I pointed my finger at Lana and did my best to sound intimidating to someone who was, apparently, the god of this weird little world.

"Where's Shion?" I asked.

Lana looked at my finger, then at me, and she rolled her eyes.

"Are you accusing me of doing something to Shion?" Lana asked, unimpressed. "Because I don't actually do anything here, Ryu."

I looked around dramatically.

"Well, I don't see here, and she was just with me a second ago. She was with Yuki and I when we were coming through the gate."

Lana nodded.

"Ohhhhh, that Shion. My bad. I forgot. Duh. I'm so sorry, Ryu," she said, her voice thick with sarcasm.

She put her hands on her hips.

"I just realized that you must think I'm some kind of idiot or something."

She gestured all around the woods.

"What happened last time we were in Shin'yume? Huh? What the hell were you doing here, Ryu? Were you taking a goddamn stroll in the woods at night, you absolute moron?"

I thought back to that moment.

It must've been weeks ago, but I remembered.

"Hotaru hit me in the neck with a poison dart," I said.

Lana nodded up and down.

"See? You knew. Okay, so if Hotaru hit you in the neck with a poison dart, then what are you doing standing here in the woods outside the tunnel?"

I shrugged.

"I don't know… last time you brought me here it was a dream," I said.

Lana nodded slowly, like she was helping a child with their homework.

"Is this still that moment?" I asked.

Then she grinned.

"Bingo!"

Suddenly, fanfare sounded from the trees.

Like the squirrels had installed Bose right after gathering nuts for the winter.

I sighed.

"So, I'm still dreaming."

She took a sharp breath.

"Ryu, I'm not going to mince words with you. Yeah, you're still dreaming for now, but you're about to wake up very soon."

She leaned forward a little, letting her voice drop.

"And when you do… guess where you're going to be?"

I didn't have to guess.

"The Asuka clan… um… dojo?"

Lana's grin spread slow, like she was savoring the setup.

"Yeah," she said. "You're right. Good guess, American-jin."

Then her head tilted.

"So… do you feel like you're ready?"

I frowned.

"Ready for what?"

She snickered, brushing a stray hair from her cheek.

"Oh, Ryu… I'm not giving you spoilers. Think about it, though. It's not like you don't have a bunch of clues what's coming next."

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Yuki folded her arms, floating just a little closer.

"That's not cool," she said, a sharp huff in her voice. "Stop treating him like he's an idiot."

"I'm not," Lana said, waving her off. "I'm nudging him in the right direction."

Lana gestured towards me, pointing at my face.

"See?" she said. "You can tell he's thinking about it. He's putting the pieces together. I wouldn't be surprised if I smelled something burning."

I crossed my own arms.

"Inego showed me how magic works. In that dream earlier."

Lana nodded like she'd already known.

"Yeah. He did that for a reason."

"Well," I said, "if I'm going to cast anything, I'm gonna need a wand."

Lana crossed her arms, her expression dropping flat.

"Do I look like I sell magic wands?"

She threw her arms outwards.

"Do you see any shelves with specialized magic equipment out here?"

Yuki spun in a circle, confused.

"Ryu, we're in the woods," she said.

Then she floated off behind a tree.

"How am I supposed to get one, then?" I asked.

She smirked.

"Why don't you tell me who's asking?"

I sighed.

"I told you. I'm Ryu."

She raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Okay. So you say, for now. Question number two: what the hell are you doing?"

I met her gaze.

"Trying to get a wand so I can fight my way out of a ninja dojo, get back to Shin'yume-sou, and get Yuki an actual body from the Nightlands." I paused.

"…Is this the Nightlands?"

Then, Yuki returned from the woods.

"Ryu! Look what I found!"

She pointed at one of the dead trees.

"What am I supposed to do with that?" I asked.

Lana punched my arm.

"Stop being so dense. Look closer."

I approached the tree where Yuki was pointing.

There, on the end, I saw it.

It was different than Inego's.

His wand had a soft pink glow, made from the end of a flowering sakura tree. Mine had a faint blue-whitish glow.

And I realized why.

"Ryu!" Yuki said, pointing at the dead tree.

