Like Yesterday (Book 3 of the "Living Nightmare" Series)

Chapter 1

"Echo, you need to settle the space before you kill us all!" Lance's voice sounded strange. "Open your eyes, for Notch's sake!"

Her eyes snapped open and she watched in shock as a world of trees and snow knee-deep just materialized before them. Lance raised an eyebrow. "Interesting choice."

"What do you mean?" she looked around in a panic. "Lance, what have I done?!"

"Relax or everything will fracture!" he took in a sharp breath. "Echo, you have opened something known as the Dream Realm or, as I like to call it, the Dreamscape. A place where you can manipulate your enemies or if you so choose, manipulate yourself."

"Does that mean you have? And I don't know how to use Dream Magic!"

"Which doesn't make sense to me. Most have to be taught."

"I know!" she hugged herself. "Shouldn't everyone else be here?"

"Yes, but given how long you took to open the space, you probably sent them to different fields."

"I what?!"

He grabbed her shoulders. "Echo, look at me. I'm not exactly what you've done or how, but you've done it and we will figure something out."

"But--"

"Trust me. Please."

"I do, but...you're sure you can figure this out."

"Positive. I'm an expert when it comes to this stuff. I once took out a troop of two hundred with Gwendolyn using Dream Magic. So calm down, and let me help you."

She took in a deep breath. "Okay."

He smiled. "There we go. Now, I can correctly assume that given you don't know how you opened this, you can't reverse that to close it?"

"Not a clue."

"Mm," he nodded. "Well, then, I know of three ways to close the Dreamscape. On command, finding and killing a target, or be destroying the Realm Crystal."

Echo tilted her head. "'The Realm Crystal'? What is that?"

Lance flicked his wrist. Silver particles of light floated around his hand, shaping into a large, roughly formed crystal. "This. According to my research, this crystal only exists in a plain of reality accessible by Dream Magic alone. If the crystal is destroyed, it will seal off the Dreamscape forever, but the destroyer is trapped here...for eternity."

"That was...beyond ominous," Echo shuddered. "Let's save that as a last resort and try targeting Hellknight instead."

"Excellent idea. At the moment, we just have to find him."

<>

Kane ran his hand along the stone, his fingers curling around a fissure that was letting cool, fresh air in. "I think this is it, Ciara." 

She pulled herself up next to him and grinned. "Thank goodness. I'm ready to get out of here."

He nodded then braced his shoulder against the lose stone. It fell in quickly, uncovering a passage sloping upward, sunlight glaring down on them. They headed up, Kane offering his hand to Ciara over a tough places, which she rolled her eyes at.

Them emerged into the light to find themselves face-to-face with a dozen spears and King Naeus himself. He lifted his arm. "Surrender your weapons and perhaps I won't incinerate you on the spot."

<>

Azura spun through the air, dodging the claws of the beast Rain had identified as a Shadow Wrath. It roared in fury as it slashed at Endermen, shifting forms every second to catch people off-guard. What scared Azura most was no matter how much she shot and slashed it, the thing just wouldn't take damage.

Rain, Stella, and Patrick were throwing everything they had at it to no avail.

A mysterious blond-haired boy had appeared out of nowhere and was dragging Lyria across the battlefield, keeping her from the beast's claws.

It swept Patrick and Stella aside with its tail.

It sent Azura spinning into a tree.

Claws swung down and Rain got pinned between two fingers, barely missing death.

It let out a roar.

Then a white beam of energy slammed into its side. Is screamed and flew backward, black-blue shadows erupting off it before it disappeared. The beam came to a stop.

Azura gripped the branch and looked down to see Hilda and Hogsworth. Hogsworth looking shocked and Hilda with an End Crystal in her hands.

<>

Zeganirn's eyes fluttered open. Vordus worried hovered over him. Snow was everywhere, and that made Zeg nervous. He held his hand out. "Help me up. What happened?"

"Since you were captured or just now?"

"We don't have time for the whole story."

"Echo opened the Dreamscape."

"Did you say Echo?"

"Yes," Vordus stroked his beard. "I thought that skill had to be learned and I'm positive no one could have taught her. Lance is the only one who had the skill from the start, that I know of."

"Either way, we need to find her so we can get the heck out of here," Zeg dusted himself off. "But snow? Really Echo?"

"Better than rain."

"Fair point. Let's go."

<>

Wind shook the small building Ceris found herself in. Snow rushed in through the hole in the ceiling, dashing against her face. She was, however, more focused, on keeping herself calm. She had no idea what was going on, but she knew her physical body was not where she was now.

The door slammed open and Hellknight's head appeared in the room. "Why, hello, Ceris."