Chapter 10: The First Subject

     Reika was desperately trying to find a way to deal with the dragon. If she doesn't act in time, all her efforts will be in vain.

     "Think, Reika... Think!"

     While in the middle of her thoughts, Reika remembered the empty space in her memories.

     If only I could move the dragon there...

     Reika noticed that the dragon raised its head. At that distance, the dragon's head could reach Reika with ease.

     "Wha...!?"

     Without any second thoughts, Reika raised both of her hands to protect herself. As the dragon charged towards her without an intent of stopping, Reika helplessly closed her eyes.

     In the middle of the night, the dragon suddenly vanished without a trace. On the ground, an unconscious Reika can be seen. The entire area became silent as the battle ended without knowing the victor yet.

     ...

     Mhhhm...

     She was surprised when she heard a clanking sound.

     CLINK!!

     What is that...?

     In order to see the origin of that noise, she opened her eyes immediately. In front of her lies an enormous creature.

     That's...

     It was Veylir, the Wildfire Dragon, that she fought before. It was struggling to free itself from the chains that wrapped around its wing. 

     Without thinking twice, Reike immediately raised her hand. A chain emerged and instantly wrapped around the dragon's entire body, including both of its wings.

     The previous chain vanished into thin air, and the new chain replaced it. Although the new chain was longer, it was thin compared to the previous one. 

     The dragon saw its situation and shook its body to break free from the chains that wrapped around it.

     Reika saw it and maintained the chain using the white mass to prevent it from shattering.

     Ghk! I can't think of anything other than restricting its movements by using chains to bind it...

     While looking for a way other than using chains, Reika noticed the changes in the dragon's soul.

     The glow of its soul was dimmer compared to the last time I fought it in the forest...

     Reika looked around and noticed that everything around her was dark. There was nothing to be seen besides her and the dragon.

     Isn't this the place that the strange light from before brought me..?

     The darkness stretched as far as her eyes could see. It seemed like everything was empty and devoid of life.

     BOOOM!!

     Reika was surprised when a loud boom echoed the entire area. She got knocked away all of a sudden. 

     GUHHH!

     Her body was blown away and fell to the ground. She writhed in pain in response to the sudden impact of the attack.

     What was that..?

     Reika saw that her body began to form several cracks. Her body looks like porcelain on the verge of shattering.

     She checked the situation of the dragon. To her surprise, the chains that wrapped the dragon began to form several cracks. 

     In that state, the chains would be shattered into pieces...!

     The dragon unleashed a second attack. Reika saw a pulse of energy explode within the dragon, reaching her body.

     BOOOM!

     Reika raised both of her arms to strengthen the chains that wrapped the dragon's body.

     GHHHKKK!

     After the wave caused by the pulse passed over her, Reika saw the damage caused by the attack.

    My arm...

    One of her arms was gone, shattered into pieces. She checked the condition of her body, and it was worse than she thought.

    More cracks appeared around her body, and several pieces chipped out of it. She was like a broken doll with many missing parts.

    GYAAAAAHHH!

    Reika felt an intense pain coursing through her body. The pain was like being stabbed by a thousand blades, over and over again.

    Taking such a massive blow, Reika trembled and groaning in pain. While struggling to keep up with the effect, she pushed herself to stand up on her feet.

     Ughk... This... I need to settle scores with that bastard reptile...!

     Reika managed to stand up tall, even though her legs were still wobbling. She checked the dragon's situation and noticed that the dragon had grown weaker compared to the last time she saw it.

     (What should I do...)

     While looking for a solution, a realization struck her mind.

     Damn it! Why have I never thought of that thing before?

     Reika came closer to the dragon. The dragon tried to resist the shackles, but it doesn't have any strength to move around. The two pulses of energy it unleashed made its soul weaker.

     Hehe... You can't do anything now, huh?

     The dragon got agitated and unleashed a roar once more. This time, it was weaker compared to the previous one. The roar made Reika's soul tremble, and small fragments chipped out of her body.

     There's nothing you can do now! At this rate, any unnecessary attacks would make your soul weaker...!

     The dragon is still struggling to free itself by tugging at the chains. Reika sighed as she saw the dragon's desperation.

     (Oh well... It's nothing to be surprised about if it didn't listen to what I'm talking about since I am talking in a language foreign to this land...)

     All of a sudden, a thought passed through her mind.

