The Dreamer: The Book of Godspells

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

I woke up abruptly, the familiar walls of the Olympus House closing in around me. It had been to me, what seemed like ages since I'd been back, and I couldn't even recall falling asleep in my own closet. As I sat up, a strange sensation washed over me, as if something were tugging at my very essence. Wiping the constant sweat from my face, I tried to shake off the feeling of unease that settled over me. I crawled out of my closet, forgetting that was where I had hidden myself in the first place.

Then, like a heavy weight in my chest, I remembered what had just happened, and my heart sank. I couldn't believe that I was stuck here, trapped in this world with no way out. I closed my eyes, hoping against hope that maybe, just maybe, I could will myself back to the dreamworld. But there was nothing, just an empty void where the gateways should have been.

My body shook with a mixture of fear and frustration, my mind spinning with a thousand unanswered questions. What was I feeling? What was happening to me?

I got up and looked out of the window, trying to ground myself in the reality of the world outside. But time seemed to stand still, even my mind. It was different, felt different then before. Like it too had left me.

I wondered if anyone was worried about me, if they even knew where I was. Or they cared how long I had been gone. And then a knock came at the door.

"Piper," a familiar voice called out softly. My heart skipped a beat. I thought it was Penelope, or anyone, anyone but...

"Steele... How... how are you here? Did anyone see you?" I asked, shocked to see him standing in the doorway of my room.

"Do not worry, it is midnight. Everyone is asleep," he reassured me, his voice barely above a whisper. But as he pushed past me into the room, a sense of urgency emanated from him.

"You have to go back. You can't be here," Steele demanded, his words tinged with desperation. And as his gaze locked with mine, I knew that he knew... everything.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice trembling with uncertainty.

"Where were you before you woke up?" he asked, his words rushed and frantic.

"I was at the..."

"The Reverie?" He suggested. I nodded, stunned.

"Yes, the Citadel, with the Royals. And then... Colik..." I trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. The memory of what had happened to me was still too raw, too painful to put into words. Steele smiled cryptically, sending a chill down my spine.

Before I could question him further, he walked over to me and took my hand in his.

"Close your eyes and listen to me," he instructed, his voice firm and commanding. And though I was hesitant, something in his demeanor compelled me to obey.

As I closed my eyes, I felt Steele's presence looming over me, his words washing over me like a soothing melody.

"Imagine yourself in front of the trees in the Broken Woods," he began, his voice soft and soothing.

"Do you see it?" Steele asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes," I replied, my voice barely audible above the pounding of my heart. I could picture the Broken Woods like it was right in front of me, as that was where I was dying to go back to.

"Now, imagine that you can make that there, here, in your now," Steele continued, his words wrapping around me like a warm blanket. And though I didn't fully understand what he meant, I nodded, allowing myself to be swept away by the magic of his words.

Eyes still closed, I saw the Broken Woods in my mind's eye, their massive trunks reaching towards their mushroom tops. And as I stood there, enveloped in the warmth of Steele's presence, I felt a sense of calm wash over me, like everything was going to be alright. Like I was about to actually step back into that world, but then, things changed...