The Institute (7)

 He was dreaming.

The world in the dream was fluid, full of blurred and weird colors, inverted lines, distorted waves. A blood-red sky, white sun, dark blue trees, and burnt yellow floors. He couldn't tell what was going on, but he knew he was dreaming.

He didn't have a sense of self, like a wisp of slowly drifting air, he seemed to be everywhere but at the same time nowhere. 

He had no resistance, no thoughts, he felt drunk, only existing in a dull blankness as he drifted among the reddish clouds.

Then he was falling, but there was no ground beneath him, just falling in an endless nothingness.

Falling...

Falling...

FALLING!....

Stay–

Gasp!

Chu Yi woke up covered in sweat and a burning dryness in his throat. He didn't have time to assess his situation and a wave of dry heat washed over him without warning.