Sea of the Unconscious

I and a group of other people were being forced to competitively clean swords that were covered in dust and minerals. Initially I was using a large piece of wood to scrape the dirt off of the swords, but then the person managing us came over to me and handing me a large hunk of cement to use. It was too heavy for me. Two other men became fed up with the tasks and tools we were given. They hopped up on horses and made their way toward an exit: big, heavy, red wooden doors. Everyone else tried to stop them, but the men barged through.

Through the doors came several dead ladies. Their skin and dresses were white like chalk, and their eyes were slits in their faces with blood flowing out of them. I ran. Few places were safe, so I wound up in another dead and monster-infested part of town. I fled into a building and met a girl. Three monsters had followed me, so the girl released magic to destroy or repel the monsters. She slumped onto the floor, her hair now lank and black. We weren’t safe in the building, so we discussed moving to another part of town. As we talked, her energy and magic slowly came back to her. Her hair turned bright pink. Apparently her hair was a gauge for how much magic she could use, like a mana/SP gauge.

Together we left the building, traveled in the monster and dead-infested town, and came upon a small house to find shelter and food. The house was not in a safe part of town either, but I contemplated whether I should stay in the house. The family was so pleasant to me and my fellow traveler.