Chapter 15: A Dream Outside of a Dream

Dreams are a concept the old humans use to often play around with. It didn’t matter whether or not they had meaning, just the belief was enough. It was the same for both the ones they experienced in their sleep, and the ones they tried to achieve. Then there’s the ones that seem to meld both imagination and reality. The lucid dreams.

Looking at the mysterious man standing over me with his white lab coat and curly copper hair, it feels like what just took place was a dream.

“What’s going on, where am I?” I ask him, looking around into the orange sky.

“You’re back on earth, or at least your soul is.” He says, putting his hand out.

Glancing at his hand, I’m reminded of how untrustworthy he is. I still don’t understand why he’s chosen to stick by me, and now he’s acting so familiar with me.

Knocking away his hand, I stand up on my feet. He smiles.

“Good to see you still don’t trust me. It’s a relief that part of you hasn’t changed.”

“I’m glad to see you aren’t disappointed.” I say to him, noticing how close we are to the clouds in the sky. I assume we’re still in Hunters End, but something feels off.

Looking beneath us, my suspicions about our whereabouts are confirmed. Spanning for miles is Domesticatia, capital city of Hunters End, with its unique but dilapidated tudor architecture. Shards of glass from the numerous broken windows and storefronts lie there, sparkling on the concrete streets and sidewalks, while many buildings still lying in ruins. Plumes of dark smoke emerging from the wreckage indicate some sort of conflict happened not too long ago in that area.

Although, having walked this city's streets, a sight like this isn’t out of the ordinary. What is surprising to see is the giant black dome engulfing a large portion of the city. And from what I can tell, the capitol building should be in there as well.

“As you can see, we have a dilemma.” The Man says walking to my side. “This seems to be that woman’s doing.”

“You mean this is Ava’s doing?” I ask him, staring down at the swirling black dome. Chains of white sparks encircling it as if there’s an eye to this storm, while the rest of the city seems almost frozen in time.

“I assume all of this happened after we split. If I had to guess, since we’re nearing dusk, it’s only been a few hours since then.” The Man says, glancing at his vacant wrist. Yet another attempt at humor.

I scoff, glancing at the monolithic dome. “Any clues on what’s happening inside?”

“Not a clue. And considering how long it took to reach you despite our pact, I suspect it isn’t anything good.

“Heh, well if it has you stumped then we should probably take it seriously.” I say to him, feeling an air of confidence.

He raises his eyebrow. “How can you sound so sure? Your usual approach to things is very calculated, or I did miss some sort of change of heart.”

Funny, I thought he was feigning ignorance when he assumed something changed about me, but he really doesn’t know. If that’s the case, it would be easier to just explain what I witnessed within The Cats Cradle.

I don’t understand his intentions, but there’s a whole lot that’s still a mystery. And there's the fact that those two knew him, which brings up even more questions.

“Let’s just say, I have a good idea of what caused all of this. Along with a greater sense of compassion for Ava.”

“While I somehow find that hard to believe after what just happened between you two, judging by that look on your face, I take it that you're serious.”

There he goes again acting all familiar with me, but he’s right. The tragedy of Ava’s past is something I can’t forget, and now I have a hand in making it worse. But what is strange, is that my return to the present-day has been smooth thus far.

Turning to him, I explain what happened, starting with the moment I realized I was a spectator. Noticing the intense look in his eyes as I’m recounting the events that took place in The Cats Cradle, I continue. Ever so often he nods during my retelling of each key detail. I suppose I can’t be too surprised at his lack of enthusiasm, given the strange circumstances we met each other under in the first place.

“So The Cats Cradle isn’t just forced recollection, but a window through which past events can be altered. It’s no wonder I had so much trouble pulling you out.” The Man says while glancing at his palm.

“What I still don’t understand is why it was her past and not mine. With an instinct like that, she could’ve taken my memories and turned them into nightmares.”

“And that’s putting it lightly. You should consider yourself lucky that she took a more passive approach. She could have killed you during the moment you were born, and there wouldn’t have been a future for you to return too.” The Man explains with a finger on his chin.

“Indeed, that is a scary thought…” I admit, staring into the black dome below us. If she was capable of creating something like that, why didn’t she just kill me?

“Whatever her reasons might be, we need to first get you back to your body. Which means you’ll be entering the gauntlet.” He insists, pointing his finger at me.

“How do you figure?”

“When I found you, your body was in a dark place. Darker than any place I’ve been too, it was like reaching into an abyss. Which meant I had to resort to using Absolute Force to find you, and that’s how we both ended up here.” He explains with a shrug and a shake of his head, pointing at the dome. “If I had to guess, your body is in there.”

“An abyss, huh? Sure sounds a lot like Null. Then there’s that other place, it was a Blank white space.”

