Sean jerked violently, opening his eyes. The abrupt change from the open spaces of the dream, to the condensed and enclosed mask on his face within the glassy coffin tube had him screaming in a panic. There were pads with wires attached to his bare skin and the straps holding him down only added to his confusion and fears. He saw someone jump to their feet, yelling out from outside the container. "Dr. Sharper!" Dr. Sharper shoved the man away and popped open the container. Leaning over Sean, Dr. Sharper placed his hands on the side of the mask, calmly telling him. "Sean! Sean, you're ok. Breathe!" Sean choked, gasping for air. His throat burned and his chest seized. He couldn't breathe. The shock had triggered his asthma. Dr. Sharper put a hand to Sean's chest, calling out to someone. "Get over here quick! Damn you, Bim! I told you not to run that program yet! He's seizing!" S34N rushed over and Dr. Sharper unbuckled his mask to lift it off his face. Sean clawed at the gel bedding under him, feeling like he was going to pass out from lack of oxygen. S34N made a hard clicking sound, before leaning over him to press his lips to his.

Tilting his head back, S34N forced his mouth open by compressing his fingers to his jaw until it hurt too bad not to do what he wanted. Then S34N exhaled something into his mouth when Sean gasped for more air. Sean was disgusted at first, until he realized that S34N had a built-in inhaler that he was administering through CPR like actions. The medication puffed down his throat to open his airway in a soothing manner, causing S34N to ease off him a bit. Sean took a strained breath on his own, before S34N leaned in to do it again but much gentler now that he wasn't fighting the process. Sean inhaled the medication deeply, his body slowly calming back down. This time when S34N eased back he looked at Dr. Sharper, who patted his arm and told him in relief. "Thank you, S34N. That was close..." S34N nodded, then backed away. Sean coughed lightly, savoring every breath he took. Dr. Sharper then turned to snap out. "What were you thinking, Bim?! The King for a day program isn't finished! You almost killed him!" Bim scoffed, blurting out coolly. "Relax. It was working fine. I just thought that maybe Sean would dig into the memories that Nathan seems to keep himself from reliving. While using Natemare to get a pearl or two out of him."

Dr. Sharper shook his head, snapping out. "It doesn't work like that! Sean has to feel like they are his memories in order for them too work. There are too many sections in that program that don't work like that yet. You should have pulled him out the second he was starting to desynch!" Bim scoffed louder, grumbling out. "You worry too much. He's fine." Dr. Sharper muttered more curses under his breath, before asking Flynn sternly. "Did you manage to get a single pearl for all that trouble?" Flynn dropped back down in his chair by the container, grumbling out. "Don't bring me into this... but no. It desynched too much." Dr. Sharper glared off at Bim, but there was no response from him. Sean wearily twisted his hand from the restraint, then reached out for anything that might release the other straps. His hopes were dashed though, when Dr. Sharper turned and pulled the mask back down. Sean shook his head, begging weakly in a groggy voice. "No... Stop." Dr. Sharper pressed a finger to his lips, then nodded to someone. Sean coughed as more of the green gas filled the mask and he slipped back into the void. This time Sean found himself sitting up in a deep dry cave that was lit up by torches spaced out along the walls.

Slowly getting up to his feet, Sean clenched his jaw and quickly picked up a rock to cut his palm. Using his blood, he wrote the words 'Dream' and 'wake up' on his arm. Then he took the burning torch off the wall and started to walk through the tunnels. It was clear after a little bit that he was in a labyrinth of some kind. Forcing him to backtrack and try different paths. He didn't understand what this was. A memory? A game? Taking a deep breath as he found another dead end, he started drawing his initials at the entrances that he tried. Then whenever he circled back to them, he put a line under the initials to keep track of how many times he went down a path. It was grueling to do, but he didn't have anything better to do. When he finally discovered a new section, he was both thrilled and tired. While finishing his initials on a wall, he heard a sharp scream echo throughout the tunnels. He froze, listening to something squish and drag across the solid ground. His heart began to race. He wasn't in here alone? What was in here with him? Glancing down at his arm, he gulped and repeated the words silently to himself. Taking a deep shaky breath, he convinced himself to keep moving.

