Helly was halfway out the door; the hallway beyond nem was dark.

"Just don't let anyone in until I get back," ne told Yoshi, who was standing at the door helplessly. Ne then slipped out, closing the door behind nem. Yoshi sighed and stalked across the room to the table in front of the hearth, where a fire seemed to be burning on no fuel at all. Mumbling to himself, Yoshi sat down on one of the stools.

Liya drifted off. The green dreams all ran together into deep, blood red, and then she was wide awake again.

She sat bolt upright, finding tears on her face. Sniffing, she wiped her eyes, and then realized something was odd.

Beside her bed, the orb of a lamp was glowing--it threw light over her, and the pillow, and the covers, but nothing else. Puzzled, she tapped the lamp with one finger, and then looked up to realize that she could not see the room around her at all--just an interminable, solid darkness.