“Neither of them are places I’m familiar with, which makes our situation a lot more dangerous. We have no way of knowing if your actions have changed her Tale for the better or for the worse.” The Man says with a click of his tongue, furrowing his brow.

What he’s saying is true, but I’m the only one that can stop her. If the circumstances of how Ava and I encountered each other are still the same, it’s just a matter of continuing where we left off. If anything, I have more of an advantage now since I know so much about her past. Although, she did choose to show me all that, so I wonder if it’ll make a difference.

Looking over at The Man deep in thought, I notice his lab coat fluttering in the wind. Heavy winds are what I expected at this altitude, but such an occurrence is still bizarre.

Not too long ago, he laid there weakened in the alleyway. Unseen by those that pass by him, yet is still receptive to their mortality. Capable of granting miraculous wishes akin to a genie, but is ultimately bound by a pact. With characteristics like that, I believed he was a wandering spirit or apparition; something nature had long forgotten. But as time goes on, the more he seems indistinguishable from a mortal.

“You certainly sound disappointed. I guess we’ll just have to take her head on.” I say to him with a glance.

“I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed, just Ill-prepared.” He sighs with a shake of his head, raising his hands in a playful surrender.

“I see, well I apologize for the misunderstanding, but there’s still something I don’t quite get.” I say, gazing at the scenery before me. As the orangish sphere now known as the sun fully depletes behind the Hunter End’s war-torn capitol city.

With a side glance, I notice him staring at me. Just like before, there’s an intense look in his eyes. I can’t tell if he’s on to me, but I have his attention for sure.

With a breath, I continue. “If your intention was to repay me for saving your life, your three wishes would have more than suffice. Even with one left, I’ve altered countless lives all for the sake of saving many more.”

“Indeed, I’ve been known to repay my debts handsomely and yours is no exception. As far as our pact is concerned, I am simply keeping my promise.” The Man says with a smile, while resting his hand on his chest with a bow.

“And yet you’ve gone above and beyond.” I respond with a glare.

He looks up from his bow with a dark expression. It seems that was enough to raise his apprehension.

“Since we met, I get the feeling you’ve been leading me towards something. I paid no attention to it before because it never interfered with my goal, but now we’re here. Even the manner in which you speak is rather vague, but at the same time holds a lot of weight. It’s like you’re throwing me a bone-”

“Oh you nearly had me worried there, but here you are complimenting me!” He scoffs with a grin. “It’s not everyday that I get to hear such high praise… Although, you should really work on how you look at someone when complimenting them…”

Silence falls between us as a gentle breeze whispers past. His wide-eyed stare locks with mine, as we prod for signs of each other's weakness. And my consistent prying seems to elicit some of those burdens.

“Uncomfortable with the way I’m looking at you, huh? Do not worry, my intention isn’t to look down on you. You did save me from The Cats Cradle, so it’s clear you don’t plan to take my life. However, my concern is what you plan to do with it.” I declare, crossing my arms.

Closing his eyes with a deep sigh, he scratches the back of his head. Now looking a bit on edge, he puts his hands in the pockets of his lab coat. “I had a feeling you met those two troublemakers, but I never imagined you’d let them sink their teeth into you this deeply. Exuberance and Monotony, was it?”

“It sounds like you were more than just familiar with them…” I respond with a sneer.

“Indeed I was. We weren’t on good terms, but neither were we on bad. Their judgment of me was impartial, but I’m sure you saw how partial their actions were from each other.”

“More like they were two sides of the same coin.” I insist, as a shiver runs down my spine. An image of Monotony’s smug grin crossing my mind.

“Don’t let them fool you. While they may embody the emotions that drive all of us, they have a mind of their own. A dichotomy that is integral to even mortal existence.”

I hate to admit, but if their personalities didn’t differ I wouldn’t have been so convinced they were gods. Us mortals have the same emotions, but differ in the manner in which we express them. It’s the reason some of us seek peace, and countless others incite anarchy. We all envision a world different from our own, but the amount in which we are willing to sacrifice varies.

“Well you’re not wrong. Everything ended up so much worse for Ava because of their interference, otherwise the scene before us could have been avoided.” I say with a tinge of bitterness, gazing at the swirling dome below.

With a slight chuckle, The Man approaches; raising two of his fingers. “I’m not sure if you realize it, but this is the second time you’ve skirted a certain doom. Perhaps you have some kind of guardian angel you’re neglecting to acknowledge?”

The answer is obvious, yet his words sink in nonetheless, dredging up that terrifying encounter with those two. That anxious look in their eyes as they begrudgingly explained why they couldn’t harm mortals, was a sign of their reluctance. They could never hide their urge to do so.

“Well now that you mention it, they did mention someone named Maximilian.” I say to The Man.

“His name is Maximilian Millennia. He is just as impartial as the rest, but he is far more responsible.”

“If that's the case, then what you did must have been truly irredeemable.”