Staying focused, he made it to the next section but stopped short of writing his initials on the wall. His foot was sliding on something. Slowly looking down, he saw a clear pile of liquid and lifted his foot. The clear liquid stuck to his shoe like a thin slime. Stepping back, he wiped his shoe on the solid rock floor and used the torch to get a better view of the area. His eyes stared into the dark ends of the tunnel, praying he didn't see anything. It was unusual to see no torches lit up here. Everything was so dark and cold feeling. Shivering a little, he was about to turn until something drizzled onto his shoulder. The breath caught in Sean's throat and with great reluctance, he looked up. The torch lit up the ceiling of the cave, revealing that it wasn't just the floor that was coated in slime but the walls as well. Backing up, he picked a tunnel that looked dry and quickly scribbled his initials. All too aware of how the act to scratch them was louder then he wanted it to be. Slowly walking down the tunnel, Sean listened to every sound. Slipping into another dark tunnel, another scream came from behind him, causing him to whirl around to face the darkness with his torch held out before him.

As much as he wanted to snuff the torch and hide, he couldn't see in the dark. Along the walls here, the torches had all been covered in thick slime. Keeping his back to the wall, he inched along the tunnel. He tried to keep his breathing level, until he reached the end of the tunnel. He cursed, then dropped his rock to cover his mouth to keep himself from screaming. It wasn't a dead end. It was skin. A red slimy skin that blended well with the red rocks around him. The soft sound of the rock clattering to the floor, caused what looked like red tentacles to lift to reveal a massive sickly green eyeball with a narrow cat-like pupil among a sinister bright green iris. Sean took a cautious step back, mumbling under his breath. "Oh my god..." The red tentacles twisted away from the eye, curling around the base like a snake. Taking a single step back, he gasped as smaller veiny tentacles sprang off the large red tentacle to point at him like sharp stingers. Whirling around, Sean bolted. With just a slimy squishing sound, the eyeball shot after him. Slithering along the tunnel like a snake! One of the sharp veins struck the wall over Sean's shoulder, changing his mind in a split second to run down a different tunnel. The vein impaled through the rock with precision and removed itself just as quickly. Leaving the wall to leak a sickly green liquid in its wake.

Sean staggered into walls as he tried to stay out ahead of it and tried to zigzag to keep the veins from impaling him. Reaching a sudden open circular room, Sean fell to the unexpected drop off, landing in a soft watery pool that appeared to have a drain system. There were a few fresh bodies in the corners with smaller eyeball creatures with their veins impaled into them. The green liquid was leaking from their empty eye sockets, along with their ears, mouths, and noses. Yet, the little ones seemed to like that. Their little sharp veins draining the bodies of fluids. The few that saw him got so startled that they leapt into the pool with him! Scrambling to his feet, he tried to run through the water to the other side. Splashing up beside him, a long red tentacle wrapped around his arm to yank him down to all fours. Where another red tentacle from another wrapped around his neck. They squeezed him tightly like a constricting snake. Their eyeballs rising from the water surface unblinkingly to stare at him with merciless curiosity. Sean gasped, lifting the torch to hit one. The eyeball's grip loosened on his neck as it fell into the water without a sound. However, the other saw the attack and impaled a vein into his back.

Sean screamed, feeling the strange liquid pump into him and turn his veins black. Just when he thought he was going to die like this, someone landed into the water and cut the eyeball off it's attached tentacle. The person then pointed a golden sword toward the others that tensed around them, but when the blade suddenly rippled in bright red flame, they fled into the holes along the walls. Sean whined as the person slung him over his shoulder and quickly retreated through the tunnel. The person tapped the wall in different areas, before finding something and pushed the wall open. The bright white light was unbearable to Sean's sensitive eyes. Sean closed his eyes, feeling the person lay him down, before telling him calmly in a familiar voice. "There. You should be safe here until they pull you out to reset the system." Opening his eyes, Sean saw that he was in a castle bedroom and Nathan was sitting beside him. Looking around, Sean asked him curiously. "Where am I?" Nathan gestured to the room, answering softly. "You're old bedroom in the Castle of Light. I've only been in here once... but it's a forgotten memory you have. So, the system won't be able to track you here. They'll have no choice but to pull you out and reset."

