…
[You have been given another chance to live.]
A message popped up, in front of me, as I was standing up. The last thing I could remember was driving on the Autobahn. And now, I'm still on the Autobahn but without my car.
I don't understand the message in front of me, I'm clearly alive and well, but not everything. Why was I in the middle of the Autobahn without my car? And a much bigger question, What's the meaning of the message in front of me?
Before I could think of what was going on, another message popped up.
[Dream 1 Has Started]
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dream 1: Night Dwellers' Mayhem
Dream Difficulty: Orange
Time Limit: 5 hours
Description: Escape from the Nightmare Dwellers. Reach the safe point in Braunschweig.
Clear Conditions: Reach the safe point before the timer ends, or the Nightmare Dwellers catch you.
Rewards: [Lucid Dream: Lazarus]
Failure: Death, Eternal Sleep
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
My heart raced as I read through the message. I was set up in a "Dream".
I reached out to my phone, hoping the map would give me directions.
Nothing.
No data. No signal. My phone was as empty as the road I stood on.
A few aimless paths later, I saw a light in the sky, from a place afar. It was a beam of light scorching through the sky like a building just reached space. There a message popped.
[Location: Braunschweig]
This was the perfect time for this to happen. Seeing the message gave me hope. I started to bolt across the A2.
Soon after I saw a figure lurking in the dark, but weirdly the figure itself looked like the dark. I started to approach it slowly.
Then a weird glare caught me, the figure's eyes were not where a human's should be. The eyes were looking down at me like a human inspecting an insect.
I dashed across the roads, only to look back and see the creature running twice as fast. Weirdly enough, it was making a small growl, enough to freeze someone. I decided not to look back and keep running at full speed.
I tripped…
I could feel the figure coming at me with a deathly glare, enough to make a normal person become a heart patient. I tried getting up, but the thing I fell on was heavy, and wasn't budging. When I looked closer to it, I saw a violently disfigured human. A chill went down my spine from the horror of the scene. As it wasn't just one, but tens of humans, all ripped apart like they entered a shredder.
I realised that the thing in front of me was the shredder, and soon enough I'm going to turn to its paper. I quickly managed to throw the body off my legs, and made a run for it. Luckily, I could see the creature disappearing and making a run for something in the void.
I felt as if the Gods have spared my life and given me another chance. I snatched it and made a run for Braunschweig. It was a far place, but time was enough.
[4 hours left till failure]
No Nightmare Dwellers, as the message described, came. No signs of humans, as if their population has been cut off. I kept on running, because this time my life actually depended on it.
[3 hours left till failure]
Soon enough, I could see the light beam in the distance, getting closer.
Until I heard a growl, then a giggle behind my back.
My heart skipped a beat, or should I say it stopped working for a brief amount of time. I turned my back quickly, and there I could see them. 4 Nightmare Dwellers, each one coming after me slowly.
It's like they've been waiting for me to turn back, cause as soon as they noticed I turned back, they increased the speed at which they were sneaking up to me. What seemed like a tiger catching its prey, in a slow and steady style, changed to a cops and robber game.
But at that moment, I realised there was no point, soon enough I will be like those bodies.
But something deeper sparked in me – survival. At that moment, all I thought was survival.
Luckily I spotted a small open space in the distance, with a message.
[Location: Weaponry]
It's like I just found help. I quickly ran towards the weaponry while the dwellers were still catching up to me. Once I reached there all I could see was a dagger. All broken down, as if it's been existing since the 1800s. But that was the only option I had. I picked up the dagger and ran straight towards the closest dweller.
I pierced my dagger through its thick hide. The dweller's hand swooshed right behind me, as I dodged it by a hair.
I managed to pull the dagger, but when I went for the second strike. I felt my body levitating. Unfortunately, it wasn't me levitating, but a giant creature holding me in its long, spiky hands that looked like daggers themselves.
At that point I realised how much of a fool I was. To go after 5 creatures who were 10 times the size of my mortal body, and strike it with a mere dagger that looked like it could break before even striking.
At that moment, I decided not to even budge out of his grip. And I just let it happen. The dweller's grip started to strengthen and I could feel myself being squashed by two loaded trucks. I felt my blood block, then I started to slowly close my eyes.
That's when I saw another dweller coming straight for me. But this one, it looked different from others.
While the other dwellers had a dark, gloomy and devoid look, this dweller looked like a shining moon, cool, white and sparkling. The "King" I thought.
But what I thought to be the king turned its trajectory from me and started running full speed towards the dweller who was grasping me. The dweller let me free, and ran straight for "The King". I collapsed and crawled away, gasping.
That's when I saw "The King" slashing its pearly dagger-like hands into the "heart" of the Dark Dweller. I realised this "King" hasn't come to eat me, but rather save me from my misery.
I saw a hint of black-blood on the "King" as if it had been fighting these Dwellers for a long time. And this was just one out of his hundred battles. "The King" quickly did the same thing to the Dark Dweller as they did to the humans.
