Prologue Dreams and the myth of rupture.
We humans and this world are constantly threatened by the "evil dreams of God."
God is real. Deep within the far reaches of the collective unconscious sea, hidden within the depths of every human being's consciousness, God exists.
The absolute being closest to what is commonly referred to as "God" has been in slumber since time immemorial, residing in the profound recesses of our human consciousness. Because we are asleep, we are entirely indifferent to us humans, and, therefore, impartial and just.
Then one day, God had a nightmare.
God is all-knowing, and in His dream, He envisioned all the fears that exist in this world at once.
And because God is omnipotent, He cut off and discarded this immense nightmare that cannot even be perceived within the realm of human consciousness, for it became malevolent and demonic during sleep. The abandoned nightmare transformed into a series of small bubbles and ascended from the depths of the sea of the unconscious, rising towards our consciousness.
The "nightmare bubbles" emerging in our consciousness dissolve due to their "omniscience" and blend with the individual's inherent fears.
When the "nightmare bubble" surpasses the capacity of our consciousness, the nightmare spills over into reality.
Thus, our nightmares, merged with God's nightmares, become tangible in reality.
†
"Then I'll be going, Mom."
"Have you forgotten something?"
"No... I don't think so."
While offering this vague response, I sat down at the entrance and tied my shoelaces.
Shirano Aoi completed tying her shoelaces while chatting with her mother in the kitchen, then hurriedly picked up her school bag from where it lay and swiftly made her way out of the front door.
However, that didn't mean she was running late.
To reach school on time, she was actually a bit early. As Aoi left her home and stepped out of the residential area's alley onto the driveway, she noticed a girl in a sailor's uniform waiting near a vending machine close to the bus stop, pretending to sip on canned coffee.
"Sorry for being a bit late, Yukino-san."
"... "
Upon recognizing the girl, Aoi let out a yelp. Yukino, the girl in question, had a striking, elegant appearance and a pallor to her face. She forcefully disposed of the already empty canned coffee into the nearby trash can.
Her sailor uniform, with its elegant ribbon, contrasted with Aoi's moss green uniform, as she attended a different public high school. Her skin was as white as snow, and she had an angry look in her eyes. But what set her apart was the black lace ribbon that adorned her hair, giving her a somewhat gothic look.
"... "
Faced with Aoi's confusion, Yukino silently shifted away from the vending machine she had been leaning on and slung her black sports bag over her shoulder.
"... Let's go, Yukino-san."
"Yes."
Yukino responded softly and promptly stood up, walking ahead.
Aoi was somewhat puzzled by the reaction but followed the back of the sailor-suited girl, wondering what was going on.
Today was Friday, and for the past three days, Yukino had been waiting for Aoi every morning. Initially, she waited in front of Aoi's house, but her family mistook her for Aoi's girlfriend, leading to an awkward situation with her parents. Consequently, Yukino's waiting spot was relocated to this new location.
Yukino's black ribbon swayed before Aoi's eyes.
Despite living in the same city, the two attended different schools.
"As always, I'm sorry."
Nevertheless, Aoi thanked Yukino for coming to pick her up.
"No need. It's my job, so don't worry."
Yukino replied without turning back. Initially, Aoi had worried that Yukino might dislike her, but after a few days, she had come to realize that Yukino maintained the same attitude with everyone, so Aoi, who had no prejudices, was no longer bothered by it.
"So this is your job... It must be tough."
"Not really."
"I've heard you've been missing a lot of school."
"I don't care. I'm only there because of my uncle."
"Your uncle? Is he your tutor? ... No, I still think you should go to school."
"I don't want a normal life anymore. I'm going to become a monster. If I don't become a monster, I won't be able to fight them..."
Yukino's voice lowered, and if one listened closely, they could hear her grinding her teeth.
As they walked through the city in the morning, Yukino's demeanor rejected the idea of leading a typical life. She carried her sports bag slung over her left shoulder, and a bandage peeked out from her wrist. It resembled a self-inflicted wound, and Aoi knew it wasn't an ordinary scar but instead a series of carved eyes.
However, Aoi was accustomed to such things. She couldn't just ignore girls who engaged in self-harm, let alone the act itself. Perhaps it was due to memories of a girl who was no longer with them, a childhood friend who used to play together and engaged in self-harming behavior.
Aoi continued, "I think monsters are more likely to emerge when you try to lead a normal life."
The first time Aoi had seen Yukino, she had thought of her as a monster.
"So, even if it's wrong to pretend to be normal, it's sometimes more convenient to do so, like when entering high school or college."
Yukino remained silent.
"I've heard your grades are suffering because you've been absent from school. If you'd like, we could study together. If there's anything you don't understand, I think I could help you a bit."
The public school Aoi attends is prestigious.
"What do you think?"
"... Why do I have to study with you?" Yukino stopped and looked at Aoi with cold eyes. Her cheeks were slightly red, whether from embarrassment or anger.
"Well, I thought maybe Yukino might get scolded by her teachers for all the missed classes."
"It's a hassle," Yukino remarked matter-of-factly.
"Because if you stand out, it might cause trouble for Yukino-san."
"... You're noisy."
After a brief silence, Yukino added, "And I'm happiest when Yukino is happy."
"... Noisy. I'll kill you."
Yukino's voice turned chilling. Aoi fell silent, and Yukino continued in her original direction, walking briskly. Aoi fell in step beside her. Yukino glanced at Aoi with a somewhat sad expression, but didn't voice any particularly negative remarks.
For the past three days, they had been going to school together like this...
It's not that they had a close relationship or were best friends or childhood acquaintances. Aoi had only met Yukino for the first time four days ago on a Monday. This beautiful, slender girl of the same age as Aoi was a bodyguard with special magical powers, chosen to protect Aoi from the predicted "God's Dream Bubble" that had occurred three days ago.
†
Aoi had been predicted to experience the divine nightmare bubble, known as the "bubble danger." Four nights ago, Aoi encountered "it" and was saved by Yukino.
It's said that those who survive the bubble danger often carry deep traumas and fragments of the nightmare bubble in their hearts. These fragments, often referred to as "nightmare fragments," replay the nightmarish events in their minds and can even invoke the nightmares themselves.
Yukino had her own "nightmare fragment." She too had been caught in the bubbling disaster and survived.
There were many survivors of these nightmarish bubbles around the world, some carrying fragments of the nightmares in their heads along with horrific traumas. They banded together to support one another, to help new victims, and to work in secret to save people from the bad dreams that manifested in the world. This covert group, known as "Order of the Fragments," was active across Japan, operating to conceal the existence of God's nightmares and their own connection to them from the eyes of most people.
They were known as the Order of the Fragments. Thus, Aoi learned about the nightmares of both humans and God and their ongoing battle against "fairy tales."
The world was being consumed by the nightmares of God..
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