat guy!
The moment he landed, the overweight man's eyes locked onto Jiang's work jacket. His own khaki shirt was soaked through, leaving him shivering in the cold.
"Could I..."
"No!"
Jiang cut off his hopeful request, pulling his jacket tighter around himself.
"What's going on here?" the balding man spoke up for the first time, clearly confused.
"Met him on the way. I scouted ahead for him in exchange for a coat and umbrella," Jiang explained matter-of-factly.
The shivering newcomer looked so pitiful that no one else bothered with him, except for the innocent-looking girl who lent him her scarf out of sympathy.