Chasing Doom

Chapter 3

My room was farthest away from the other students, and it was in the attic of the school, courtesy of them treating me like an outcast and jeering at me. As I climbed up the creaky stairs and opened the door to my small room, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over me. 

The room may have been old and worn, but it was my sanctuary away from the judgmental gazes and whispered comments of my classmates. The walls were adorned with bookshelves filled with musty, old books. There was barely enough space for a dresser, a bed, and a desk. The only reason I needed to interact with my classmates was if I needed to use the common restroom that was a floor below. 

I headed to my desk and pulled out an old journal that I recorded my dreams in. I started writing, pulling out a DC comic book of the Endless to read on the side. I felt the familiar buzz of power under my skin again, and I sighed, trying to will it away.

I let my fingertips flicker into miniature flames as I watched and carefully controlled the amount of magic. It was a trick Mr. Gadling had trained me to do, so that I could learn more control. I kept the mini flames on my fingertips perfectly controlled, admiring how the flames danced on my skin without burning. 

A sudden knock on the door startled me, and I stood. I quickly extinguished the flames, my senses heightened by the unexpected interruption. I swung it open to find Mr. Gadling standing there, a curious smile playing on his lips. I asked, grinning brightly, "Mr. Gadling, what brings you here?" 

Mr. Gadling began, his eyes twinkling with mischief, "Someone's missing her Math class." I laughed, knowing exactly what he was referring to. I admitted, stepping aside to let him into my room, "Guilty as charged." 

Mr. Gadling seemed to be in a much more relaxed mood than before at lunch. As he walked in, I noticed that the strange man from my dream was behind him. The same dark-haired man dressed in all black with a crow on his shoulder. He was still covered in fog around the head, but I could see him clearly otherwise. 

Fear ran through me, and I barely managed to keep it from showing on my face. I couldn't believe my eyes. I had seen the same man watching me from across the road to the academy this morning. 

Mr. Gadling said calmly with a warm smile back at the man still covered in shadow, "Kiara, I've come to introduce you to my friend. Before you ask, my dear, yes, he is the one from your dream. And he seems to be lacking in sleuthing skills lately." The man stepped forward, his figure emerging from the fog. 

As he approached, I was able to get my first proper look at him without any obstruction. He was a tall, thin man with pale skin, messy black hair, and silver eyes. He looked like he almost never laughed or even smiled-but when he laughed, I had a strange feeling that it would be a disquieting sound, almost a growl. 

His presence sent a shiver down my spine, and I couldn't help but take an uneasy step back. As he drew nearer, his eyes locked onto mine, piercing through me with an intensity that made me uneasy. There was something unsettling about him, an air of mystery and danger that sent an unspoken warning. 

I could feel my heart racing as his gaze bore into me, his silver eyes seemingly seeing right through my soul. The unease I felt grew stronger, but at the same time, I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. Another jolt of fear ran through me when I heard his voice, confirming my suspicions that he almost never laughed. 

His voice was deep and low, carrying an undertone of darkness that matched the intensity of his gaze and a hint of a dark melody that sent shivers down my spine. He said, "Hob Gadling... this is the girl?" Mr. Gadling smiled at the man and replied, "Yes, it is. But you should introduce yourself, you seem to have frightened poor Kiara speechless." 

I turned my gaze away from Mr. Gadling and back to the man. I said, forcing myself to speak as I started figuring things out, "No, I'm speechless because you're the same man from my dream. The one with the raven on his shoulder. Which is why ravens have followed me all my life. You've come for the power that runs through me, the one that causes bad luck and doom everywhere I go." 

Much to my surprise, the man almost smiled as he said, "I am not. It will be better if you sit down for what I must tell you next." I said, forcing my voice to not shake, "Not until you tell me who you are. And what you are, if you've been following me with ravens all my life." 

He said, "You know." I replied, doubt clouding my mind, "No, I don't." The man shook his head and said, "Yes, you do, or you wouldn't have stayed this calm." I replied, shaking my head, "It's not possible. It can't be." The man said, crossing his arms behind his back, "But it is. How else would you be able to do what you can? Everything you know and every belief that you have is about to change. Are you ready for that?" I said firmly, "What are you?"

The man's almost smile remained as he said regally, "I am Lord Morpheus, Dream of the Endless, King of Dreams and Nightmares." My heart pounded in my chest as the weight of his words sank in. Lord Morpheus, the King of Dreams and Nightmares, standing before me. 

It felt like a surreal dream, but the intensity in his eyes assured me that this was all too real. I cautiously took a step back, my mind racing to comprehend the magnitude of the situation. I said, "You aren't supposed to be real. You're just a character from my comic books. There's no way that the Endless are real. How is this possible?" 

I look between Mr. Gadling and the man in disbelief, before Lord Morpheus said with a slight smirk, "Oh, but it is, little dreamer. And you know this in your heart. We are very much real. The Endless exist beyond the realms of mortal comprehension, woven into the very fabric of existence itself. And now, fate has brought us together."