Dream Walker

Chapter 29 | You're My Only Hope

It took great effort on Callie's part to restrain the urge to yell and curse, because, of course, the maze was right behind Cyril's house. Every time her dreams had transported her into the maze, she had essentially been traipsing through his backyard. Suddenly, she remembered the screams that rang out in her dreams.

"The screams I heard, where do they come from?" she asked frantically, taking a step back. She imagined him torturing people in the endless twists and turns of the maze. Despite being able to see that the structure did not stretch into eternity, Callie was still amazed by the size of it. The walls, even from her vantage point, seemed taller than she imagined.

Cyril appeared confused for only a second before comprehension flooded his face. "Ah, you must have heard the calls of the mynos. Others from your world have said they resemble large birds. The sounds they make are rather unpleasant, to say the least."

She remained wary of his convenient explanation. After all, the sounds were suspiciously similar to human screams. She refrained from backing away any farther. "Are they another species you can control with your mind?"

His lips twisted into a grimace quickly, then his pleasant mask returned. "No. While most beings in this world can use magic in small ways, some are more powerful and are resistant to influence."

If he kept dancing around so many of her questions, he would certainly grow tired. Callie was impatient to get the answers she sought. She walked out onto the grass, belatedly realizing her feet were bare. Unlike the dead grass in the maze, the blades beneath her feet were soft and giving. She curled her toes and enjoyed the way the grass folded between them.

"Can you tell me about the maze? Why is it here?"

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Cyril sit on the grass with his legs crossed, facing the slope. Callie followed suit a few feet away, staring at the subject of her recurrent nightmares while she waited for his answer. When he spoke, her gaze remained fixed on the maze.

"It has been around since long before my time. If someone created it, I can only guess at its purpose. As you know, there is a thin section of the veil inside the maze, so it could be meant to trap unknown travelers. However, this location is also a nexus of power for the veil, throughout many worlds. Honestly, I do not believe it was created by anyone like me or you. It is too powerful, too intertwined with the veil, to be anything but natural. That is my opinion, at least."

She had experienced its power many times, when it reached out to trip her or touch her, when it took her blood, when it seemed to change every night. From her limited knowledge, she would agree with Cyril's assessment. The maze had life of its own, even if that was just an illusion created by the magic of the veil.

"Are you ready to explore your powers?" he asked.

Callie tore her gaze from the towering hedges to meet his eyes. She nodded once and turned her seated body toward him. He turned as well, placing his palms on the curve of his bent knees. Something in his posture and their positions reminded her of sitting on the floor in Alex's apartment, trying to figure out how to open portals. Luckily she already took the intro to meditation course from Alex.

"Do you know anything about your capabilities?"

Callie shrugged and shook her head. "I only just found out about traveling through portals, so I know almost nothing."

His glance was pitying, as if she was missing out on something essential. Apparently, he had known about his own powers. "I will explain the magic to you as my father did for me when I was young."

She wondered what it must have been like to have a father that cared enough to teach him something important in life. Thinking of her dad only brought anger and dread, followed by guilt and regret. Her jaw tightened momentarily with the thought of him.