"Choose your poison."
His voice had been nothing more than a whisper, barely audible amidst the ranging sandstorm outside the ruined shelter. Somehow, she caught every word he said as if the syllables bounced against the white marble walls and went straight into her chest.
Noong sandaling 'yon, napansin ni Cornelia ang bahagyang pagbabago ng kulay ng mga mata ni Dave. A subtle shift in the color of his dark irises, reminding her of what he is and why they're here in the first place. Sa kabila nito, sa kabila ng pabirong pagkakasabi ng binata, alam niyang may mas malalim pang kahulugan ang mga salitang binitiwan niya.
"Elia, anong iniisip mo?"
'Ikaw.'
"Wala," Cornelia answered, hoping he wouldn't detect the lie.
She hated lying.
'For several years,' she thought. 'The Waking World made me believe that everything should be in either black or white. But here you are, a gray storm cloud that blurs that line.'
Maybe the Waking World itself is a lie?
Huminga nang malalim ang dalaga. Hindi niya maitatangging sa kabila ng lahat ng nangyari, nananatili pa rin siyang kumportable sa presensiya ng Dreamcaster. Kaya siguro hindi niya pa rin magawang paniwalaan ang sinabi sa kanya ng ermitanyo.
Muli niyang pinasadahan ng tingin ang nilalang na nakaupo sa kanyang harapan. His short dark hair swept to one side, particles of sand clung to his moss green dress shirt, and an ethereal smile that made him look even more boyish.
Dave isn't evil.
He can't be...
Right?
'Choose my poison, huh?'
Cornelia leaned in, angling her head so that she can get a better look of his eyes. The campfire beside them gave light to everything and nothing at all.
"Why don't I make one, instead, Dreamcaster?"
---
Published: December 25, 2021
NOTE UPDATED: 09/07/2024
I plan to revisit and revise this story someday. I am aware that there are grammatical and typographical errors and loopholes that I've missed in the past. Before, I would probably just disregard and leave the story as is, but as I grow older I realize that part of being a writer is continuously trying to improve the craft, not only for myself, but also for Eastwood.
Trigger warnings will be added in the revision. I'll just announce when I'll unpublish the story on my Wattpad announcement board.
Thanks and stay awesome. More years and more stories to come!
—NoxVociferans
BINABASA MO ANG
✔ Dreamcaster
Fantasy"I am a Dreamcaster." "But you don't have any dreams?" "Does it matter?" He challenged. She glared back. "It does." After his mentor's retirement, tuluyan nang pinandigan ni Dave ang kanyang mga responsibilidad bilang isang Dreamcaster. As someone w...
