Secrets Beneath the Surface

The city pulsed around us as Raelle led me through twisting alleys and shadowed streets, my heart still pounding from the close call with the Nightwalker. The alley opened into a larger street, and the sky above seemed to shift and ripple, almost like it was breathing. For the first time, I felt the weight of the Dreamscape, its vastness stretching out endlessly beyond what I could see.

"Raelle," I called after her as she strode ahead, glancing around warily. "Where are we going now?"

She threw me a look over her shoulder. "Somewhere I can teach you the basics. You survived back there, but you’ve got a long way to go."

I followed, dodging strange figures and curious glances. As we walked, my mind whirled with questions. “So, this… Dreamscape. Why does it even exist? Why are we here?”

Raelle sighed as if she’d been asked this question far too many times. "It exists because people dream. Every time someone falls asleep, they dip a toe into this world, even if they don’t know it. Dream Crafters are different, though. We’re connected to the Dreamscape permanently. Some say it’s a gift. Others call it a curse."

“Why a curse?”

“Because, rookie,” she said, stopping to look me in the eye, “the Dreamscape is addictive. It’s a place where you can be anyone, do anything. Some people lose themselves here, forget about the real world entirely. And some things here… don’t let go.”

I shivered, realizing that a world where anything was possible came with a price. "And the Nightwalkers? Why are they so… twisted?"

"Nightwalkers are Crafters who lost themselves in nightmares. They fed on fear, thrived in the darkness, and eventually became it. Now, they feed on the fear of others. They’re always lurking, waiting for someone inexperienced enough to lose control."

We finally stopped outside a tall, crooked building that seemed to be made of glass and ink. The walls shifted, almost like they were breathing, reflecting the distorted city around us. Raelle pushed open the door, and I followed her inside.

The room was a vast, open space, with tall windows overlooking the shifting landscape of the Dreamscape. Raelle gestured for me to sit on a low stone bench in the centre of the room, where the air felt thick with energy.

“All right, rookie,” she said, sitting across from me. “Lesson one: Anchoring.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Anchoring?”

Raelle nodded. “It’s the foundation of Dream Crafting. Without it, you’re just a passenger here. Anchoring means staying aware, keeping your own sense of self no matter how crazy things get. It keeps you from getting swept up in the Dreamscape’s tides or, worse, dragged into someone else’s dream and lost there.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. “So… how do I do it?”

“Close your eyes,” Raelle instructed. “Focus on your breath. Feel the weight of your body, the beat of your heart. This isn’t like the lucid dreaming you’re used to, where you can control everything just because you know it’s a dream. Here, you have to root yourself, ground your mind. Picture something that feels like ‘you.’”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to follow her instructions. I thought of the things that felt most real to me—the feel of grass under my bare feet, the taste of fresh coffee, the sound of rain tapping against my window. Gradually, I felt a strange weight settle over me as if my body was more solid, more… here.

“Good,” Raelle’s voice broke through my focus, soft but steady. “Now open your eyes.”

I did, and the world around me felt sharper and more vibrant. I could feel the pulse of energy in the room, the hum of the Dreamscape pressing against my mind, but I was… separate. Present. I was here, but I was also me.

“Anchoring is your defence,” Raelle said, nodding approvingly. “When things get chaotic, this will help you hold your ground. Next is Weaving.”

“Weaving?”

“It’s how we manipulate the Dreamscape,” she explained. “When you fought off the Nightwalker, you used an instinctive form of Weaving. You summoned fire, tapped into the raw energy of the Dreamscape. But Weaving can be precise—it’s not just about fighting. It’s about shaping the Dreamscape to suit your needs.”

She stood, holding her hand out in front of her. Slowly, the air around her hand shimmered, and a small sphere of light appeared, glowing gently in her palm. She tossed it to me, and I caught it, feeling a warm tingle spread through my fingers.

“Give it a try,” she said, her tone challenging.

