Melina stands up from the table and feels this weird tingling sensation on them. She looks to her hands to see the flesh rising into the air like ash and dissipating. With each bit of skin removed, more and more of the metal hands are revealed. "What the holy hells..." she whispers out in fear. Her eyes widening.
The Frostguard halls begin to cave inwards and collapsing over, blocking all exits and trapping Melina inside the singular room with the higher levels falling down around her. Dust rising as the stones crash down beside her and then everything stops.
The dust fades and Melina stands alone in a small circle of untouched ground large enough to fit three other people at most. Silence fills the air. No cries of dying or crushed Frostguard Members.
Melina looks at her metal hands and then up through the collapsed stronghold floors. Peering into the mid day sky full of clouds. She looks back down at the rubble and spots an odd figure that has appeared.
An odd shadow like humanoid figure standing before her. No face, no defined features of hair or scars. Just a shadow like being in front of her.
"What did you do me?" Melina asks. Not taking her eyes off the shadow.
"It is not what I did. It is what she tried to do for you." It says.
"What exactly is that?"
"Your mother sent me here. Into your mind to learn all about you and your friends." It stops for a second to cock its head and then resets its position. "I was then to lock your mind in a Dreamscape prison of your greatest desire."
"Not exactly a fairytale.." Melina keeps her gaze, but lowers a hand onto her sword's hilt.
"Violence is not needed. I gave you what you wanted. Your mother, Dayton, your hands. Everything you've lost had been returned." The shadow begins to pace between the small area.
"Where's my father then?"
"For whatever reason, you are content with his death and his current status. You prefer to let him be where he is."
Melina looks down to the ground and tries to speak, but stays silent. "This.."
"Don't worry, Melina. I can return everything normal, in here, your own mind, you can live the life you want with everyone you want."
"This isn't right. My real body?" Melina backs up against the rubble and sits in a tough spot, but sits regardless.
"It will forever rest unless someone finds the way to remove me or you conquer the hidden puzzle that I have placed within these dreams on your mother's behalf. Although she is violent, she loves you more than anything. She knows she is wrong but it is too late to turn back for her."
Melina closes her eyes. Weighing the options given to her. A life of her wishes given to her or the life where she has fight to earn those wishes. Are the fights going to be worth it? The pain? Here, she can bypass all that and continue on.
But, out there, in reality, her mother is still raging on. Her friends still want to rally around her. Then there is Elisia. Something about her Melina liked a lot.
"Give me the challenge, Shadow. Where's the puzzle?"
The shadow laughs. "You will awaken once more in the Dreamscape and you will have to find the puzzle on your own and solve it on your own. Upon solving, I am to release myself from you and awaken you to reality. Let the games begin."
The shadow snaps his fingers and everything fades to black. Melina opens her eyes slowly. Resting on her stomach in the comforts of her own bed. Blankets pulled over her, arms buried under the pillow and her black hair sprawled all over her back and arms and parts of the pillow.
She yawns and looks at the small pace between her hair and pillow allowing her to see outside through the window into the bright sunlight illuminating over the Frostlands.
Melina rolls over onto her back, raising her normal hands high into the air to stretch them out and Dayton smiles from his desk while writing something.
"Awake at last." He says with a smile across his face.
"How long have I been out?" Melina yawns again and thinks about the puzzle she must solve. Whatever it was.
"Only a few hours. You saved your mother last night."
"That I did.." Melina sits up from her bed. "Where is she?"
"Let's go find out. I bet she's with Twigs."
YOU ARE READING
Frosted Ranger: Time's Illusion
FantasyD&D led story based off events coming from a character I play that romanced a NPC and had a child. This story is of that child. "Melina, if you follow your father's footsteps, you'll be right beside him. 6ft under dirt, 2 ft under snow." Melina Se...
