The Dream Realm was vast, endless, and utterly indifferent to my suffering.
I trudged forward, my boots sinking into the ashen soil as he climbed another hill, gazing out at a horizon that stretched forever. A jagged valley lay before me, filled with twisted, petrified trees and shifting shadows. The air shimmered with strange, half-formed creatures lurking in the distance—predators that hadn't yet decided whether he was worth the effort.
I let out a long, frustrated breath.
"A whole damn year," I muttered.
It was difficult to tell time in the Dream Realm, but I knew. I had counted every restless night, every exhausting battle, every day spent following landmarks that looked familiar but led nowhere. I had wandered through deserts of ashen sand and climbed mountains that howled in the wind—all because I only had a vague direction to follow.
I remember Nephis found a massive tree, ancient and dead, where she had found the talking skeletons. Skeletons that could guide me to my goal—a Nightmare Seed.
The problem? The Dream Realm was full of massive dead trees.
I clenched my fists, trying to push down the irritation bubbling in my chest.
"This is insane," I growled. "I'm strong enough to fight Fallen demons. Maybe even beyond that. But what good does it do if I can't find one damn tree?"
I had never expected it to be easy. I had set out knowing that this world was hostile, its geography twisted, its paths unreliable. I had prepared myself for hardships, for endless fights, for exhaustion that sank into my bones.
But this? This was maddening.
I wasn't just wandering aimlessly. I had a direction, crude memories of locations I had read about. I retraced Nephis's journey the best I could.
And yet—nothing.
The skeletons were nowhere to be found. The Nightmare Seed remained hidden. And every passing day, my frustration grew.
A sudden shriek echoed from the valley below.
I stopped, turning my head slightly. Shadows moved between the trees. Something was watching me.
"Great. Another pack of pests," I muttered, summoning my sword.
I had lost count of how many creatures I had fought over the past year. Beasts, shapeless horrors, cunning predators that stalked me for weeks before striking. Each one was deadly.
The ones below were the predator type. They didn't attack immediately. Instead, they lingered in the gloom, shifting between the skeletal trees, their glowing eyes fixed on me.
"Trying to decide if I'm worth the effort, huh?" I sighed. "Fine. Come and find out."
I took a step forward. That was all it took.
The shadows burst into motion.
Figures lunged from the darkness, their forms flickering like mirages. Thin, elongated limbs, jagged claws, mouths that stretched too wide. They weren't natural. They weren't alive in the usual sense.
I moved.
My sword flashed, cutting through the first creature as it leaped at me. A wet, gurgling shriek filled the air as its body disintegrated into black smoke. Another lunged from the left—he twisted, slamming the hilt of my blade into its skull before driving my knee into its chest. It crumbled like brittle glass.
Three more came from behind. I ducked, rolling forward as their claws tore through empty space. Before they could recover, I pivoted and drove my blade through the closest one's throat. The remaining two hesitated.
"Smart," I muttered.
Too bad it wouldn't save them.
A single, precise step brought him within range. I smashed my fist into the first one's chest, shattering its ribs, then finished it with a clean slice through the neck. The last creature turned to flee—only for me to hurl my sword like a spear, impaling it through the back.
Silence fell over the valley.
I retrieved my weapon, letting out a slow breath. I barely broke a sweat.
Yet, despite my strength, I was no closer to my goal.
The anger returned.
I clenched my fists, staring at the dark sky above. "Damn it all. Just how long is this going to take?"
I was tired of wandering.
Tired of fighting things that didn't matter.
Tired of wasting time.
Nephis and the others were out there, waiting for me. And here I was—lost in this endless, forsaken landscape.
I waited till morning. When morning came i was stunned.
In the long distance a massive dead tree loomed.
Meanwhile in the waking world Nephis was making her usual visit to my sleeping pod.
"How have you been ? You know I'm getting stronger, I'm even learning how to be more social from others. It's been a year and they are still joking about how I should just try to kiss you, perhaps you will wake up like in fairy tales."
"Sunny went missing for a whole week and as soon as he returned he and Cassie left for something. They only told us after they come back we will go challenge a nightmare seed."
"Stay safe." she said and left.
"Oh, so he is your prince charming." Morgan of clan Valor appeared " you always drop the topic when I ask about him, maybe I should just take him."
"Want to try ?"