Am I Still Dreaming? ~ Kingdom of the Immortals

Am I Still Dreaming? {10}

-10-

I groan. My head feels foggy, and it feels like someone is pounding on my head with a hammer. I open one eye and gasp; sitting up quickly makes my head reel. It was all a dream! I feel something cold touching my palm; I look down to see a familiar bottle in my hand. It was the immortal elixir. How was it possible? 

I decide to try the elixir again. Maybe it isn’t real, maybe I’m hallucinating. A few sips later, I realize that it tastes completely fine. Not like when I first tried it. I finish it, but I thirsted for more. Was this the past? I obviously wasn’t in Forbidden Realm. Where was I? 

Unlike the orphanage when I opened the door to my small closet-sized room there was a long hallway. I put one foot out, and I sink into the ground. Letting out a very loud shriek, I look around for any sort of guidance. 

“Relax, dear, we brought you to Silent Creek.” 

There is a voice that makes me grip the door handle as tightly as I possible can. I almost collapse as memories come flooding back to me and I begin to remember all of it. “Mom?” I ask hoarsely looking up to see her. She is sitting on the headboard of my twin bed, my father right next to her. They look completely... unreal. I must be dreaming! 

“You are completely fine, Ambrose,” My father explains. “There is something happening to the immortals. Someone has tainted the elixir and they are dying. Coming here. It is too late to save us, but you can save them.” 

“How- What’s going on?” 

“The tainted elixir is making the immortals get stuck in between Silent Creek and reality. Some are crossing over, you can’t let this happen or else the immortal kingdom will fall apart. Only you can help them-”

“What do you mean? What do I do?” 

“We’ve missed you so much,” My mother ignores my questions. “We saw what you did for Bonnie.” 

“She’s out there,” My father’s eyes are focused on something in the hallway. “If you had taken a step out there you would be stuck in Silent Creek.” 

“Why can I only save the immortals?”

“Because you are mortal.” 

“Can’t you just tell-” I look up at my parents, but they have disappeared. 

I wake quickly realizing I am in Niklaus’ room. He is fast asleep next to me, he looks so peace and angelic in a deep sleep. I will regret having to do this, “NIKLAUS!” 

He doesn’t wake up, I begin to shake him and then I am flung against the wall. “What the hell, Ambrose!” 

“Niklaus’ you are alright!” I exclaim not even caring about the dull pain in my back from denting his wall. 

His expression softens and he helps me off the ground, “Why wouldn’t I be alright?” 

“You have to stop drinking the elixir!” 

“What?” 

“Someone is tainting it!”

He sighs, “I highly doubt that someone could-”

“I went to Silent Creek!” 

“Ambrose,” He stares at me. “You would have to be dead to visit Silent Creek and immortal.” 

“Do you have on that stone that you were saying all pure-borns have?” I ask. 

“Right, here,” He pulls a small chain necklace with copper on it from underneath his shirt. “What is this all about?” 

“I saw my parents!” 

“Ambrose, are you sure it was Silent Creek?” 

“I’m positive. I woke up in the orphanage thinking it was all a dream. I opened the door, but instead of it being normal there was a long hallway. When I tried to step into the hallway I nearly sunk into the floor of the hallway!”

His eyes widened, “Tell me everything that happened.” 

“Well I woke up, and I thought all of this was a dream. I found the elixir in my hand, but it didn’t taste bad like the first time when you forced me to drink it. Then, I opened the door to leave, but I nearly sunk into the hallway. That is when I found my parents and they told me that immortals were drinking tainted elixir and they were getting stuck between reality and Silent Creek. Some are dying and crossing over. They told me that I was the only one who could save them because I am still mortal.”

“The elixir is very addictive, I don’t think any immortal would want to quick cold turkey,” He tells me. 

“Niklaus,” I beg. “I don’t know what to do! How could someone taint the elixir?” 

“It is shipped to immortals all over the world. It could be contaminated just before being shipped or even during the process of being brewed.” 

“I think I have to go to Silent Creek,” I tell him. 

“No,” He grabs me by the shoulders and stares at me with those blue eyes which are full of concern as if I am completely crazy. 

“Don’t worry, I’m not going until I figure out how to free the immortals.” 

“You would have had to die as an immortal to go there,” He states. 

“Haven’t you ever seen ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’? If they can do something in there dreams surely I can free immortals in mine. I’ve dreamed of Wonderland and Forbidden realm and they are actual places,” I remind him. 

“I don’t want to have to compel you,” He sighs. 

“Niklaus...” I warn backing away from him. “I have to save them! You could be next. What if the situation was reversed? What if I was going to be next? Wouldn’t you do anything to save me?” 

“Ambrose, that isn’t-”

“Please, I don’t want to be responsible for your death. I can help, I don’t know how, but I can do something!” 

He takes my hand, holding it with his own and traces it with his thumb, “I’ll warn my father that someone is contaminating our elixir. Hopeful-”

“What’s wrong?” 

Niklaus is out of the room before I can blink. I run after him, but I have no idea where he went. I decide to go upstairs to the third floor, and I see one door that if left wide open. I enter to spot Niklaus’ father with his head on the desk. 

“No!” Niklaus shouts from behind me. He flicks the light switch on shakes his father, but there is no response. 

I swallow my tears - he drank the tainted elixir. “I’m going to look for a solution, I can’t let this happen to you. I will try to save him-” 

“Ambrose,” Niklaus whispers. 

I look at him, it is almost like I can read his mind for a change. I wrap my arms around him and we stand there for awhile. I tell him that everything will be fine, try to calm him down. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone more lost and unsure. His expression when finding his father made my heart break in half and if anything it made me more determined to find a solution for him. “Stay safe.” 

“Ambrose,” He says not letting me out of his grasp. 

“Yes?” I peer curiously up at him to catch him staring at me with those gentle blue eyes that I remember spotting the first time we met. 

“I-I want you to know. If we... well, if we don’t make it out of this, I love you,” He whispers. 

This makes me want to laugh and cry and smile all at the same time, “Despite all the times I’ve slapped you and we’ve fought?”

He nods and we stare at each other. Our lips are so close to touching, his cool breath makes them tingle, but we break apart when we hear Zoe. “Hello? Anyone? What’s going on?” 

“In here, Zoe,” Niklaus calls. 

“I’m going to go look for a solution, if anything happens to you try not to cross over,” I remind him. Then, I place a kiss on his cheek and whisper, “By the way, I love you too.”