1 The dream

[A/N: HELLO, GENTLE FOLK WHO HAS DECIDED TO PICK THIS BOOK UP. JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT THIS IS MY FIRST MALE LEAD WORK AND IT HAS TONS OF FLAWS IN IT AS I WAS YET TO KNOW THR NOOKS OF HOW FANTASY BOOKS WORK ON THIS PLATFORM. YES, I ADMIT TO THIS. JUST SO YOU WOULDN'T WASTE MUCH TIME ON READING THIS BOOK, CHECK OUT MY OTHER BOOK(ARCANE DESCENT) AS ITS PLOT IS MORE SUBTLE TO THIS. I HAVE PLACED THIS BOOK ON HIATUS BECAUSE I WANT TO FOCUS MORE ON MY OTHER WORK(ARCANE DESCENT) WHICH HAS A VERY NICE PLOT YOU WOULD LOVE. CHECK IT OUT!!!]

The world spun around a young boy, the air thick with a strange energy that hummed against his skin. He felt himself being pulled, tugged by an invisible force, deeper and deeper into an unknown realm. The familiar sights and sounds of his everyday life faded away, replaced by a swirling vortex of colors and sounds.

As he was drawn further into the depths of this strange realm, he caught glimpses of figures engaged in fierce combat. They clashed with magical weapons, their movements creating dazzling arcs of light and energy. The boy watched in awe, his heart pounding in his chest.

A faint voice echoed through the chaos, calling his name. It was a voice he knew, a voice that stirred something deep within him. With each repetition of his name, the pull grew stronger, dragging him deeper into the swirling vortex.

He no longer cared where he was going, only that he was drawn towards the voice, towards the source of this strange magic. He surrendered to the pull, letting it guide him through the unknown depths of this extraordinary realm.

The world around him blurred into a spectrum of colors, the sounds of battle fading into a distant hum. He felt himself falling, tumbling through an endless void, his body weightless, his mind adrift.

Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the chaos subsided. The world around him solidified, and he found himself standing in a clearing, surrounded by towering trees and lush vegetation. The air was still, the only sound the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze.

The voice was gone, but the echo of it lingered in his mind. He felt strange, changed, as if he had been reborn into a new world. He was no longer just a boy, but a traveler, a wanderer in a realm of magic and mystery.

The boy's consciousness was caught in a tug-of-war between two worlds. In the physical realm, his fine-art teacher's voice was growing louder, insistent, demanding his attention. But in the depths of his subconscious, a desperate plea from a distant realm was tearing at his heartstrings.

A female figure, her face etched with sorrow, called out his past life's name with an urgency that pierced through the haze of his dream. Her tears, glistening like pearls in the ethereal light, triggered a surge of protectiveness within him. He yearned to reach out, to offer comfort, to wipe away her tears.

But the boy's body remained unresponsive, trapped in the confines of his physical form. His limbs felt heavy, his mind clouded by the conflicting forces at play. He was a prisoner between realms, his spirit yearning for connection while his body was tethered to the physical world.

The female figure's cries grew louder, her anguish reaching a crescendo that shook the very foundations of his dream. The boy's heart ached for her, his soul yearning to break free from the shackles of his dream and offer her the solace she so desperately craved.

"KAEL!" The fine-art teacher called again.

His eyes fluttered open, the dream fading into the soft glow of the classroom lights. He found himself slumped over his drawing book, his head resting on the cool surface of his desk. The room was filled with the chatter of his classmates, the drone of the teacher's voice, and the rhythmic scratching of pencils against paper.

A stern voice cut through the noise, "Kael, are you quite done daydreaming?"

Kael snapped to attention, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. His teacher, a stern woman with a perpetual frown etched on her face, stood over him, her arms crossed and her glasses perched on the bridge of her nose.

"Yes, Ms. Henderson" he mumbled, hastily closing his drawing book.

The teacher nodded curtly and returned to her desk, leaving him to face the snickers and whispers of his classmates. He buried his face in his hands, wishing he could disappear into the dreamworld from whence he had just returned.

The female voice, so clear and distinct in his dream, echoed in his mind again. It was a name, a name he wish he could still remember. The sound of it sent a shiver down his spine, a strange mix of familiarity and unease.

He shook his head, trying to banish the voice and the lingering memories it stirred. He had always been a dreamer, prone to vivid imaginings and fantastical tales. But this dream, this realm of magic, felt different, as if it held a deeper meaning, a connection to something he could not yet comprehend. He opened his drawing book once again.

Kael's eyes widened in astonishment as he gazed upon the drawing book resting open before him. The scene depicted in vivid detail was the exact replica of the dream that had just consumed him, the female figure's sorrowful expression captured with a haunting accuracy that sent a chill down his spine.