Sean nervously lifted his hand to see the words he'd written on his arm were washed away and the black veins were just... gone. Turning his arm over, he blurted out in shock. "What...?" Nathan took his hand and pushed it down on the bed, telling him calmly. "You're fine. It's all in your head. Nothing here is real. Flynn did it to scare you. To make a black pearl." Sean groaned, mumbling out exhaustedly. "What is it with these pearls...?" Nathan shifted a bit and lifted his hand before him. Between his fingers a little black pearl formed, while he regaled to him clearly. "In Wonderland, a single pearl holds an idea. A single wish. A desire. It is imagination and power. Flynn draws up worlds and selects what he wants to make into a pearl, by forcing you to feel or think about that one thing for a certain length of time. Once a pearl is created, he sells them to the people in Wonderland. Or if you are unlucky... they take your memories to create false lives for the people in Wonderland to playthrough." Nathan curled his fingers around the pearl, and it vanished, before he grimly told him. "The entity from the mirror wants to become more powerful. It wants to find a way to protect itself from the Vorpal sword and the Ring of Wonderland. You can't let them dig through your mind for the answers... you can't let them make a pearl to fight that off. Cause if you do... There will be no way to save Wonderland. There will be no way to save Mark from himself."

Sean propped himself up against the headboard, groaning out a bit stiffly. "Where is the sword? I have to find it." Nathan stared at him for a moment like he was trying to consider something, then told him very softly. "Sean... I've been in here a long time. I don't know." Shrugging, Sean couldn't help asking in a tired voice. "Nate, I don't know remember the swords... I've only been told about the fakes and... that doesn't help me." Nathan put a hand on Sean's leg, informing him gently. "I know. We planned it that way... Just remember this. Nothing is as it seems in Wonderland. You're thinking about the sword all wrong. It's a blade that you can mistake for any other because it performs a task like any other like it." Sean blinked, grumbling out under his breath. "I'm really not a fan of riddles... Why can't you just tell me?" Nathan glanced around, saying uneasily. "I can't guarantee that what we say is safe. But Sean, when they pull you out. Trust CyberNateic. I've been talking to him. He can help you get out of here." Sean reached out to grab Nathan's arm, asking nervously. "What about you?" Nathan sighed heavily, replying seriously. "Don't worry about me. I trust Dr. Sharper. He's gotten me this far. But... if you could... If I don't make it..."

Nathan reached up to touch the acorn necklace around his neck, causing Sean to inhale slowly. He was still wearing it, even in his dream state. Nathan swallowed like he couldn't get the words out. Reaching out, Sean put a hand on his shoulder telling him seriously. "I'll make sure Akern knows. Why didn't you tell me?" Nathan smirked, chuckling out. "Probably the same reason you didn't tell me about Illinois. Mark would kill us." Sean chuckled, squeezing Nathan's shoulder. It was weird. He felt like he trusted Nathan deeply... even when he only felt like he just met him. Nathan leaned his shoulder against his, smirking out. "You won't remember me saying it... but I'm going to say it. I told you so." Sean laughed and Nathan joined him. Calming down, he tried to ask Nathan something, but winced as pain flashed over his eyes. Nathan winced too. Sean covered his eyes and when he removed his hand everything was a blinding white. Then slowly a light moved away from his eyes and Dr. Sharper told him with a smirk. "Welcome back, Highness." Sean lifted a hand to cover his eyes, then gasped when he realized he could lift his arm.

Dr. Sharper pushed his arm down, telling him cautiously. "Take it slow. I have your clothes here." Slowly sitting up, Sean coughed out to him. "What are you doing?" Dr. Sharper shushed him, whispering out. "Transferring you. Technically. You made a new pearl, and they went to go show it off to Mark. So, we have... ten minutes. Tops." Sean started to get up, only to feel his stomach heave. Someone put a trashcan in front of him and he used it. Then looking up, Sean's jaw dropped as Illinois grinned and told him swiftly. "Get dressed. We don't have a lot of time. Googleplier is on our ass... but we stalled him a bit in Tulgey Wood with some help." Illinois pointed and Sean turned to see Akern dressed in wooden armor with a squirrel on his shoulder in smaller armor. To Be Continued...