Chronicles of the Pleiades

Freedom, Truth, Dreams

Waters, the ocean, the sea... they say it draws people close, calls to them. I never understood why. To me the ocean is always a bland vast unknown. A wet grasp that can take you wherever it wants, whenever it wants. A powerful tyrant that can overpower you at any moment, and keeps its secrets from you until you go deep into its maw, where it can devour you right up. Not to mention it makes my tail wet, yuck.

"I do really feel this book... I don't know why, but something about being one of these kids and living that life in that school is just... it feels right."

"I mean, we already had daydreams of a similar theme for years."

"I know... well yea nothing much to read into that."

"Yea, I guess."

"Who are you talking to, little one?" the paladin's mom asked him. "Myself?" he responded.

Mom: "Wow, that's a vibrant way for one to talk to themselves."

Paladin: "Is it? I find it very natural, and, it helps me interact with what's in the different corners of my mind!"

Mom: "That's very creative! Now my little prodigy, what do you want for your 11th birthday?"

There's however, another reason to hate the open waters: It is the origin of natural life. You might think to yourself, "why is that a bad thing though?"...

Because it betrayed me.

-

It's a cold and cloudy day. The entire school is out for a hike. Far in my sight, there's a hill, and on the top, there are huge satellite dishes. I can sense them searching for something somewhere. Just as I'm deep in contemplation about that, the sky begins to dim. Dark clouds gather, and the calling of a storm is afloat as the air begins to feel charged. There's a feeling compelling me to call home, but I didn't bother to smuggle my phone to school this time. Thankfully, a classmate is kind enough to lend me his phone. I call home and blink once... 

Wait, why am I home? I put away the phone and indulge in the eerie atmosphere of the house I lived in for years. It was never like this. It felt haunted, as if corrupted by something dark and sinister. There was barely much light, except for the annoying and mildly-flickering blue kitchen light that was never turned off. Dad was... reading a newspaper? On the wall side of the dining table? What is this, shit-that-never-happens land? He doesn't even notice me. Thanks. Better than being picked on for no reason, at least. I continue towards my room, my beloved room where I did everything. From reading books to creating stuff on my computer, or looking out the window to see if the neighbours' kids are hinting at me to come and play. 

There's something wrong, however. Beside the dark eerie feel and the storm outside, my window was open, and not just open, it was as if there was never a frame there, just a big hole in the wall and nothing to shape it. The frame however was in the room, just detached and on the ground. In the middle of it, there was a very small piece of glass. I look close, it was roughly the shape and size of a modern smartphone, but entirely glass. There were dark markings on it, but very dull.

As I pick up the glass, it begins to activate. The dull markings on it begin to gain contrast, and a few concentric broken circles start to emerge in the middle. I am so confused, but I sense the storm getting stronger. I walk to the supposed window to see what's happening outside, and I am frozen in place. The circles on the piece of glass in my hand, exactly mimic the ones that have formed in the sky. At the very centre, there's something akin to a blackhole, a copy of which I see on the glass too. What can I do? I touch one of the circles and try to rotate it. Thunder roars and the skies flash... the thing I just moved... it moved in the sky... I...