Legends and Nightmares

Elden Mercer thrust upwards, out from under his blanket, and grasps for air as if he couldn't breathe. Sweat is dripping down from his head as he sits up in his bed, one hand on his neck pulling on it trying to make room for more air to flow through. He struggles to get a hold of himself for a moment, his heart continues to beat faster and faster as panic floods his mind. Just as he was about to lose hope he gasps out loud allowing air to flow into his lungs for the first time since rapidly awakening from his sleep. Breathing heavily he glances across his room realizing he wasn't in any danger. His bedroom was lit up by a shining blue hue coming from a single moon sitting high up in the sky. His clock shows 4:05 in the morning. It is yet another night of waking up like this. After catching his breath, Elden lays back on his bed, his head sinking into his pillow. He tries his best not to think about what made him awaken so suddenly but like most nights it is impossible to avoid. Tired and exhausted from countless nights this his eyes slowly start to close and his mind begins to fade back into a dream state. Elden is now falling back into the nightmare that occupied his mind. He thinks about how it started. It started with a memory. Back from when he was a little boy. He starts to envision where he first heard the story. Opening his eyes, Elden finds himself floating, feels weightless in an ocean of darkness. Elden can hear a familiar voice coming from the empty space, a voice that he hasn't heard at this pitch in a long time

"Come on, grandpa. Elden hasn't heard this one yet."

He absolutely knows this voice. It's the voice of his cousin Amanda. The next voice he hears also resonates with him. It is his voice, the voice of a ten-year-old Elden.

"What story? I want to know."

A flash of bright light consumes the pitch-black sea Elden was once floating in. Forcing Elden to close his eyes, but only for a moment as Elden knows what comes next in this dream. He opens his eyes and the dark void that he was floating in was no more. Now he is standing in a child's bedroom, his old bedroom to be specific. He looks around the room examining the childish nature of his youth. His shelves are filled with many action figures and other toys. Planes are hanging from the ceiling with glow in the dark stars stuck all around them. Cars, Trains, and tracks are scattered all over his floor. His desk is stacked with Comic books and short novels. Books that tell stories about great heroes and their grand adventures. He turns to his bed and he sees three familiar faces. Up until this point, he only heard their voices but now he's looking upon as if they were right there with him. Elden knows this is a dream how else would he be able to see the 10-year-old version of himself cuddled with his blanket. A young Elden Mercer, same face, same green eyes, and short wavy brown hair. He's more compact at this point in his life. He looks over to the other side of the bed and sitting there is his cousin Amanda Mercer. When he looks at her, he realizes that she hasn't really changed much Either. Still a bright-eyed girl, with sparkling ocean blue eyes and long blond hair tied into a ponytail. Sitting in between them is his grandfather, Zachary Mercer. Elden sees is a bit of a difference between his grandfather in this dream and his grandfather of present-day. Salt and pepper hair covers his head instead of the majority grey head of hair he has now and a small grey beard that's much shorter than in the present. Zachary Mercer coughs a bit before glancing over at his two grandchildren

"So, you want to hear the story of the Lunaric Chronicles?"

"Of course, it's my favorite, and it'll probably scare Elden a little."

"I'm not too sure I want to hear this anymore." Little Elden quivers deeper into his blanket. Elden looks at his younger self understanding the desire to not want to hear this story. Unfortunately, he has to and what is more unfortunate is that Elden remembers this night all too well. That night, remembering this story is something that has haunted Elden in recent years. It's because of what his grandfather said next that Elden has lost countless nights of sleep.

Grandpa Zachary laughs as he scoots himself into a more comfortable position to tell this epic tale. "Oh, your cousin is just talking nonsense, there is nothing too scary about this story. Now, where to begin?" He begins to think to himself for a moment. Staring around the ceiling trying to catch his thoughts. As his grandfather begins to tell this story Elden gets chills all across his body.

"Well, there is an old mystical tale that is told to all the children throughout the kingdom of Natusaryia. This is a tale of the epic battle between light and darkness. This battle takes place after the Lunaric Alignment takes place, which is around every 5000 years."

"What's the Lunaric Alignment?" little Elden asked curiously

"The Lunaric alignment is said to be when the two planets called Gladius and Verontmo line up perfectly with our planets moon Luma and the 2nd invisible moon of Terus called Luna. The alignment triggers an event that activates a gateway into the world of darkness. Releasing all kinds of evil creatures and monsters of all shapes and sizes. These beings will be led by seven soldiers of Darkness. Seven who have inhuman abilities. It is said that not even the strongest armies in the kingdom stand a chance against the darkness. Their ultimate goal is to open the gates permanently in order to have the darkness consume our world."

Elden looks upon the younger version of himself frightened, clenching his blanket ever so tightly. This feeling is mutual between the two Eldens

"But you don't have to worry too much. In order to counteract the darkness seven wielders of light are selected and gifted with the inhuman powers of the elementals. These seven are known as the wielders."