It went straight for the other 4 Dwellers, slashing through their skin like it's an everyday work. It had no emotions shown. Yet the way he shielded me hinted at a conscience no monster should have. A glimpse of humanity could be seen in the blank eyes.
The Dwellers were also not holding back, each slice the "King" made the other Dwellers who were unharmed also struck into the "King". The "King" was getting outnumbered. The Dwellers kept on slashing into the "King", I could see it getting dimmer and dimmer.
This was my sign to start running again. My luck has finally run out, and at this point any stupid decision I make will lead me to my doom. I dashed across the asphalt towards the beam that was shining in front of me.
Shortly later, I could feel an energy blast from behind me, it was a power much more stronger than I was. I turned around to see what was causing that energy, in my mind the thought of the "King" getting burst apart was running around. I thought if I paused and looked back, the 4 Dwellers will catch me. But curiosity got the best out of me.
Turning back I saw a scene contradicting my thoughts. The "King" was the one that burst the energy, but not for his death, but for the Dwellers. The energy light was blinding, like a fierce light saber from Galaxy Fights. I felt hope in that moment.
Soon enough, the "King" spotted me and started sprinting towards me. Once it reached near me, it started trying to form words. It looked pitiful like a baby trying to say it's first words, but soon it spouted out the words.
"I… a m… a hu man"
Even though this were the words I wanted to hear, I was still struck by the reality of it. "You are a human? How's this even possible, aren't you a King of those Dwellers, what makes you human all of a sudden though?"
"I am a hum an bu t I've been tur ned into a… Dwe ller."
"If that's the case, then what's the true identity or difference between your kind and the normal Dwellers."
A message interrupted our conversation.
[You have 2 hours left to complete the Dream.]
"I'll tell you the story, but first get up on my back, we have to get you to Braunschweig. You won't be able to walk there in 2 hours, you'll need me."
I jumped up the rough bloody body of the "King", it seemed like it had been to war a lot of times, getting into fights like these must be a common thing for him.
We or more like the "King" started to run towards the beam locating Braunschweig. Then it spoke to me in a much better way. "I, like you, was also a human being. Those Dark Dwellers or Nightmare Dwellers, as the Dream calls them, were also human. But what made us get into this form was our weakness."
It continued by telling me the story of how he would turn into a Dweller. "We died in a place like this, where you would've died if I didn't come to save you…" "Even though your penalty is to die, you don't really die, you end up like us. A Dweller…"
"So you're saying I'm stuck in an eternal cycle if I died?" I interrupted the talking beast.
"If that's how you interpret it then…Yes, you would…But!"
"What makes us different, from the Darker ones, is that we gained consciousness. Meaning we managed to break the spell keeping us from getting the gore driven thoughts of slaying your kind."
"That's what's caused our colour to get lighter from the Nightmare Dwellers. We are really the Dream's anomaly."
"And because of this, we help humans like you, who are hopeless and pitiful."
"Sure, I may be pitiful and helpless at that point. But that's not the bigger thing right now."
"What is this Dream you've been talking about? What is this Dream place I'm in? What are these messages for?"
"Even us we don't know clearly what this Dream is, because like I said, I died in the first Dream."
"But all I know is that you need to survive and fight through anything coming your way."
"And most importantly… Don't DIE!"
…
A silent woosh went across the road.
[1 hour left for the Dream to end]
We could see the beam of light getting closer and closer. The rest of the ride went really silent. There were many things to ask, but it's not like the "King" had answers to them.
After a few moments, a message popped up.
[You have reached Braunschweig, head over to the center of the town to clear the Dream.]
We have finally reached Braunschweig. After more than 4 tiring hours full of hope, sorrow and info, we finally reached the final destination.
We quickly went to the town center, which was just a 5 minute dash.
[You have met the clear conditions of the scenario]
[You will now be teleported to Reality.]
"I'll take my leave young man. I've more people to save now."
"Don't die, and figure out this phenomenon."
"Thanks for everything, King"
"Goodbye."
The "King" left.
A few moments later, my body started changing into blue particles. Light blue pixels starting from my leg and vanishing into the abyss, my body was being transported.
… … …
[You have cleared the first Dream.]
[We are currently trying to get your rewards.]
[Wake up to Reality.]
After the messages disappeared, my eyes opened up to the glare of sunlight striking into my face. I woke up to the sound of multiple people, each one looked perplexed for some reason.
Then I remembered what happened in my dream. What happened felt so real, but it was a dream after all. I couldn't see any signs of injury on my body, I was not tired too, it felt like I got a good night's sleep.
The only thing that questioned me was, I'm still in Braunschweig. Before I could think any further, something popped up in the sky.
A blue figure started rising, it was light blue almost transparent as I could see a light sun glare behind it. Although blue, it had a red aura around him, I started thinking maybe the dream isn't over after all. Cause why would I still be in Braunschweig with something in the sky.
Then it spoke.
"Welcome back to Reality, fellow Dreamers!"