Corpse of a Dream

"Empyry-what spirit?" she repeated curiously. "Sorry, but I've never heard about that before, but I'd guess it exists among the thousands of other unusual spirits. Could you repeat that again?"

"Ne-nevermind," I apologized hastily. "Forget I mentioned it."

"Why? What happened?"

I looked away uncomfortably. "Nothing."

She gave me a sympathetic look. "Hey now, come on. Don't be shy. If you want someone to talk to, I'll listen. Just say what's bothering you. Okay?"

"...I don't want to, I'm fine," I murmured quietly under my breath.

Her hand gently came to rest on the table as a heavy sigh escaped from her lips. "Well, just speak to me about it if you ever feel like it. If you got a trauma from the village burning down, speaking to someone is always a great idea."

I nodded, taking another sip of soup. "I'm good, really. I prefer to keep some things hidden."

"Fair enough."

We didn't really talk much more beyond idle chatter while we finished our dinner, letting the silence dictate and linger throughout the atmosphere.

"Ahhh, that was nice," she exclaimed, standing up and stretching her arms above her head. "If you're tired, you can go to bed. My husband's bed is still here, and I have already readied it. I'd love it if you helped out tomorrow with a couple of chores tomorrow, and you'll need rest for that."

"I can help."

"Great! Then help me by going to bed," she urged.

I didn't say anything, instead simply gazing for a moment before standing up and following her directions. Once upstairs, I found myself staring at the ceiling, pondering what I was doing. Was I really going through with this? After all, I wasn't quite ready to trust myself fully. Yet, despite this fear, I knew I needed to push forward somehow.

On the bed, there were two blankets laid neatly on top of one another, along with a pillow and simple tunic clothes. As soon as I put on the shirt, my shoulders sunk deeper into its softness. They were too large for my frame, reaching almost halfway to my knees. Still, they felt warm against my skin, different from my usual now ruined, impervious outfit.

Walking towards the window, I stared outside at the moonlit sky and let the cool breeze brush against my cheek. This room was quiet except for the faint sounds of crickets chirping somewhere nearby. Outside, the night air was calm, devoid of any disturbances. For once, I enjoyed the tranquility without being bothered by the occasional loud noise coming from the streets below.

In fact, this place reminded me of my old village in many ways. There weren't any people walking around in sight, nor did anyone shout or laugh loudly. Even though this town was bustling with activity during the day, there seemed to be less commotion than normal tonight. A peaceful lull, if you will.

And under the luster of the moonlight, I fell asleep.

***

The water enveloped me like a liquid prism, refracting the shimmering light that danced through the depths. An array of vibrant fish burst forth from the coral reefs, weaving through the water like a kaleidoscope of hues, their scales flashing like jewels in the sun's distant rays.

As I swam deeper into the ocean, the scenery around me transformed. The coral reefs grew larger and more elaborate, and schools of fish became denser and more diverse. I saw bioluminescent creatures pulsing with their own otherworldly light and massive sea turtles gliding gracefully through the water.

The further I swam, the more I felt at home in this underwater world. The pressure of the water was no longer an impediment but a comforting embrace. I felt myself becoming more attuned to the ebb and flow of the ocean like I was a part of it.

At last, I reached the bottom of the abyss where sunlight barely penetrated. Here, there existed a vast expanse of blue and green, a true wonderland of life and beauty unlike anywhere else in the universe.

As I turned to look back at where I had come from, I saw the moon's distant rays penetrating the surface of the water. It was as if the moon was beckoning me, a guiding light to a place unknown. I hesitated for a moment, feeling the tug of the world above.

I swam forward, my body a blur of movement, and as I entered the moon's light, the water around me shimmered like diamonds. I felt a sense of wonder and possibility like anything was achievable in this underwater world.

I closed my eyes for a moment and let myself be swept away by the current. The sensation was akin to flying but with a more profound sense of freedom and abandonment. I was weightless, suspended in the water, and it was like nothing else existed except for me and the ocean.

I could lay here forever, drifting lazily through the currents.

Then I felt something poke my leg, floating nearby. Opening my eyes, I noticed a charred piece of bone decaying away in the water. As I turned my head, my eyes widened in horror at the ghastly scene before me. A monstrous tower of bones, jutting out from the ground, reached towards the darkened sky, each layer a spine-chilling reminder of the lives that once inhabited them. The skeletal structure seemed to go on forever as if it was a monument to death itself.

The tower shuddered under the force of the gusting wind, its skeletal structure creaking and groaning as it swayed precariously. With a bone-chilling roar, it finally succumbed to the elements, collapsing in a deafening cacophony of crashing bones and dust.

The tower's collapse sent shockwaves through the water, and I was flung off-balance, floating helplessly as the currents pulled me down toward the abyss. The impact of the tower crashing into the water sent a powerful shock through my body, disorienting me completely. I couldn't tell which way was up or down as I tumbled through the dark water.

And then, with a bone-chilling creaking sound, the skeletons began to stir. Their bones shifted and rattled as they reassembled themselves, like pieces of a macabre puzzle coming together. Then, one by one, they rose from the dead, their empty eye sockets staring deep into my soul.

Their hands moved with a jerky, unnatural gait, grabbing each other to get closer to me. Their bones lacked together in a grisly chorus as if they were cursing at me, and eventually, as they surrounded my body, their bony fingers began tearing at my flesh.

"NOOO!" I screeched as their sharp talons pierced my throat, then stomach, and my chest, exposing the heart inside. Their teeth gnashed hungrily as they tore into my torso, shredding apart muscle and tissue and leaving behind bloody ribbons.

"Aleratha!" the skeletons screamed, their voices withered and hollow. "It hurts... It buuurns! Help meeeee!"

I tried to fight back, struggling wildly against these undead horrors, but they were relentless, ripping chunks out of me until nothing was left.

"Ah-aaah!" I shrieked, my entire body flinging up from the sweat-soaked bed. "A... a dream?"

I sat upright, gasping for air. Outside, the sun had just begun to rise over the horizon, bathing the city in golden rays of light.

"Indeed a dream, Aleratha," resonated a sonorous voice from my head.

"What?!"

Swiftly, my eyes darted around the room, scouring for the source of the sound, until I felt an entity emerging from my heart. Its ethereal dragon head hovered midair with a hazy stroke connecting to my torso.

"You should not be surprised. You know who I am."