Miyako’s face was solemn. The other women seemed surprised, as if they had heard something unbelievable.
“I never thought I’d see a Gift-user with your attitude, Miyo.”
“That’s for sure. Almost all the Miyakouji Gift-users get so puffed up and arrogant. They go around bragging about their abilities every chance they get.”
“Arrogance and pride are par for the course. You’re real modest, Miyo.”
Were the women genuinely praising her? Miyo’s confusion won out over any happiness she may have felt.
Miyako then gently placed a hand on Miyo’s back and gave her a pat.
“We’re all saying this as a compliment, Miyo. If I’m bein’ honest, the only impressive thing about the Gift-users and arts practitioners in the family is their conceit. They’re a bunch of unreliable pains-in-the-ass, that’s for sure.”
“O-oh really…”
“Some of those fools are stupid enough to compete with members of the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit.”
It sounded like what Miyo had heard about the Miyakoujis rarely producing Gift-users anymore was true.
“Really, it’s a bit of a divine punishment our family can’t produce any proper Gift-users, when you think about it.”
“Divine punishment?” Miyo asked, the words standing out to her, but Miyako sidestepped her question with a smile.
“Ah, forget it. You all right if we go and see Izuko right now?”
“That’s fine.”
Miyo headed over with Miyako to the section of the estate where Izuko was. They had decided to go by themselves so as not to bring a whole crowd.
“Here we are.”
Miyako stopped in front of a closed sliding door and called out to the other side.
“Izuko, you there? It’s Miyako.”
“Come in.”
There was a faint, feeble answer. Miyako gently opened the door. The interior of the room was bright, modestly furnished with folded-up bedding, a cloth-covered vanity, a dresser, and a low writing desk.
The feeble voice belonged to the young girl sitting at the desk.
“Izuko, is now a good time?”
“Uh-huh.”
The young girl turn around, revealing a lovely face with large bright eyes…but she was also terribly small and skinny. Her arms were practically skin and bones. At first glance, she appeared around seven or eight years old, but according to Miyako, Izuko was already ten.
Miyo certainly hadn’t been well nourished at Izuko’s age, but even she hadn’t looked this bad.
The young girl didn’t react at all to Miyo’s speechlessness, likely accustomed to the response, and glanced at Miyako instead.
“Miyako, do you need something?”
“About that. This here is Miyo Kudou. I brought her along because she just might be able to cure that awful sleeplessness of yours.”
“I’m Miyo Kudou… You’re Izuko, right? It’s nice to meet you.”
“Hello…”
Izuko seemed interested in Miyo since she had come from outside the estate, and the girl looked at her with wondering eyes. Miyo saw nothing but innocent curiosity in her gaze, without any suspicion or doubt.
Miyo figured she must be a pure and gentle young girl.
“Pardon me,” Miyo prefaced before stepping into the room and sitting with straightened posture at Izuko’s side.
“Um, I was told you have a difficult time sleeping and that you cannot fall into a deep sleep. Can you tell me more it?”
“Um, okay… First, a lot of the time I can’t even get to sleep. I’m unnaturally wide-awake. Sometimes, I fall to sleep easily, but when that happens, I have a nasty dream that wakes me right back up.”
“A nasty dream?”
Izuko gave a small nod.
“…Yeah, but I don’t ever remember what it’s about. It just feels really painful and sad and draining…so I jolt awake. All those bad feelings stay behind, and then it’s like I didn’t get any rest. It’s so awful that I’m scared to sleep now.”
“You’ve been dealing with all that?”
Izuko’s situation really did sound familiar to Miyo. In her case, Miyo had sometimes remembered her nightmares, but it had been painful either way. Considering Izuko had been suffering this way for her whole life, she was surprised the girl hadn’t been driven to madness.
It would be difficult to treat Izuko’s sleep problems, but if Miyo could see what sort of dreams Izuko was having, she might be able to prevent the girl from jolting awake from the nightmares.
“I understand. Izuko, would you allow me to try using my Gift? If things go smoothly, I might find a clue on how to get rid of your nightmares.”
As soon as Izuko heard this, the life seemed to return to her face, and her once-dull eyes sparkled.
“Really?!”
“…I can’t say for sure if I’ll be able to truly cure you. Please don’t expect too much. The outcome I described is the best-case scenario.”
