Dream Warriors

Chapter Five: Midnight Awakens

The day passed uneventfully, but Kara couldn't shake the feeling of anticipation that hung over her like a cloud. The other teens had dropped little hints throughout the evening, but none of them had been willing to explain what happened at midnight.

As the clock in the common room ticked closer to twelve, the tension in the house grew palpable. The teens started moving toward their rooms, almost like they were preparing for something. Trey gave Kara a small nod as he passed her, heading to his own room with a quiet, "See you on the other side."

Jess slipped her headphones back on, her eyes distant once again as she retreated to her space. Sasha, on the other hand, stayed close, watching the clock with a sharp, almost hungry look in her eyes.

At exactly midnight, the air in the house shifted. Kara felt it, a strange vibration that pulsed through the walls and floors, sending a shiver down her spine. She looked around, wondering if the others felt it too, but they seemed calm—like they had experienced this before.

Suddenly, the lights in the house dimmed, and a soft glow emanated from the walls, casting everything in an eerie, golden light. Kara's heart raced as she stood frozen, unsure of what was happening.

Then she saw it—the walls were moving. Not in a normal way, but as if the house itself was alive, breathing, shifting around her. The furniture trembled slightly, and the floor beneath her feet seemed to ripple like water. Kara's breath hitched in her throat. This was not normal.

"Welcome to the Lamp," Sasha said, her voice tinged with excitement. "This is when the magic begins."

Kara's eyes widened. "The Lamp?"

Sasha grinned. "The house... it's not just a house. It's a magic lamp. Every night at midnight, it comes to life. We're not just living here—we're inside it."

Kara's head was spinning. "Inside... what do you mean?"

Luis appeared in the doorway, his face calm but his voice serious. "It grants wishes—in your dreams. Anything you want, the house gives it to you when you sleep."

Trey, now standing beside Luis, added, "But there's a catch."

"Of course there is," Kara muttered, her mind still struggling to keep up with what they were telling her.

Jess, who had been sitting silently with her headphones on, finally spoke up. "If you try to enter someone else's dream... you'll be erased. Forever."

Kara's stomach dropped. "Erased?"

Sasha nodded. "Your body will stay here, but your mind... gone. It's the subconscious's way of protecting itself. You try to invade someone else's dreams, their subconscious fights back. And trust me—you won't win."

Kara's heart was pounding. This was too much. She had barely been here for a day, and now they were telling her the house was some kind of magical entity that granted dreams? And if she wasn't careful, she could be erased?

"So... what do we do?" Kara asked, her voice shaking slightly.

Elijah, who had been quiet all evening, finally spoke. "We play by the rules. Stay in your own dreams. Don't get greedy. And whatever you do, don't try to change the past."

Kara's mind raced as she tried to process everything. A house that grants wishes in dreams. A house that could also erase you if you weren't careful. And a set of rules that seemed both simple and impossible at the same time.

She didn't know what to think. But one thing was certain—this place, this house, was unlike anything she had ever imagined.

And whatever secrets it held, Kara was determined to find out.