Chapter 9 - viii.

"Dreams are the seedlings of realities." - James Allen

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Breathlessly, I look around, taking in my surroundings: pale, white moonstone walls, a glass-like floor, and pillars lining the large windows. The posts and door archways had beautiful, intricate symbols carved within them, pulsing with a silver glow. Between each symbol were various crystals faceted within the structure. Outside, the full moon hangs high within the darkened sky, its light shining through the windows and into the structure.

I can feel the thrum of energy within this place. Peaceful, yet exceptionally powerful, as if feeding off the moon itself. I feel at home here, like this is where I belong.

A noise at the other end of the corridor shifts my attention, and I watch as a little girl with long pale blonde hair wanders slowly through the hall. Her pale skin is glowing in the moonlight, with blue-silver markings along her body. As she approached, I was able to see the light dusting of freckles across her nose, various beauty marks, and a small crescent shape between her brows.

Out of instinct, I push myself further into the shadows to avoid being seen. She pauses in her stride, her little round face turning to the window and closes her eyes. Is that me? Abruptly, her glacier blue eyes open, and her gaze turns to me. She smiles toothily, small dimples appearing as if to answer my unspoken question. Without a word, she resumes her journey, and I follow closely behind.

She stops at a large, white door with more symbols carved into the frame. I get a sense of deja vu as she hesitantly pushes the door open, both of us cringing at the loud creak that echoes through the darkroom. She peers her head around the door, bending forward slightly.

"Mama?" The young girl's sweet voice called into the darkness before walking in. The girl took no more than five steps before a soft and gentle glow illuminated the room, and I felt frozen to the spot.

A woman sat in a large bed, a ball of glowing light within her hand. She was the definition of divine beauty. Her hair is long and pin-straight, white in colour, with skin slightly paler than the little girl. Her eyes are a beautiful silver with a dark ring around them, and her features are soft, round. Like the girl earlier, this woman's gaze flickers to me. The oxygen leaves my body with an onslaught of emotions I can't explain—safety, comfort, nostalgia, hope, and love.

"Saephy, is that you, my darling?" The woman asks, eyes still boring into mine as if speaking directly to me. She's the one I've been hearing! My mouth opens and closes, yet no words seem to want to form. Her attention shifts from me to the little girl, who nods and wordlessly runs to the woman's bedside, tripping over her nightwear. The woman lifts her daughter onto the bed and soothingly strokes her curly hair. "Sweet child, will you tell me what's wrong?" She asks, her gentle voice laced with concern for her child. Saephy nods and pulls away from her mother's embrace.

"Nothing is wrong, mama, just those dreams again," Saephy explains, observing her mother's reaction. The woman in question stiffens slightly, and her eyes harden.

"What happened this time, child?" The woman's voice gains a slight edge, though her silver eyes remain kind.

"A faceless man with blue eyes was holding a baby - like Lumi and Hini. He told me he loved both the baby and me very much." She shyly tells her mother. I gasp silently, my mind flashing to the dreams I've had of the same man. How can this be happening?

"Now listen to me, Saephy; that man only wishes to lure you in with his sweet words so that he may hurt you." The woman reprimands the little girl, though her words pierce through my heart as well. I feel the sting of tears and notice the child's eyes glossing over as well. "You must not pay any mind to these dreams. I shall get them to make a vial of Dreamless Night for you to take from now on. Now, go back to sleep, my darling. Tomorrow is a busy day." She gives Saephy a gentle pat on the back, with a kiss to the crescent marking before lowering the girl back onto the floor.

Saephy runs, making a quick exit. Reaching the door, she turns to look at her mother once more before dashing out into the hallway once more. I turn to gaze at the older woman, watching as she tilts her head subtly with a weak smile. She moves her hands, and the room is shrouded in darkness again. Without further prompting, I follow the child through the corridors.

Saephy enters a room and hurries into a small bed beside another sleeping girl. She appeared to be the same age as Saephy, with similar features, but her skin was sun-kissed, littered with freckles and green markings along her body. On her forehead was a flower of some sort—a twin, perhaps. Saephy gently lays her hand over the girl's and turns her eyes to mine.

"Mama says he's bad, but he doesn't feel bad. Onea will make him go away," she yawns with a slight squeak, settling more into her bed. "I don't want him to go away," she mumbles dreamily into her pillow, her head now hidden under her blankets. In a matter of minutes, Saephy dozes off, and the only noise to be heard is the little snores of the small girls within the room as they dream.

I watch over them for a few minutes more before walking to the large window within their room. Looking up to the moon, I close my eyes and let her light wash over me. Please, I don't know what any of this means. Please, Moon, reveal what is hidden. The silent prayer escapes me, possibly ascending to the celestial body above. The thrumming energy from earlier returns, reaching up through the ground. It wraps around my being, slowly consuming me until I am floating once more.

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