I focused on the sphere, trying to imagine something similar in my own hands. I closed my eyes, feeling the energy around me, and willed a small spark of light to form in my palm. Slowly, it flickered to life—a dim, shaky orb of light, but a light nonetheless.

Raelle let out a low whistle. “Not bad. You’re catching on fast, rookie. Now let’s try something harder.”

She held up her hand again, and this time, the air around her began to ripple, forming a delicate, shimmering shield. It pulsed with a faint blue light, almost translucent but undeniably solid.

“Dream Crafters need defences,” she explained. “Especially against things like Nightwalkers. Try it.”

I focused, trying to replicate the image of her shield. The energy around me shifted, and I felt a faint resistance as I willed it into shape. Slowly, a faint shimmer appeared in front of me—thin and brittle-looking, but there.

“Not bad for a beginner,” Raelle said, her voice holding a hint of approval. “But you’ll need to practice. The Dreamscape doesn’t wait for anyone to get good at this.”

She turned, pacing the room with a thoughtful expression. "Once you master the basics, I’ll teach you how to Echo Craft. That’s an advanced skill, but it’s useful for those of us who prefer to keep our lives a little… separated.”

"Echo Craft?" I asked, curious. "Is that… like leaving something behind?"

Raelle nodded. “Sort of. It’s when you create symbols or objects that resonate deeply enough to appear in both the Dreamscape and the real world. A dangerous technique, but it can give you an edge. Just… don’t overdo it. The line between dreams and reality is thin enough as it is.”

As she spoke, I began to realize the weight of what I was learning. This wasn’t just lucid dreaming; it was something far deeper, far more real than anything I’d imagined. And I was just getting started.

Suddenly, Raelle froze, her gaze snapping toward the door. The air in the room grew cold, and a low hum filled the space, pressing down on us.

"Stay behind me," she hissed, raising her hands as a faint shimmer of light encased us both. "Someone’s here."

The door creaked open, and a figure stepped through—tall and shadowed, with eyes that glowed a deep, unnatural red. He wore a dark coat that seemed to flicker at the edges, blending into the shadows around him.

"Raelle," the figure said, his voice smooth, with a hint of amusement. "And a new recruit. How quaint."

"Back off, Sable," Raelle said, her voice cold, her fingers flexing as she prepared to defend us. "The kid’s off-limits."

The figure, Sable, tilted his head, his red eyes flickering as he looked at me. "Dream Crafter, huh? The Dreamscape has been buzzing about you. It’s rare for someone so… untrained to appear here."

My pulse quickened as Sable took a step closer, his gaze fixed on me. "Tell me, rookie," he drawled. "Have you ever wondered what it would be like to truly control the Dreamscape? To shape not just your dreams, but the dreams of everyone else?"

I swallowed, feeling the weight of his words. His presence was magnetic, but it carried a dark edge, as though he knew secrets I couldn’t even begin to fathom.

“Get lost, Sable,” Raelle growled, her stance unwavering. “He’s not interested in whatever twisted deal you’re selling.”

Sable smirked, casting a long, cold look at Raelle. “We’ll see.” He turned to me, his voice dropping to a whisper that seemed to echo through the room. “Think about it, rookie. There’s more to this world than what Raelle wants you to know.”

With a flick of his coat, he stepped back into the shadows and disappeared, leaving the room feeling colder, heavier.

Raelle lowered her hands, exhaling slowly as the shield around us faded. She looked at me, her expression grim.

“That was Sable, leader of the Nightwalkers,” she said, her voice laced with tension. “You just made your first enemy, rookie. And trust me… he’s not someone you want lurking in your nightmares.”

I nodded, the weight of Sable’s words settling on my shoulders. I didn’t know what he meant, not fully, but a part of me—the same part that had always loved the thrill of dreaming—felt a spark of curiosity.

Raelle met my gaze, her eyes hard but determined. “You’ve got potential, Elliot. But you’re playing a dangerous game