     (Wait... Do dragons understand the native language of the humans on this land?)

     Reika snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a crackling sound. She looked around and saw that the chains had caused a dent in the dragon's soul, chipping away some small fragments.

     Upon seeing the dragon's worsened condition, Reika's face became serious, and she walked closer to the dragon's head.

     I know you won't understand me, but please trust me this time. I might have a way to save your soul from shattering...

     Reika extended her left hand, which hadn't shattered from the attack before. She then placed her hand on the dragon's nose.

     Speak your terms.

     Reika was surprised upon hearing the strange voice. She realized that it was the dragon who spoke those words.

     Eh? Y-You understood it?

     The dragon nods in silence.

     B-But how? I was speaking in Japanese-

     None of it matters for now.

     ...

     Both of them remained silent for a short period of time. The dragon decided to break the silence and speak.

     Now, tell me the conditions of your offer. I might consider it...

     Reika cleared her throat in order to speak well.

     Ahem! I thought of a plan to save you-

     Enough with your repetitions. I advise you to be direct.

     Reika got irritated upon hearing the dragon's attitude towards her.

     Hey! What's with that sassiness of yours!?

     The dragon looked away from Reika and scoffed.

     Hmph.

     Upon hearing the dragon's rude reply, Reika felt irritated and was pissed by it.

     (This little...)

     Reika tightened the chains a little bit in order to teach the dragon a lesson. The dragon immediately felt the grip and reacted.

     Ow! Ow! Y-You insolent creature... S-Stop this at once!

     Now, would you listen to my terms without interfering?

     F-Fine! I agree! J-Just loosen these chains... Ow!

     The dragon felt that the chains had loosened a little, and the pain began to subside. The dragon felt relief and sighed.

     Now, although this plan might not work out, I want you to submit yourself to me...

     And with the ability I possess, I will make you a subject of mine.

     All of a sudden, the dragon roared.

     That's foolish! Why would a proud dragon from the dragon race submit to a lesser being like humans!?

     Reika covered her face in order to protect herself from the dragon's roar. After a while, the dragon calmed itself.

     Can't you see? Your soul became weaker over time! If that continues, you might shatter at that rate!

     After the dragon heard her, it fell silent and lowered its head.

     You're right. Once a soul separates from its vessel, it becomes weaker. Without a vessel to shelter on, the result would be total annihilation...

     Reika kept silent and listened to the dragon. She sighed after hearing its concern.

     Now, you don't have any choice, do you?

     The dragon raised its head.

     I do have one!

     Oh?

     -That is, to seize your body and become my temporary vessel. But I never thought that you had such methods to deal with spiritual entities...

     Upon hearing it, Reika laughed out loud.

     HAHAHAHAHAHA! Too bad for a choice, huh?

     The dragon quickly reacted to Reika's mockery.

     I-It was a lapse of my judgment! Being dragged into your subconscious space already puts me at a disadvantage...

     Reika paused for a moment.

     Subconscious space...?

     The dragon got confused.

     You don't know what subconscious space is?

     Reika shrugged her shoulders.

     Sigh... A subconscious space is a boundary between the vessel, or your physical body, and your soul. Within this plane, your soul was situated here while you were unconscious.

     Reika was baffled by the information and tried to ask further.

     Then, are you saying that this space is real?

     It is not, but this space is just a concept conceived in your mind. It is not a place that you can go, but a concept that cages your soul. This space is conceptually endless, and escaping it is impossible. Unless...

     Unless what?

     Unless you destroy the owner's soul and gain control of its vessel...

     So it's like a possession, right?

     The dragon nods in agreement.

     Yes. But sometimes absorbing the owner's soul would suffice. But it is a risky plan since it'll put the owner into a deep sleep, and there might be a chance that the owner will regain consciousness and take back control of its soul and its vessel.

     Reika was shocked by the new information she learned.

     I can't... I don't even know that your subconscious mind could do that...

     Wait... From what I've learned, dreams happen on a subconscious level, right?

     I... I don't understand the application of the word "level", but if you're referring to the one I understand that conceiving imagination in subconscious space is possible, yes, you can.

     Reika's eyes brightened up upon hearing the dragon's answer.

     Then, I can do... this!

     In an instant, clothes appeared and covered Reika's body. It is a white T-shirt and long jeans. Her body also changed, from a glowing figure to normal, bright skin similar to what her body usually looks like.

     And... this!

