Verita's Chronicles, The Dreamer

Chapitre 1

It was night, or at least it appeared that way. The sky was empty, devoid of stars or moon, an endless expanse of deep black. No cloud veiled the darkness, only a black, mysterious firmament. Looking around him, he noticed that this blackness was not absolute, as if a glow coming from an invisible moon was faintly illuminating the area. He stood in the middle of a winding road, winding through a silent forest. The trees, with dark trunks and faded leaves, seemed to contain age-old secrets. The road, just wide enough for an old cart to pass through, was paved with uneven ground.

Where exactly was he? He didn't know it, or maybe not entirely. As he began to grasp the situation, a disturbing reality set in: part of his memory was blurry, not part, but most of it. He had to remember, but what? Her name ? No, it wasn't important at the moment. It was as if his thoughts were veiled by a dreamlike fog.

What was happening, yes, that's it. He was in a dream, but not his, because it was never his. What should he do now? As always, follow the dream. He began walking along the road, his footsteps echoing in the silence of the night. The cold crept into his bones, an icy coldness that contrasted with the apparent tranquility of the dream. A faint mist emerged from his mouth
with each exhalation, emphasizing the strangeness of this universe.

After a few minutes of walking, moving shadows appeared in front of him. An indistinct human figure emerged from the darkness. It must have been the dreamer, these blurred beings in their own dreams. He slowed down, stopping about five meters behind him, carefully observing the shape which was gradually taking shape. He knew that by doing so, he would eventually perceive every detail. This is what happened after a few seconds.

The figure transformed into a man about six feet tall, a mysterious figure lit by an elusive glow. Her long black hair was neatly gathered into a ponytail that rose upwards, giving a look that was both elegant and wild. A black leather coat flowed majestically to below her knees, adding to her aura of mystery. An oddly designed crossbow was securely attached to a strap on his back, the hilt pointing upwards, ready to be grabbed to fire at any moment. The man, absorbed in his own thoughts, seemed to be staring at something in front of him, immersed in silent contemplation.

Curious, the young man shifted to get a better look. Opposite the man stood another person, a boy barely older than him. However, what struck him was not the age gap, but the fact that this boy seemed neither a dream nor a dreamer but even less a human. His appearance defied all human logic. His eyes, black and unfathomable, reflected an indescribable strangeness, as if one could fall into them and sink into infinite darkness. His face, round and pale, was covered in rings and pieces of metal, something that some people did to add a touch to their appearance. But even stranger, he had a tattoo of a snake on his neck and the bottom of his head, its tail seeming to slip under the T-shirt of the
boy to continue on the rest of his body. Its head, fine and detailed, looked him straight in the eyes. Was looking at him?! after blinking he affirmed his vision, the snake had moved, and was staring at him, it was alive. As he tried to come to terms with the idea the young man turned his head towards him, looking into his eyes and entering his mind.

This feeling was anything but pleasant, memories resurfaced in his mind and provoked the worst emotions before disappearing the next second. The boy was playing with his mind, delving into it and even seemed to be feeding off all those negative feelings inside him. He wanted to look away, he knew that it was by looking into these globes of darkness that he could pass through his head but when he tried he realized that his body was paralyzed. He didn't even notice that the man had turned towards him. It only lasted a few minutes but in his head
it felt like hours when he finally released him and disappeared with a laugh.

After this release he fell to the ground, his vision was blurred, his body weak and trembling.
-Hey, kid, can you hear me? What is your name ?
Looking to his right he saw the man's face leaning towards him, he was on his knees trying so hard to
what a pain to keep him conscious.
- My name ?
- Yes, your name.
-I... don't remember.
His memory was even more cloudy than before, everything disappeared and reappeared, places, names, faces.
- Come on, kid, stay awake a little longer. Where are you now ?
- I...I don't know.
- I see. All right. Look, look at this.
he removed a metal badge from his coat and placed it before the boy's eyes.
-Remember that, okay? I'll come get you, we'll have to talk.
Trying to concentrate, he finally made out the shape of a skeleton skull with horns and fangs pierced by a black arrow.
- Listen to me carefully, you're going to have to...
HENRY! HENRY! HENRY!
Suddenly a different voice filled his head, screaming, the world around him became murky and
disappeared, he woke up.