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Chapter 2— The Endless Dream
Damn it, why am I having this stupid dream again?
It's always the same . The same endless field of darkness, no beginning, no end. A silence so heavy it could drive any sane person mad. Every time, it feels too real, like I'm not dreaming but living it. Time doesn't exist here. It's just… a void — a void that swallows everything.
And then they come again ,those damned chains.
They coil around my wrists and ankles, cold as ice, pulling me toward the worst part of this nightmare. My memories slip away like smoke between my fingers . I can't remember who I am, or why I'm here, it's like It's just in my mind but every time I try to recall or think , pain tears through my skull, sharp and merciless.
I know — somehow ,that these chains are doing it. They're not just binding me; they're locking my memories. But why? Are they scared I'd run?
Probably. Because I would.
They don't stop me from moving, not yet. But I can feel them . like a beast's eyes watching from the dark, waiting for me to run so it can drag me back.
I look around. I'm standing somewhere… different. The darkness shifts, and a faint light spills across the ground , revealing old stone paths and buildings that look like they've been stolen from another world. Ancient. Majestic. And yet… familiar.
It's not the world I know . My world of glass towers and glowing screens ,but something else entirely. A strange blend of fantasy and modernity.
(Don't ask how I remember that, but not my own name. Ask the damned chains.)
People move through the streets , tall, graceful, glowing faintly like living lanterns. Their hair shines in every imaginable color ,silver, blue, crimson, even white. Not dyed. Natural. Some are wrapped in shimmering light, others surrounded by strange auras , blue like the sea, gold like sunlight.
I glance into a fountain, hoping for my reflection.
Nothing.
It's like I'm invisible to this world… or maybe it's not ready to let me see myself yet. (Yay, way to go, chains.).
But the strange part is that those people can see me or maybe they just notice that I'm there,sometimes I meet people's eye not just by coincidence —like how you may had mistakenly looked a ghost in the eye but never realized because you just can't see them .
I can see the flicker of surprise, sometimes amusement and other times indifference in their eyes when ever I lock eyes with them .
I raise my hand to check , since I've once heard that to know if it's reality or a dream ,try counting your fingers or checking the time .
But I can't seem to be able to raise my hands or even see my legs when I look down towards them, it's like those chains are stopping me from discovering something.
Well , there is nothing I can do about it now is they ? ,I moved my legs to explore this new world . And what can i say it's so beautiful , everything feels surreal , flying horses , beautiful people,even the air smelt pretty.
I saw a man performing tricks for children or that's what I thought.He was able to conjure fire on one palm and water on the other , it looked beautiful .
I gasped at the sight and suddenly I became curious ,something about all these felt familiar ,was it the flame,water ball ,actions or the man himself .But how ?
I was even more confused when I saw that the man didn't seem to be faking it or playing tricks with the help of some mechanism or technology .
He could really produce yellowish green flames and a water ball ,I was stunned when I saw the fire suddenly change to a bright red colour from the faint greenish yellow it had been.
Speaking of that ,was fire even supposed to be any of the 3 colours(Yellow ,green and red) ?
But I guess the previous colour was normal but the red probably wasn't ,as the moment the flame change to a bloody red colour he looked horrified .
I didn't have to ask the reason why because very soon I saw why.
Then ,the sky changes.
The bright sun twists, turning deep crimson. Shadows stretch long and thin. The light bleeds out of the world, and panic ripples through the glowing crowd. The darker it gets, the brighter they shine. Some collapse. Some scream. Others prayed .
Everywhere was in disarray,some people were screaming while running, others grabbed their children or partners ,another group of people ascended into the sky maybe floating or flying,another mystery ,while others stood still face grim probably that category of people in any hero movie who were always meant to stay and fight any monster or creature that might appear .
And then… I see her.
A girl. Small, maybe five years old, standing alone amid the chaos. She's glowing too, gold and pure, but her eyes… her eyes hold something ancient. Familiar.
My heart lurches.
I've seen her before , I know her. But the moment I try to remember how, pain explodes behind my eyes,that familiar piercing pain that happens whenever I try to remember something important I figured.
She starts running , tiny feet carrying her toward a fork in the street. My gut twists, something was wrong but what was it ? Then it all clicked the familiar feeling ,this is not the first time Im having this dream.
I remember this part. I know what's about to happen.
"No… not that way. Stop!" I yell, running after her. My voice feels heavy, like shouting underwater. "Don't go there!"
She doesn't hear me. Or maybe she can't.
She crosses the middle path — a line glowing faintly red — and I follow without thinking.
That's when the world breaks.
The air turns molten. Beams of crimson light rain down from the sky, striking the ground like spears of fire. The air itself burns , I can smell my skin searing. Every breath feels like swallowing blades.
I can't tell if I'm screaming or if it's just the fire.
The girl falls to her knees, crying out, but then — she starts glowing brighter. Her small body trembles, and golden light bursts out of her like it's trying to protect her, but it's not enough.
I try to move toward her, but my legs won't obey. I'm burning, shaking, choking on heat and ash. My vision blurs, and through it all, I see her face — terrified, glowing, divine.
Then ,someone calls a name.
It's distant, muffled, but it hits me like thunder. I know that voice. I know that name. Was it hers… or mine?
Our eyes meet. And in that instant, the chains snap tight, yanking me backward with such force it feels like my soul is being ripped out of my body.
Then darkness.
The void again.
The silence is louder now. My heart hammers. I don't know if she survived. I don't even know if I did.
"I want to leave," I whisper, my voice trembling. "I hate this place…"
"Let me go " I scream this time both from anguish and pain ",I hate this place ,I don't want to stay here.
You have no right to keep me her,who are you ? I continue screaming as tears clouded my vision.
A laugh answers me.
Low. Cruel.
"You can't leave," it whispers. "This darkness is where you belong. You can only be alone here… forever."
"What do you want from me "? Pls I don't want to be here ,just leave me alone .
The voice keeps laughing, echoing in my skull, until I can't take it anymore. I scream and clutch my head.
I felt ,weak , hopeless,powerless, useless like something insignificant in this dark void .
The air thickens, pressing against my lungs. I can't breathe. I can't—
Kamari.
The name crashes through me like a heartbeat. My sister. My reason.
I gasp, clawing for air.
"I can't die here," I choke out. "She only has me…"
The darkness trembles ,like it heard me . And then, somewhere deep within, I feel it.
The faintest pulse of light.
Then the pulse felt stronger ,deeper more powerful until everything when white .