“That’s totally fine! I’ll try anything to help me get to sleep again…”
Izuko, practically in tears as she pleaded with Miyo, looked so pitiful and miserable that just talking with her made Miyo feel as though her heart were being torn to pieces. Her chest tightened as she reflected on Izuko’s desperation to withstand this inescapable torment; it reminded Miyo of her younger years.
At the same time, these emotions made her desire to help even more intense.
Miyo spread out the bedding and had Izuko lie down. Sitting at the girl’s bedside, she took Izuko’s small, frail hand in her own.
“Izuko, relax your body, and if you began to feel sleepy, just let yourself drift off.”
“O-okay.”
Miyo spoke slowly to Izuko as the girl lay there with her eyes closed, still appearing somewhat nervous. Then Miyo gradually tapped into her powers, channeling them through the girl’s hand to draw her into slumber.
Eventually, Izuko’s hand went limp, and Miyo began to hear the rhythmic breaths of sleep. Once Miyo was sure Izuko had fallen fully asleep, she turned to Miyako.
“From here, I’m going to use my Gift to look into Izuko’s dreams, so don’t worry if I fall asleep, too.”
“Got it.”
“Also, if four and half hours go by and I still haven’t woken up, can you please call for my husband?”
“Sure, I’ll do that. Please help Izuko.”
Miyo smiled at Miyako, anxiously nodding while holding Izuko’s hand in hers and closing her eyes.
She focused on her Gift. Growing more conscious of it, she sank deeper and deeper within Izuko through their joined hands.
This nightmare had tormented Izuko for many years. Naturally, Miyo was a bit scared to glimpse it for herself.
Still, she wanted to help Izuko. Miyo steeled herself and drifted all at once into the girl’s dream.
The interior of her dream had a strange air.
It was chaotic, like several different scenes mashed together, a myriad of different colors thrown on the same canvas.
Izuko was nowhere to be seen. However, that in and of itself wasn’t strange.
The dreaming individual didn’t always appear the same way in their dream. Commonly, they didn’t have any form at all and were watching the dream from above.
She heard a voice. People talking.
There was noise mixed in with the voices, though, so she couldn’t completely make out what they were saying. Nevertheless, she waited patiently, and the sound slowly began to grow clearer. The scenery also began to become clearer, taking on a distinct shape.
Eventually, Miyo came face-to-face with…
Wh-what…is all this?
…fragmented memories and records. These wouldn’t be enough to give her a proper grasp of the situation.
However, she was certain this was unusual.
Intensely angry voices and screams pleading to end their suffering pierced her ears. She saw children writhing in pain and agony, and she saw violence. Just witnessing this sent hatred and anger rippling through her skin like electricity. How could anyone commit such heinously inhuman acts?
Miyo felt cold. Nausea welled up in her gut, and she began to feel like vomiting.
She didn’t want to see more. She didn’t want to hear more. No wonder Izuko couldn’t sleep after witnessing such horrors. It was awful. This was unforgivable.
Miyo clenched her palms tight, then opened them in front of her.
Let this nightmare break away, collapse, and scatter.
Fiercely, intensely, she prayed. As she did, the scene and the sound slowly blurred and grew fainter, as though veiled in mist. As if to now wash away the paints that had come together to form a clear picture. As though all the stains were being scoured until they grew fainter, and fainter, and fainter.
It took her more time to erase this nightmare than it did a normal dream, like how long it took to remove stubborn grease stains from a plate. However, Miyo continued to erase the dream, her persistence unabated. When the nightmare had mostly disappeared, she once again gave a prayer to finish the job.
Please, let this nightmare never torment Izuko’s sleep ever again.
She thought she heard the sound of wind blowing in the now empty dream space. With this gust of air, the last vestiges of the nightmare were blown away.
I’m sure she’ll be fine now.
Miyo raised her head. In doing so, she began making her consciousness rise to the surface.
She had done what she could with Dream Sight. She didn’t know for certain if Izuko would never have the nightmare from here on out. Nevertheless, Miyo knew for certain that right now, for the first time in her life, Izuko could have a peaceful slumber.
Miyo’s consciousness completely returned to her physical body. She looked down at Izuko. The girl’s hand was in her own, and her face was peaceful, her breathing steady and rhythmic.
It looked like everything had worked out. Miyo sighed in relief.
“M-Miyo…? Did you finish?” Miyako asked with worry, having watched over the pair the whole time. Miyo replied with a nod.
“Yes. For now at least, Izuko should be able to sleep peacefully, free from nightmares. I don’t know how long the effects will last, though…”