“If the crime I committed was so heinous, I wouldn't be standing here before you. Maximilian made his decision after many deliberations with the other gods, and they came to the conclusion that stripping me of my place among them was the most reasonable. If they believed I was an immediate threat, he would have chosen the latter option.”

Seeing him brood over the past makes me feel a bit guilty for bringing it up, but I can't falter. There’s still one thing I need to know.

“What exactly was your crime?”

The Man closes his eyes. Running his fingers through his curly copper hair, he mulls over his answer. The sound of the black dome beneath us rumbles like a beating heart at the center of the city, as the slight tension between us weighs on my mind. It isn’t so intense that I’d lose sight, but I wonder what event could cause him to be so hesitant.

“I wanted to understand human nature.” he says with a nod.

“Understand human nature? Humans are the lowest on the pecking order. Why would you want to understand them?”

He laughs. “Did you forget that it wasn’t always like this? All of you that currently roam this earth used to exist only in fairy tales and myths. It’s thanks to the innate human curiosity that things are the way they are today, where they’re known as the progenitors of their own undoing.”

“Well it sounds like you already have everything figured out. All of what you said isn’t exactly a secret, so why were you still exiled?”

“It’s because I wanted to understand all of you, the next evolution of humanity, the new humans!” The Man shouts with fervor, his face now flushed with a fiery passion.

The simplicity of his answer aligns with his compulsion, which is why I’m convinced he isn’t lying.

“I never thought I’d see you so excited. I take it that your calm and collected attitude is just an act?” I scoff, placing my hand on my side.

“Heh, You’re one to talk. However, I do admit there are some things that get me worked up. Just like any nobleman or king, It’s a god's purpose to understand those they lord over. I’m sure you understand as well, right?” He says putting his hand forward.

Now I understand. Not only does he have a dream, but he’s also felt the sting of failure. That feeling of frustration, it’s gut wrenching, but it’s also the one thing that keeps you going. And that’s why we’re standing here before each other. If I hadn’t found him that night, we would have both died before our dreams came true. It isn’t a great thought, but realizing that convinces me to take his hand once again.

Taking a firm grasp of my hand, The Man smirks. “Just so we’re clear, I will never interfere with your goals. It would be foolish for me to meddle with the pendulum of fate as it swings.”

“If that’s the case, then I implore you to watch as this world changes for the better.”

He nods without a shred of acquiescence in his expression as we shake hands. I was prepared to have my doubts stick a bit longer, but his conviction is hard to ignore. He may not have limitless Influence like those two, but he was a god. One who is regaining his potential towards godhood, while promising to remain by my side. With all of this good fortune, achieving peace should be guaranteed.

Taking his hand away, The Man claps. “Well, now since we’re on the same page. How about we finish what we started?”

We both turn towards the swirling black dome, its presence ever-looming. I take a deep breath. The idea of facing Ava once again is something I don’t want to consider, but how else will this Tale end? Not only would ignoring it allow her to continue down that path, but I owe it to her. When I refused to help her during her moment of weakness, I denied her a way out. The way out she’d been searching for her entire life, but I won’t make the same mistake again.

“You mentioned my body is inside there somewhere, so how do I get back inside it?”

“You haven’t noticed? You can just, you know, do it.” He says with a blank expression, as if the answer was so obvious.

“Huh?” I blurt out, staring at him for a second.”...What do you mean, ‘just do it’? I’ve been trying to sense it from up here but I can’t get a read.”

“Well that’s your problem, you’re looking for something that isn’t lost.” He says before putting his hand on my shoulder. “You just have to open your eyes.”

“If you can’t already tell, I have them open already.” I say to him with a bit of frustration.

“Just…open them.” He says again in a low calm voice.

Closing and opening my eyes, I’m met with The Man's gaze. Seeing my own visage caught in the sheen of his copper tinted eyes, I blink a couple more times until a thought crosses my mind. I can try using the senses that weren’t available to me in The Cats Cradle, but how will I recognize them? It’s been so long since I’ve had a sense of taste or smell, and I’ve become too accustomed to this distorted perception of sights and sounds around me with my soul detached. That just leaves my own sense of touch, which up until moments ago was grounded to Ordelia’s.

If I were to feel some sort of pain, I should wake up, but how can I make that possible? While the thought of hitting myself would cause my body to tense up, that alone wouldn’t be enough to wake me. It has to be something sudden. Something that, under normal circumstances, would take me by surprise. Then it comes to mind, an idea so ridiculous and so absurd that it just might work.

Taking another deep breath, I lick the front of my teeth and with my tongue still under my front teeth, I bite down on my tongue as hard as I can. The sharp pain jolts my senses, causing my soul to descend towards the dome. Looking at the sky during my descent, The Man disappears from view as I’m entering the darkness.

