"Mukhang bad timing yata ang pagpunta ko."
If crossing paths with a demi-god is a sign of bad luck, matagal nang tanggap ni Dave na isang miserableng kamalasan ang buhay niya.
"Kung alam mo palang bad timing, bakit hindi ka na lang umalis?"
Hindi na siya nagulat nang makita niyang nakaupo sa ibabaw ng isang higanteng laruang robot si Morpheus. The one that some random kid dreamt of and turned into an ugly monster that chased him a few nightmares ago. He got up and kicked the tin head towards him before glancing back at the girl behind Dave. A knowing look passed his expression and it didn't sit well for the Dreamcaster.
"We meet again, Cornelia."
The girl visibly recoiled. At this moment she wanted nothing more than to run away to a place where those daunting eyes can't follow her...
"Not exactly. Nagbalat-kayo ka rin sa palasyo ni Sandman kaya ako nahuli sa patibong mo. Can't say we've officially introduced ourselves."
"Ah, such a sharp tongue," he mused. "May ideya ka ba kung ilang mortal na ang nawalan ng dila nang dahil hindi nagustuhan ng mga imortal ang mga salita nila?"
The three of them knew that wasn't an empty threat.
Dave was tempted to interfere until she glared daggers at the demi-god and bit back, "Ano pa bang ikakatakot ko? I'm already in the Land of Nightmares. I've already faced dangers beyond my imagination, and you are not one of them."
Her response made Morpheus smirked. Eyes narrowed.
Dave sighed, trying to mask his nerves behind a calm demeanor. 'What is she doing? Provoking him won't do any good!' He thought. Hindi niya alam kung anong pakay ni Morpheus sa paglitaw sa Black Desert, pero masama ang kutob niya rito. Walang magandang naidulot ang pakikipag-usap sa mga diyos na kagaya niya. His mentor warned him many times before that immortals can be the most manipulative and distrustful creatures to roam these dimensions.
'At mukhang wala siyang balak umalis.'
Sa kabila ng mapanuri at mapanghusgang mga mata ng diyos na ito, tuluyan nang nawalan ng kapasidad si Cornelia para mapangunahan ng takot. Not after almost getting bitten by a dinosaur, chased by rock giants, attacked by an octopus, and killed by an enormous scorpion.
Kung anuman ang dahilan kung bakit narito ang isang demi-god, alam niyang hindi ito isang magandang pangitain para sa kanila.
Soon enough, her vision doubled.
'Anong nangyayari sa'kin?'
Hindi ito nakaligtas sa mapanuring mga mata ng ni Morpheus. Lumawak ang ngiti nito.
"As you should know by now, the Land of Nightmares isn't very welcoming to its guests. This dimension sees mortals as intrusive parasites, kaya kayo sinusundan ng kamalasan," pagpapaliwanag niya. "But you're a different case. Kusang nagpakita at nagbukas ang pinto para sa'yo, kahit na hindi ito nilikha para sa mga ordinaryong tao."
Cornelia can feel a headache coming.
She can hear Dave cursed under his breath, seeing her being affected by whatever Morpheus is triggering.
"Leave her alone!"
Walang pagdadalawang-isip niyang hinulma ang buhangin sa anyo ng dalawang palaso. Kuminang ang talim ng mga ito. The solid spears then zoomed across the graveyard of discarded objects and towards the demi-god.
But Morpheus didn't even flinch when he grabbed both spears in midair and crushed them back to sand with his own hands.
"Wag kang umaktong hindi mo alam ang sinasabi ko, Dreamcaster. Let me guess, you haven't told her about how you can't manipulate her Dreamscape? How she magically appeared on the list of humans you needed to visit that night despite you doing your job for decades? Alam mong may iba sa kanya noong unang beses na pinagtagpo ang mga landas ninyo."
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...