His heart pounded in his chest, a mix of excitement and trepidation coursing through his veins. The dream, so vivid and emotionally charged, had left an indelible mark on his mind, and now it was immortalized in a tangible form, a physical manifestation of the surreal world he had just escaped.

He traced the delicate lines of the female figure's face, her tears glistening like drops of liquid silver. The anguish in her eyes, the desperation in her plea, all seemed to leap off the page, resonating with a depth that shook him to his core.

The realization that he had unconsciously captured the essence of his dream in his drawing was both exhilarating and unsettling. It was as if his subconscious mind had been compelled to recreate the scene, to give it a form that existed beyond the realm of dreams.

Kael closed his drawing book, his mind reeling with questions. What did the dream mean? Who was the female figure? Why had she called out to him? The answers seemed to elude him, yet he knew that the dream was not a mere figment of his imagination. It was a message, a call from another world, and he was determined to decipher its meaning.

With a newfound sense of purpose, he carefully tucked his drawing book into his bag, a silent reminder of the extraordinary journey that lay ahead. The dream had awakened something within him, a curiosity that burned like an ember, a desire to unravel the mysteries that lay hidden within his subconscious mind.

The school bell clanged its final note, signaling the end of another mundane school day. Kael, still reeling from the vivid dream that had interrupted his drawing lesson, rose from his seat, his mind abuzz with questions and a lingering sense of unease.

As he stepped out of the classroom, his two best friends, Emma and Alex, accosted him from behind, their laughter echoing through the hallway.

"Kael, the dreamer" Emma teased, her voice laced with mock sympathy. "Did you have another adventure in your little fantasy world?"

Alex, the more boisterous of the two, chimed in, "I bet you were dreaming about that pretty girl from your dream. What was her name again? Ophelia or something?"

Kael rolled his eyes, a forced smile playing on his lips. "It wasn't a dream, guys," he insisted, his voice tinged with a hint of desperation. "It was real."

Emma and Alex exchanged skeptical glances, their laughter turning into amused chuckles.

"Oh, Kael" Emma said, patting his shoulder reassuringly. "You've always had a wild imagination."

Alex nodded in agreement, his tone laced with condescension. "Yeah, buddy. You should stick to writing those weird stories of yours instead of trying to pass them off as reality."

Kael's heart sank. He knew his friends meant well, but their dismissal of his experience only fueled his growing sense of isolation. He felt like he was trapped in two worlds, the familiar one of school and friends, and the strange, dreamlike realm that had captured his mind.

As he walked alongside his friends, their chatter filling the air, Kael's thoughts drifted back to the female figure from his dream. Her sorrowful eyes, her desperate plea, haunted him, demanding answers that he didn't have.

Kael decided to push the dream aside for the time being. It wasn't the first time he'd had strange dreams, after all. He figured it was just his mind's way of processing the stresses of everyday life. He decided to forget about it and focus on other things.

"Dude, are you ready for the House of Horror release later today?" Alex asked excitedly, his eyes wide with anticipation.

Kael, always one for a good horror game, couldn't help but grin. "Absolutely! I've been waiting for this one for ages."

Alex and Kael had been avid gamers since childhood, bonded by their shared love of all things spooky and suspenseful. They'd spend countless hours together, exploring haunted houses in video games, watching horror movies, and telling each other scary stories.

"I've heard rumors that this game is going to be the scariest one yet," Alex continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. "They're saying it's so realistic, you'll feel like you're trapped in the game itself."

Kael's heart pounded with a mix of excitement and nervousness. The idea of being scared out of his wits was thrilling, but he also knew that the House of Horror was bound to be intense.

"I'm not sure if I'm brave enough," he admitted with a chuckle. "But I'm definitely willing to give it a try."

Alex laughed. "That's the spirit, Kael! We'll face this horror together."

Amidst the excitement over the upcoming House of Horror game release, Kael and Alex's conversation was interrupted by Emma.

"Hey, don't leave me out just because I'm a girl," she declared with a playful jab.

Kael and Alex exchanged amused glances, their initial surprise giving way to understanding. They knew Emma was a horror enthusiast as much as they were, and they would never intentionally exclude her from their discussions.

"Of course, Emma," Kael assured her. "We'd love to have you join us in our horror escapades."

Alex chimed in, "Yeah, Emma, you're one of the bravest people we know. You'll handle the scares no problem."

The trio laughed.

The three friends, Emma, Kael, and Alex, eagerly made their way to Alex's house, their excitement for the House of Horror release growing with each step. Alex's house, a testament to his family's wealth and status, was a sprawling mansion nestled amidst the affluent neighborhood of Bel Air.