In a quiet corner of town, beneath the veil of night, Yuma found himself dreaming a strange dream.
In a vast, endless darkness stood a single, old streetlamp. Beneath it stood a small girl—about ten years old, perhaps. She had long black hair, eyes as deep as the night, and a white dress that fluttered gently in the breeze.
“Give me just a little of your dream,”
she whispered.
Yuma hesitated. “What do you mean, eat my dream?” he asked. The girl gave a faint smile.
“I’m the Dream-Eating Child. I’m trapped here.”
A being imprisoned in the world of dreams—her words sent a cold shiver down Yuma’s spine.
When he woke, his breathing was heavy. Was it just a dream… or something more?
The next day at school, Yuma turned to his best friend Keita. “Have you had any weird dreams lately?”
“Dreams? Actually… now that you mention it, I haven’t had any dreams for a few days. Is that even possible?”
Anxiety began to bloom in Yuma’s chest. What if the girl in the dream was real?
And what if the people whose dreams were eaten… could never dream again?
That night, the girl appeared again.
“I knew you’d come back.”
Her name was Tsubaki. She had been trapped in the dream world for a very long time, and could only survive by consuming dreams. But the price was steep—those whose dreams she fed on would eventually stop dreaming, and slowly lose their vitality.
“Isn’t there a way to help you?” Yuma asked.
For a moment, Tsubaki looked sad. “Maybe. But… I don’t think it’s possible anymore.”
“If there’s a way, tell me!”
After a long pause, she spoke quietly.
“If someone remembers me… I might be able to leave the dream world. But there’s no one left who does.”
Yuma’s heart pounded.
“Then I’ll remember you!”
Tsubaki’s eyes widened in surprise.
In that moment, the dream world trembled.
As Yuma’s consciousness began to fade, he heard her voice faintly.
“…Thank you.”
When he awoke, he was drenched in sweat.
But he remembered her clearly—Tsubaki.
Still, his chest ached.
A few days later, he came across an old newspaper article in the town library.
It reported the death of a young girl in an accident decades ago.
Her name—Tsubaki.
Yuma closed his eyes gently.
After that, he was able to keep dreaming.
Tsubaki no longer appeared.
But in his dreams, there was always a soft, comforting breeze.
