/\Areiya & The -Invasion- Of Zanathis/\

/\Chapter 3-- Memory of the Dream/\

I dashed down corridors, not really knowing where I was going. I hadn’t heard footsteps coming after me, but that didn’t precisely mean that they weren’t, as I had learned long ago. I allowed myself to look behind me and see if I was being followed then. The moment I did, I crashed into something in front of me. It was warm and seemed to be built well, although it seemed small in size.

The object and I went tumbling to the ground then. I looked behind me first to see if anyone really was following me. No one was there. Sighing in a little relief, I heard a muffled grunt. Remembering that I had collided with something, I looked down to see that was lying on top of someone. With closer inspection, I noticed that it was the boy from the room earlier. I stared at him warily, not knowing how he had escaped the room when I hadn’t even been able to.

His eyes widened when he noticed that it was me, but then he calmed his expression and took in his surroundings. While he did this, I decided to think up a plan to get me out of this situation; there was no telling what time they would find me now. I sat up and scooted off of him, bringing his attention back to me.

“Where did you go? Where is the girl that took you?” He asked cautiously, not knowing what I had done. I rolled my eyes at his behavior, unable to stop myself from doing so before answering.

“Well… I met this guy about our age. He is the person in charge around here funnily. His name is Sir Erick. Well to say that I know where she is… would be a lie. I ran from them because I wasn’t getting what the hell they were talking about. They had given me the same crap that you had before we split last. What the hell are they talking about that I don’t know?! And how did you escape that room that had been enchanted for my whole stay here?!” He seemed to be studying me, as if weighing options on whether he should tell me or not. Though, I wasn’t in the mood to wait, so I spoke up once more. “Hurry up you idiot, you do remember that I ran right?” I hadn’t meant for it to sound so harsh, but I was on thin ice right now.

That was when I remembered my entire childhood and used those methods that I had learned to calm myself down. He was still staring studious as me, but when I was about to open my mouth once again to ask what he was doing, he spoke.

“So you really don’t know what you are to your planet then?” He spoke softly, standing up as he did so and helping me up as well. I looked at him for a moment, seeing where this was going. I shook my head, unsure about what he was talking about. He began leading me to some unknown place before he spoke. “You are what your planet would call a kareivis (Latvian), or in other words warrior. Every planet has one, unless they were killed off before their time came to protect its planet.” I stared at him, unable to tell whether he was telling the truth or not.

“So you mean to say that I am a Kareivis to Zanathis? What are you then?” I knew in some part of my mind what he was, but I wasn’t all too sure because maybe he was just accidentally brought into this mess. Were these scientists really looking for the Kareivis’ of planets? I pondered this, as well as weighed the idea of being a warrior to my people. It sort of made since I guess. It would explain the training all my childhood years, the respect I seemed to receive from everyone I met. I had thought that it was weird before, that no other child of Zanathis was put through what I had been put through. I inwardly cringed as my childhood memories began to arise in my mind. I shook them off quickly though as I heard Phethus speaking.

“I am the same as you Areiya. I am the warrior from my planet, Admistro. I had been in the middle of training actually, when the scientists had arrived on my planet. But what I want to know is why your parents/ guardians hadn’t told you about your destiny?” He was looking at me as if I were a puzzle to be solved. I hardened my eyes because I was no child’s play toy.

“I have no idea why they hadn’t; maybe they had their reasons.” I said this coolly, unable to stop the menace from entering my tone. He seemed to guess why I was all of a sudden cold towards him and stop staring at me, deciding to stare past my shoulder. That was when I took in my surroundings. This place looked vaguely familiar to me for some reason. From the look of realization on Phethus’ face, he knew where we were. “Where are we?” I asked warily, not liking that I knew nothing, but he knew everything.

I thought back to my guardians, and a pang shot through my chest at the thought of them. They had kept my destiny a secret from me… they knew this would happen, but they hadn’t told me.

“This… I can tell you recognize it as well. I had only seen this place once.” He seemed to be pondering this, absentmindedly talking as he did so. “In my dreams…” He murmured, and like lightning, the memory of my dream not too long ago came back to me. It couldn’t be though! This couldn’t be happening to me! Had I foretold the future to myself as well? He seemed to be staring at the symbol covering the walls in this room. I knew what we were looking for though. Not sure if he knew, I began searching the room for the secret passage. I found a similar picture frame then. The same one I had seen in my dream.

I walked towards it, not paying attention to what Phethus was doing. When I stood in front of it, I studied the structure and strokes of the paint that had faded with the years that passed. Looking back towards Phethus, he still seemed to be lost in thought, as if he couldn’t really remember the dream too well. How old had he been when he first had the dream? I had been the age of 6, and from those days on… I had only one dream; this same dream over and over again. I hadn’t known what it had meant back then, but I had a feeling of what it meant now.

I turned away from Phethus then, bringing my gaze back onto the painting. Slowly, I reached my hand forward, lifting the painting from the wall. There, nestled on the wall behind it, was a small button. Licking my lips warily, hearing my 2 hearts pound within my chest, vibrating my body, I pressed down the button.

Seeming to finally figure out his dream, Phethus turned towards me just then. His eyes widened when he saw me already there. He looked a little confused at how I knew about this, but I turned back towards the small door that led down into the dungeons… like I had seen in my dream. This would always be the moment when I awoke, after hearing the moans of pain and agony from the dungeons. I had no idea what I was supposed to do next though.

Following my gut, I descended the stairs. As I did so, the creaks coming from the worn stairs shot adrenaline throughout my body, allowing goosebumps to coat my skin as a shiver of terror shot through me. That was when I felt a warm hand land on my shoulder. I willed myself not to jump and turned to see that it was Phethus.

“How did you know Areiya? I thought you had no idea about your true destiny?” He said softly, not knowing something for the first time since he had arrived here.

“My dreams.” I murmured in a daze. He didn’t seem to get it though, but I gave no other explanation and began descending the stairs once more. Descending myself into darkness; an unknown place.