Little Amanda's eyes wide open, her imagination is running wild with thoughts of being a wielder. A large smile comes across his face. Elden shakes his head thinking back about this moment. He wonders how someone could be so excited and be so eager for something like this to happen.

"Their only task is to fight and fend off the monsters that spawn from the darkness and the seven soldiers of darkness that lead them. To push them back and shut the gate for good. Well for another 5000 years at least." Zachary stands up and takes two steps away from the bed but pauses and turns back to his grandchildren.

"Do you two want to know the best part of this story?" Elden hears this and his heart starts to beat as it did when he last woke up from this nightmare.

"Yes", Said little Amanda

Elden speaks simultaneously in perfect sync with little Elden.

"No".

"The best part is that the story is that it's supposed to be true."

As those words left his grandfather's mouth Elden is stuck at his core with a flurry of fear and anxiety leading to a numbing sensation consuming his entire body. Thoughts of what if his grandfather was right. What if this story is real, what would happen to the world, what would happen to his family, what would happen to himself? If The story would ever come true Elden saw it as the world coming to an end.

Little Amanda's eyes widen ten times what they already were while little Elden slides deeper into his blanket. The two have completely different reactions to their grandfather's statement. She jumps off the bed yelling with total excitement.

"That's so cool."

Even though Elden has seen all of this before he still can't believe her reaction, even as a child, it doesn't make sense. She begins to run around before turning back to her grandfather and little Elden.

"Do you think I have what it takes to become a Wielder?"

"Possibly, but let's hope that the Alignment doesn't happen in our lifetime."

Little Amanda lays back on the bed and looks up at the ceiling. "Come on, don't you think that'll be great. Becoming heroes, getting powers, saving the world?

Peeking out from under his sheets Little Elden looks at his cousin confused at what she finds so appealing in this fantasy of hers. "What part of an epic battle sounds great. People can get hurt and maybe even die, you can die, grandpa can die. That sounds scary and not great at all."

Little Amanda stays silent for a moment then gets up off the bed, sad and a little mad. She removes the blanket from over Elden and stares him dead in his eyes. "Maybe you're right, maybe I could die and grandpa and you, but if this is real and we do nothing then everyone is going to die anyway. Therefore, I hope I'm picked. So, I can stop the darkness and save everyone." She stares directly at her cousin for what seems like an eternity. She eventually turns away from him and walks out of the room slamming the door behind her.

Grandpa Zachary and little Elden look at each other and then back at the door. Zachary gives out a big chuckle," Well I know what elemental power she'd get." The two both look at each other before saying the same element. "Fire." The two of them laugh for a moment. Zachary slowly gets up off the bed as little Elden grabs his blanket at goes to lay down. Before his grandfather exits the room, he turns back to little Elden. "Look, I know she may have these wild thoughts but please go easy on her. She's been through tough times recently and this is her way of coping with things. It may not make sense now but just promise me that, okay?"

"Okay, I promise."

"Thank you, Elden." Grandpa Zachary begins to walk out of the room but is called back by little Elden

"Grandpa?"

"Yes?" Grandpa Zachary turns back and peeks back into the room

"Is the Lunaric Chronicles really real?"

Grandpa Zachary thinks about it to himself for a moment. Little Elden sits up in his bed anxiously waiting for the answer. Desperately praying that the answer is no.

"Well Elden, it's hard to say. You have a story that's been passed down for years. Some people say it's true, others say it's just a myth. So, I really can't give you an answer except for only time will tell."

"Well thanks, that helps a lot."

"No problem, Goodnight Elden."

"Goodnight Grandpa."

Grandpa Zachary turns off the lights and closes the door. Little Elden lays down and gets himself comfortable. Both Elden and little Elden look up at the ceiling, gazing at the glow in the dark stars. He thinks to himself about the story his grandfather just told him. Is the Lunaric Alignment real? Could the world really be in danger from monsters and the darkness? Like his grandfather said only time will tell. Little Elden continues to stare at the stars and the ceiling until he finally falls asleep. Elden however just stares at the start till the remaining lights around him fade and all he sees is the glow of the stars. Then those eventually go out as well. Elden now sits in total darkness, in a world of complete nothingness.

A small flicker of light begins to spark up. Flickering over and over and over again until it sparks a massive fire brightening up everything around him blinding him for a moment. Once he regains his ability to see, he notices that all around him is destruction. He is sitting in the remains of what was once his house. He looks around and he sees Amanda and his grandfather. Both lying dead surrounded by the rubble. He is so shocked at what he is seeing, he knows that this isn't real, or at least he thinks that it isn't real. It feels real, it looks real, but he can't tell anymore. Is this a part of the dream or is this actually happening to him? He falls to his knees in tears crying his heart out looking down at the floor. He hears a loud roar and a massive shake. He looks up to see a giant monster covered in a dark aura, he can't make out what it is but it towers right in front of him. He can't even move, he can't do anything. He just stays there on his knees as the monster picks up its legs and moves to step towards him. He watches as the monster steps on him and the world that he saw around him is now gone. He is once again floating in a world of nothing sounded by total darkness.