With a sudden jolt to my senses, my entire body jumps. My head collides with what feels like a wooden board, as the taste of my own blood fills my mouth. I can’t believe that worked.

With this throbbing pain, I try grasping my forehead but my arm knocks against another wooden board. In fact, the same thing happens when trying to move at all. It seems I’m stuck in an enclosed wooden space without so much as a flicker of light. Not even an unordinary sound or whisper to signify whether or not I am in the opposition’s domain, only the beating of my heart. If it weren’t for this pain in my mouth, I would have doubts that I was even back in my body.

“Congrats, you made it back, albeit with extreme measures taken.” I hear The Man say from what I believe is above.

“Wha-th did th-u ex-ssspect…” I attempt to say but it seems I’ve done quite a number to my tongue. Wiggling it around a bit, I’m met with varying degrees of discomfort along with the realization that I pretty much bit it off.

“Looks like you've bitten off far more than you can chew…Sorry, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.” He says with a half-hearted chuckle. I can tell he was disappointed with that one too.

While I would like to humor him in his attempt at comedy, my biggest concern is my current whereabouts. With how cramped my arms and legs are in here, I think I would remember getting into such a confined space.

Knocking against the hardwood with my arms and legs, I realize that all of this resembles some sort of coffin. That would explain why it’s so cramped, but how did I get in here?

Clenching my fist, I try slamming it against these walls. There isn’t much force behind each hit, seeing as I just woke up, but my body is still warming up. With each hit my hearts beat faster. As I ramp up from heavy thumps against the inside to a dense hammering against the coffin walls. Yet it still won’t budge.

“It makes sense that you can’t tell, but from where I’m looking, someone thought you needed to take a dirt nap. And judging from all that commotion you’re making, it’s safe to assume they were hoping you’d take a long one.” The Man says to me from above.

“What you’re saying makes sense, but your candid explanation doesn't make it any less unnerving.” I admit to him, still bashing my fist against the inside without much thought.

I never thought I’d be buried alive, but it’s also not much of a surprise at this stage in the game. Swallowing the blood welling up from my mending tongue, the rich taste of iron piques my vampiric impulses. The pain in my mouth subsides as the beating of my hearts quickens, reminding me of what it feels like to be alive. Causing a burning sensation at my core to rush outwards, filling me to the brim and rekindling my Influence.

Placing my palm against the splintered wood, I gather my Influence and push it forward. In a flash, the wooden boards entrapping me are blown to smithereens, casting dirt and debris into the air like confetti. Looking forward, I see something resembling a night sky, but that can’t be right.

“Never a dull moment around you, huh?” The Man banters, looking down at me with a smile.

“I’d hate to disappoint.”

While crawling out from underground, I notice the gravestone planted in the dirt next to me. It doesn’t have my name on it, but I can’t help but shudder. What’s alarming is that when I look around, I realize mine is just the tip of the iceberg, as there are plenty more around me. All of them lined up in sections like a grid, all with different names engraved on each.

“Have any idea where we’re at?” The Man asks, furrowing his brow at our surroundings with his arms crossed.

Illuminating the cobblestone path cutting through this haunting landscape, is a crescent shaped moon looming over us. Its pale white glow is what I’d expect from a starry night sky, but its jagged shape is what’s so uncanny. With the cracks and crevices running along the surface of what should be a perfect arc, it's like the moon is crumbling apart.

“I’m not sure, but I think Ava might have something to do with this. Her presence lingers but I can’t tell where it’s coming from. The Influence in the air is too thick.”

“It doesn't help having all of these gravestones surrounding us. It feels like death is breathing down our necks.” The Man says, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Heh, considering I just crawled out from my own grave, I'd say you aren’t too far off the mark.”

Besides the crumbling moon in the sky, there isn’t much around us other than the sea of gravestones that seem to go on forever. And to think that all of this is somehow happening in place of the capitol building. Kneeling down, I rub the grass beneath my feet, letting each blade run between my fingers. It’s subtle, but there’s something unusual about it down to the dirt itself.

Standing up, I head over to the cobblestone road and glance down its path. I notice a stone mausoleum sitting there in the distance, but that’s just more of what you’d expect to see in a graveyard. I was hoping to see the capitol building somewhere around here, though I suppose its absence confirms that we’re no longer in Hunters End.

“We should head down that way.” I say to The Man, pointing towards the mausoleum. “I wonder who’s been given special privilege to be buried there.”

“Funny, I was just thinking the same thing myself…” The Man admits, hushing to a whisper as he glances behind him. “...Seems like someone’s finally come to greet us.”

Right as he says that, I hear a faint clicking in the distance behind us. It’s just enough to break the eerie silence around us, but anything would do just that. In here, It’s as if the air itself is mourning the loss of those buried here, but just like any funeral, it takes just a single sound to bring you back to the grim reality. And it’s getting louder.