Dream Doll

3

As Ryn's feet carried her hurriedly through the field, her mind briefly wandered back to a different world. The memory of Eltryia beckoned like a whisper of forgotten melodies. She could almost feel the soft touch of dewy grass beneath her toes, hear the distant strains of ethereal music, and see the vivid colors of the realm that had once been her sanctuary. 

The sensation of graceful movement, of twirls and leaps beneath the silver moonlight, resurfaced in her mind's eye. For a fleeting moment, the here and now blurred, giving way to a nostalgic reverie of a time when her heart danced as freely as her feet had once done in Eltryia's enchanting embrace.

Ryn found herself swept along by Seven's persuasive words, her schedule for the day discarded like forgotten notes. They sprinted towards the heart of their school, the central light beaming, breathing, alive. Amidst the excitement, Seven pulled out a sleek device that emitted a laser, striking the light.

"It's so pretty up close," Ryn's voice trailed off, her wonder palpable. "Do you get this close to it often?"

Seven's gaze shifted her way, a knowing smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, I dip all the time. Did you know the Mosasaurus wasn't actually a dinosaur? It could expand its mouth to swallow its prey whole." His casual tone held a glint of excitement, a hint of his deep fascination with all things beyond the surface.

"That's interesting," Ryn mused, intrigued. "So, how are we going to do this?" Her attention shifted to Seven's gadget, a mix of anticipation and curiosity evident in her eyes.

"Oh, I already obtained the code I needed from this school's mainframe," Seven explained, pointing at an unoccupied capsule nearby. "Follow me, please."

With a casual shrug, Ryn followed Seven's lead. They entered the capsule, the AI's scripted welcome greeting them as the door slid shut. "Please relax," the AI's voice echoed. "Please relax, so I may scan your MindLink." The AI was about to speak again, but Seven's fingers danced in the air, conjuring a holographic keyboard, an intricate dance that wove its own narrative. His typing disrupted the AI's rhythm, deepening its tone and muffling its words.

The AI's image on the screen fizzled and glitched, its presence reduced to blinking patterns of light before vanishing from the capsule.

"Okay, just need to upload this code," Seven muttered to himself, his focus intent on the digital task. "And drop that in the recycle bin, control panel..." The capsule responded with a symphony of digital sounds, a chorus of progress in the digital realm.

Just as he glanced up, the capsule's screen came alive once more, and the AI materialized with a gentle smile. "Welcome, how may I service you today?"

Ryn couldn't contain her admiration. "You're brilliant," she blurted, her awe evident.

A playful grin crept across Seven's face. "I know. You don't have to say it...out loud."

As Seven's fingers danced across the holographic keyboard, the AI's voice broke through. "Initiating access to the central net system. I will need to scan your MindLink. Please make sure that you are in a safe area while entering a dive."

Ryn's gaze flicked to Seven, her uncertainty subtly etched on her features. "Are you sure... we should be doing this? Like, what if this alerts the Protectors?" Her wariness was a note of caution, a thread of concern weaving its way through her words.

"Just relax, it's fine," Seven said, his voice carrying a reassuring calm. "I dive all the time to learn about the Mosasaurus. Think of this as a Mosasaurus swallowing us whole."

"That sounds... scary, Seven."

Their gazes locked, a silent exchange of thoughts and uncertainties. Seven eventually shrugged, an admission that this venture wasn't without its risks. "If you want to get VIP passes to the announcement and the con, we're gonna have to manipulate the system."