     On a whim, the subconscious space began to shine brightly. The dragon closed its eyes to protect it from the sudden change within Reika's subconscious space.

     When the dragon opened its eyes, it was shocked by what it saw.

     This...

     It found itself in a completely different place. The dragon saw different houses stretching far and wide with a design it had never seen before. The road was different, for it was completely smooth, with no dents that separated it like bricks. The houses were separated by smooth walls, which is different compared to the houses they saw before.

     I... I've never seen anything like this before...

     Reika stepped in front of the dragon.

     I know it might sound absurd, but this is the country where I was born... This is Japan.

     The dragon was confused, as it hadn't heard of any country that Reika had mentioned before.

     Japan..? I roamed the continent for many years, yet this is the first time I've heard of that country...

    Reika giggled softly.

    Fufufu... It doesn't exist on the continent—no, not on the planet you currently live on. It is a country that is situated on a planet we call Earth. The Earth is further here, somewhere in the night sky...

     The dragon fell silent for a moment as it was stunned by the existence of Japan and a planet beside the one it currently lived on.

     Planet Earth... 

     All of a sudden, several people appeared out of nowhere in the streets. The dragon was shocked at first, but what got its attention was the people wearing strange clothes.

     Those clothes and garments—are these the clothes that the people on your planet wore? It seems light and colorful compared to the ones I saw before...

     M-Mom? D-Dad?

     The dragon paused when it saw Reika approaching two humans in front of a house. 

     A tear rolled down Reika's face upon seeing the two people in front of her. Without hesitation, she hugged them.

     Both of them smiled and hugged her tightly. Reika cried while she hugged them.

     Mom! Dad! Oh, how I missed you! Sniff...

     I must remind you that everything here is just an illusion conceived by your mind. They are just a replication of your memories...

     Reika snapped back to her senses and wiped her tears away. All of a sudden, her parents vanished into thin air.

     I know... I knew they would never come back. It's just... I want to see them one more time, even if they're not real...

     The dragon didn't utter a word as Reika watched the house in front of her. Seconds later, Reika turned around and faced the dragon.

     My parents died when I was nine years old due to an accident. Since then, I have lived at my grandparents house, up until I turned fourteen years old. I moved out on my own volition in order to be independent. 

     With my grandparents' support, I managed to find a part-time job. Along with their subtle allowance, I managed to raise an income in order to sustain my daily needs while studying.

     Hearing all those sad memories of Reika, the dragon was deeply moved by her struggles and dedication.

     While the dragon was still on its thoughts, Reika didn't notice that a child was approaching the dragon with a bicycle. Reika only noticed it when the child was only a foot away from the dragon.

     Wait..!

     Reika was too late when the child made contact with the dragon's body. But she was surprised by what happened next after the contact.

     It permeated through...?

     As I told you before, everything here was just an illusion conceived from your mind. You can't interact because every single object or living thing here is just a projection born from your imagination.

    Reika was confused.

    B-But... I could feel my parents' touch, though. It was surreal...

     Because your mind's telling you that you can. 

     Since it is just a projection in your mind, anything is possible, including interaction with humans and objects inside your subconscious space. But that rule is only applicable to you, and I am not bound by it.

     Reika touched the wall beside her and felt the rough texture of it. Everything around her seems so real to her.

     You can disable it by visualizing that everything is just a mere projection. In that way, you can permeate through that wall.

     (Projection...)

     Reika touched the walls again and was surprised when her hand passed through them.

     This...

     While she was immersed in the little experiment she was doing, she was distracted when the dragon groaned in pain.

     Urk..!

     Hearing that the dragon was suffering, Reika immediately rushed towards the dragon.

     Are you alright?

     Reika noticed that the dragon's soul grew weaker than before.

     Ugh... I r-remembered your offer before, and it seems like I have no choice but to agree... Although I h-have a temporary measure to alleviate the effects of shattering, it won't serve as a long-term basis...

     Reika looked straight into the dragon's eyes with a serious look.

     Are you sure you want to do this...?

     Suddenly, the entire surrounding area collapsed, and everything turned into darkness. Reika's body reverted back to its current state.

     The dragon nods in silence, indicating that it agreed to be Reika's first subject in order to save its soul from demise. Reika saw it and nodded in response.

     Okay. Just stay still...

     Reika closed her eyes and extended her left arm. She opened her palm wide and focused her mind.

     "Subjective Control"