The Illuminators

9. The Dream

That night Miyu-ra was consumed by another turbulent dream. This time, she thrashed violently, her muffled screams echoing through the tent as Chie-ri struggled to subdue her. Despite Saet-sa's attempts to rouse her with gentle pats on the cheek, Miyu-ra remained lost in the depths of her vision.

"She's experiencing a prophetic dream," Chie-ri declared, her voice tinged with concern. "We have to wait until it runs its course. Could you help hold her down while I fetch her drawing kit?"

Saet-sa nodded, his brow furrowed with worry, as he grasped Miyu-ra's trembling hand. Several tense minutes passed before she finally stirred, her body drenched in sweat and her breath coming in ragged gasps. As her eyes fluttered open, they briefly met Saet-sa's gaze before shifting, as if she were peering into another realm.

"My drawing kit, Chie-ri," she murmured urgently, her voice barely above a whisper. Without hesitation, she reached for her tools, her hand moving with an almost instinctive purpose as she began to sketch something unseen by anyone else.

Several minutes later, Miyu-ra appeared to be finishing her drawing, her hand moving with swift, purposeful strokes. As she set her tools aside, her eyes no longer focused on the invisible image before her. Both Chie-ri and Saet-sa gasped when they saw the drawing. It was undeniably detailed, depicting a gruesome scene—a murder. In the illustration, Miyu-ra lay lifeless, her body contorted at an unnatural angle.

Upon seeing the drawing, a chill swept through the tent, silence hanging heavy in the air. Chie-ri's eyes widened in horror, her gaze darting between the sketch and Miyu-ra, disbelief etched onto her features.

Saet-sa's expression darkened as he studied the drawing, a knot of unease forming in the pit of his stomach. "What does this mean?" he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes never leaving the disturbing image before them.

Miyu-ra's voice was oddly calm as she spoke, her tone tinged with an eerie detachment. "Is this how I am going to die?" she questioned, her brow furrowing in deep concentration as she studied the drawing before her. "Where is this location?"

Chie-ri's eyes widened in concern, her gaze shifting anxiously between Miyu-ra and the sketch. "Miyu-ra, are you alright?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.

Saet-sa's features hardened, his jaw set in determination. "We need to figure this out," he declared, his voice firm as he considered the implications of the drawing. "We can't ignore this warning."

Miyu-ra's gaze remained fixed on the drawing, her brow furrowed in deep concentration as she analysed every detail. "Wait... ! Look at her eyes," she murmured, her voice distant as if lost in thought. "They are not purple, they are blue."

Closing her eyes briefly, as if to look back into her dream, Miyu-ra crossed her arms around herself, as if seeking comfort from the chilling scene depicted before her. Saet-sai observed her with a mixture of concern and sympathy, realising the emotional toll this must be taking on Miyu-ra.

"Yeah, definitely not purple," Miyu-ra continued, her tone more certain now. "This is not my corpse. This is the girl I hired to pretend to become The Sacred Painter."

A wave of relief washed over Saet-sa as he processed Miyu-ra's words, his tense muscles relaxing slightly. His eyes widened in realisation, a weight lifting from his shoulders as the implications sank in.

"Look at her hands," Miyu-ra added quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "She was tortured."

Saet-sa's expression darkened, his mind racing with the implications of what Miyu-ra had revealed. "We need to find out who's behind this," he declared, his voice filled with determination. "And we need to protect that girl."