Dream Warriors

Chapter Three: The Others' Stories

As Kara walked toward the voices, her mind buzzed with questions. She was still trying to grasp what Mr. Mason had told her, but she realized she wasn't the only one the house had chosen. The other teens had their own pasts, their own reasons for being here. And she needed to know more about them if she was going to survive this strange, magical place.

1. Trey - The Fighter
Trey was the first person Kara noticed when she entered the common area. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, a sharp look in his eyes. His broad shoulders and clenched jaw gave him an air of intensity.

Trey had grown up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the city. His mother had been in and out of rehab, and his father was long gone. By the time Trey was 10, he'd already learned to fend for himself on the streets. He was smart, street-smart, but that didn't stop him from getting into trouble. The group home was his last chance—if he couldn't make it here, the system was ready to send him somewhere worse.

Beneath his tough exterior, Trey carried the weight of guilt. He'd been in a fight that went too far, a fight where he was supposed to win respect—but instead, he lost a friend. Ever since, Trey had struggled with anger, guilt, and the need to protect those he cared about, even if it meant breaking the rules. He didn't trust easily, and he didn't talk about his past. But when the house revealed its magic, Trey saw something different: a chance to rewrite the part of his life that haunted him most.

He wanted to go back. He wanted to change that night, to save his friend. But Kara knew the rule about the past. The house might show him glimpses, but it couldn't change what had already happened. The question was: would Trey be willing to listen?

2. Jess - The Dreamer
Jess was sprawled out on the couch, her headphones on, eyes closed, but Kara could see the tension in her hands, clutching her phone tightly. Jess looked fragile, almost too quiet, but there was an intensity about her.

She had been a child prodigy—an artist who could sketch lifelike images by the time she was five. Her paintings had been hung in galleries, and her future seemed set. But talent came with a price. Jess's parents, who once adored her creativity, began pushing her harder and harder, turning her gift into something dark. She was their ticket to fame and wealth, and they made sure she knew it.

By the time Jess turned 15, she had stopped painting altogether. The pressure, the constant criticism, and the manipulation from her parents had crushed her passion. Eventually, they abandoned her at the group home when they realized they could no longer control her.

But Jess's dreams were different. She longed to create again, to feel the freedom of expression she had as a child. When she discovered the truth about the house, she saw it as a chance to rekindle that passion. In her dreams, she could paint again, without the pressure, without the pain.

But would that be enough? Or would she become addicted to the dream world, where her talent was limitless and the expectations of the real world didn't exist?

3. Luis - The Lost Son
Luis sat in the corner, flipping through an old comic book. His dark hair fell into his eyes, but there was something about his posture that screamed sadness. Kara could tell he was withdrawn, not really part of the conversation happening around him.

Luis was the kid who never knew where he belonged. His mother had been young when she had him, and she struggled to keep them afloat. Eventually, she remarried, and Luis was left feeling like an outsider in his own family. His stepfather never accepted him, always reminding him that he wasn't really part of the new family.

By the time Luis was 12, he was acting out, getting into trouble at school, and fighting with his stepfather at home. One night, after a particularly bad argument, Luis packed a bag and left. His mother didn't come after him. That was when he realized he was on his own.

The group home was supposed to be a fresh start, but Luis couldn't shake the feeling that he didn't belong anywhere. When he found out about the magic in the house, his wish was simple—he wanted to find his real father. The man who had left before he was born, the one he had always wondered about. Was he still out there? And if he was, why had he left?

Luis's dreams were filled with images of a man he'd never met, a man he longed to find. But he didn't know if the house would give him answers—or more heartache.

4. Sasha - The Rebel
Sasha paced the room, her eyes sharp, her movements restless. Her edgy look—ripped jeans, combat boots, and short, spiked hair—made her stand out from the others. Kara could tell she was angry, though she hid it behind a sarcastic smile.

Sasha had grown up in foster care, bouncing from home to home, never staying in one place long enough to feel safe. She learned early on not to trust anyone—especially adults. Her anger came from years of being let down, years of watching people leave without a second thought. By the time she was 14, she was running away regularly, skipping school, and getting into fights.

But behind her rebellious attitude was a girl who desperately wanted stability. She wanted something—someone—to stay. When she arrived at the group home, Sasha didn't expect much. But the Masons were different. They didn't push her, didn't try to control her. And the house... it was something she couldn't quite figure out.

When she learned about the house's magic, Sasha's first instinct was to test the limits. She wanted power, control over something for once in her life. Her dreams were full of rebellion, breaking the rules, pushing boundaries. But as she learned more, she realized the house's magic wasn't a toy—it was dangerous.

Now Sasha was torn between her desire to fight the system and her fear of losing herself in the process.

5. Elijah - The Protector
Elijah was sitting quietly by the window, watching the rain tap against the glass. He was tall, muscular, and had a calm, almost stoic presence. Kara noticed how the others seemed to defer to him, like he was the unspoken leader of the group.

Elijah had always been the protector in his family. His younger siblings depended on him when his mother couldn't hold things together. His father had been in and out of jail for most of his life, and Elijah stepped up to fill the gap. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep his family from falling apart.

One night, after his father was arrested again, social services took Elijah and his siblings away. They were separated, sent to different foster homes. Elijah ended up at the group home, but he hadn't seen his siblings since. His guilt weighed heavily on him, and he felt like he had failed them.

The house's magic offered Elijah something he had never had before—a chance to see his family again, to protect them in ways he couldn't in the real world. His dreams were filled with his siblings, safe and happy, together again. But deep down, Elijah knew that no dream could replace the reality he had lost.

As Kara took all of this in—the pain, the hope, the longing in each of the teens' stories—she realized that this house was more than just a magical place. It was a reflection of their deepest desires and fears. Each of them had something to fight for, something they wanted to change. But the house's rules were clear.

Wishing for something wasn't the same as having it. And dreams, no matter how sweet, could quickly turn into nightmares.