9 Chapter 9

Jon tried to look around, but all he could see was darkness enveloping him. Panic surged through him, causing him to skid and fall to the ground. As he struggled to rise, his vision abruptly shifted once more, and he found himself surrounded by towering red mountains, a landscape entirely unfamiliar to him.

Confusion clouded Jon's thoughts as he glanced around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Suddenly, he heard scream of a woman, drawing Jon's attention to a distant tower. Intrigued and concerned, he hastened towards the source of the scream.

Approaching the tower, Jon spotted two knights standing outside, their gazes fixed in the distance. Curious, Jon followed their gaze. To his astonishment, he beheld a younger version of Eddard Stark approaching the tower, accompanied by his banner men.

Jon remained rooted to the spot, unable to comprehend the surreal scene unfolding before him. As Eddard drew closer, Jon found himself at a loss for words, his mind reeling with disbelief. Just as he was about to address Eddard as "Lord Stark," the elder Stark passed right by him, leaving Jon stunned and bewildered by the inexplicable phenomena.

For a moment, Jon felt as though he couldn't comprehend why this was happening. He even began to doubt if everything he experienced was merely a dream. As his thoughts wandered, his attention was suddenly drawn to the sound of swords being drawn. Turning his gaze toward the gathering of men, Jon couldn't understand why this dream felt so real. For a brief moment, he remained rooted to the spot, observing the intense clash between Eddard and his banner men against the three knights who had joined the fray.

More importantly, Jon, who had always been proud of his sword skills, began to feel inadequate as he watched the bloody scene unfold before him. Swords clashed, blood stained the ground, and one by one, men fell in battle. As Jon watched, he noticed Eddard becoming increasingly cornered by his opponents. Without hesitation, Jon made the decision to run towards them, determined to join the fight.

As he approached, Jon reached out to grab a sword, only to find that his fingers passed through the blade as if he were a ghost. Confusion and frustration flooded his mind as he tried to understand why he couldn't grasp the weapon. He looked down at his arm, desperately trying to make sense of the inexplicable situation.

Then, he looked at Eddard, who seemed to be alone facing Arthur Dayne. Eddard appeared troubled by Arthur's incredible skill with the sword. Soon enough, Eddard lost his sword against Arthur's formidable attack. Jon didn't hesitate before running toward Arthur, only to pass through him as if he were an illusion.

Turning back, Jon observed Howland Reed sneaking up behind Arthur before piercing through Arthur's neck. For a moment, Jon was stunned. He didn't understand who Arthur Dayne was, nor why Eddard appeared so young. However, he did know that his father, Eddard, was renowned for defeating a legendary swordsman.

Slowly, Jon's thoughts began to piece together, and he realized he was witnessing events from the past. But what he had been taught about his father defeating Arthur Dayne seemed to be far from the truth. Unable to believe the revelations unfolding before him, Jon watched as Eddard swiftly ended Arthur's life before rushing towards the tower without looking back.

Without further hesitation, Jon followed Eddard's lead and sprinted towards the tower, his mind reeling with questions and doubts about the truths he had believed until now.

Jon ran towards Eddard's side just as Eddard was about to kick open the door. Before it was kicked open, both Jon and Eddard heard a scream. Eddard hurriedly kicked open the door, and Jon followed him into the tower. His eyes darted around as he walked, eventually reaching the room where Lyanna was. He glanced at the midwife before focusing on Eddard, who was approaching Lyanna.

As Jon entered the room, he heard a baby yawning, and his gaze fell upon his younger self. While he knew about Lyanna, he had no knowledge of the baby. Then, he started to hear Lyanna more clearly, asking something of Eddard, whispering to him. The more Lyanna spoke, the weaker Jon felt. He slowly walked closer to the bed, his eyes welling up with tears. It was hard to believe what he was witnessing—his dying mother.

Tears continued to stream down his face as he took a step back, leaning against the wall. He gripped his head, struggling to accept the reality before him. He wished it could all be a lie. He could hear Lyanna's final whisper, "Promise me, Ned. Promise me." Jon looked at the midwife carrying him to Eddard. The next moment, he lost his vision.

Everything went dark, and then Jon suddenly felt a tickling sensation on his face. With difficulty, he tried to open his eyes. At first, he saw a pup trying to lick the tears from his face. It had red eyes and white fur, an albino. He attempted to pick it up, only to notice more pups playing around him. He took a deep breath, unsure if what he had seen was just a dream. The mere thought of it being a dream made it hard for him to keep his composure. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hold back the emotions welling up within him. He muttered, "It's a lie?"

Slowly, he put down the pup, only to hear a strong growl. He didn't turn back, fearing it might hurt him, but it didn't. Slowly, he tried to turn his face, only to come face to face with a giant direwolf. He couldn't believe he was facing the same dead direwolf he had seen in the forest. He couldn't conceive the possibility of this wolf being another one.

But the mother direwolf slowly took a step back. Jon cautiously tried to get up, on guard. The mother direwolf then began to walk into the woods but halted halfway, as if waiting for Jon to follow. For a moment, Jon remained clueless, his mind elsewhere, only to be pulled back by the wolf pup tugging at his pants.

Slowly, he followed the direwolf. It continued to lead the way. Suddenly, a strong mist gathered around Jon, and both the direwolf and wolf pup vanished into the mist. Jon attempted to look back by taking a step backward. Soon, the mist started to dissipate, revealing another vision: the Iron Throne. He could see a person seated on the Iron Throne, but he couldn't discern the face. He walked closer, and the closer he got, the harder it was for him to believe. He found himself watching his own self seated on the Iron Throne, while the other self looked back at him. Then, suddenly, the vision was surrounded by mist again, as it changed once more.

Then he found himself on a cold, bitter land, with nothing making sense as he continued to walk through the rough, icy terrain. The cold seemed to seep into his bones more and more with each step. All around him, he could see icy terrain with wave-like mountains towering in the distance. He trudged forward until he felt he had no strength left. Slowly, he collapsed to the ground, the cold enveloping him.

Suddenly, the cold intensified as a strong wind began to blow. With great effort, he moved closer to a rock, seeking shelter from the biting wind. As he struggled to catch his breath, he heard footsteps approaching. With tired eyes, he peered around the rock, only to see an army of the dead marching. Among them, he could make out Arya, Sansa, and everyone else he knew. It was difficult for him to believe what he was seeing. Jon screamed, "Nooooo!"

Then, he felt a gaze upon him, causing him to look up at a White Walker riding a dead horse. They locked eyes for a moment before the vision was blurred by a thick mist.