There was an icicle hanging from the end of the branch.

The icicle was hanging from my wand.

"Yuki," I muttered. "You found my wand!"

She beamed, folding her hands in front of her.

"Oh, come off it," Lana said. "It's got ice on the end of it. How do you know it's for you and not Yuki?"

Yuki made a face, like she was confused.

She tried to grab the wand, but her hand went straight through it.

"Gracious!" she remarked. "It must be for Ryu. I can't grab it."

Lana sighed.

"Yuki, honey," I said. "I think the kitsune was kidding."

Yuki scrunched up her shoulders, looking embarrassed.

"Oh. Um… of course she was."

I held the wand in my hands.

It felt cool and slender, like I was holding something I'd just pulled from the fridge.

Lana shrugged, slow and deliberate.

"Right now, you're just dreaming, Ryu, but you're gonna wake up soon."

She pointed at the wand.

"Take care of that. You'll need it."

I tucked it into my back pocket, telling myself to be careful when I sat down.

"Now, I've got one more question," Lana said.

I snorted.

"Let me guess. It's about the yokai girls, huh?"

Lana winked.

"I can't wait until I'm back in a body," Yuki muttered, almost to herself. "I'll be much more helpful to everyone.

Lana turned towards Yuki.

"Yuki, if you're really serious about that, why don't you talk to Azuki first? Ryu's still finding his feet when it comes to casting spells, and Azuki's a shapeshifter, as she mentioned to you."

Dream Yuki tilted her head.

"That's actually not a bad idea," she said.

But I was suspicious.

"Lana, are you being helpful or are you playing Inception? What's your angle?"

Lana put her hands behind her back and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"What's the matter, Ryu?" she asked, nonchalantly. "Maybe I'm just trying to give your ghost girlfriend some friendly advice."

I shook my head.

"But that version of Yuki's a dream. The real Yuki won't remember it when I wake up."

Dream Yuki sighed sadly.

"You'll remember it, though, won't you?" she asked. "Please, remember it for me, Ryu. You don't have to be the one to get me a body straight away. Have Azuki help you until you're able."

I nodded. I could do that.

"Watch your head," Lana told me. "Oh,and mind your pockets, too, since that's where you've got your wand. And maybe, just maybe, be on your best behavior."

I narrowed my eyes.

"What's your last question?" I asked. "Is it about the yokai girls?"

Lana grinned.

"No," she said. "It's actually about Hina Suiren. What's your take on her? Friend or foe?"

The world lurched.

It felt like I was falling, or the floor suddenly gave out beneath my feet. For a moment, everything went black.

I woke up with a jump.

It was dark. The air smelled of earth, herbs, and faint firesmoke.

My hands were bound behind my back. I could feel string wrapped around my wrist, biting into my skin.

My back was pressed to the cold floor, and I could hear something moving just beyond the door.

I was back.

And I was pissed off.

"Ryu!" Yuki's whispered voice sounded in my ear.

It was her, and even though I was tied up in the Asuka clan's dojo, or their basement, or wherever, just hearing Yuki's voice was enough to make me feel better.

"Yuki…" I muttered, my voice dry and hoarse.

I felt her cool, calming air by my side.

"I've been trying to wake you up for hours now!" she said.

I tried to sit up, but my head swam, and my muscles ached all over. My hands were also bound, which made everything harder.

"I don't suppose you brought a knife?" I asked.

She frowned.

"Yuki, it's okay, hon."

That brightened her up.

"I like it when you call me that," she whispered.

It was good to be with her again, the real Yuki, in the real Shin'yume, but my relief was short lived.

I had no idea what Hotaru and Hibana's clan wanted with me, and I wasn't about to wait around to find out.

"Yuki, where are we?" I asked.

It was dark wherever they'd put me, and other than earth, herbs, and dust, I couldn't make much out.

"The Asuka clan has a large dojo just outside of Shin'yume, near the coast," Yuki said. "There's a couple of smaller buildings surrounding it, but you're in the big one in the middle. It's like a gated neighborhood."

I groaned.

The last people I wanted to deal with were the shinobi HOA.

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