The Throne room was large—so large that it defied common sense. This room alone was twice the size of the rest of the palace.
Laws were being warped; this was the pinnacle of imagination.
"It's so good to meet you, Horror of the Unknown. I've been waiting for a long time." A hollow and empty voice cascaded through space like rolling thunder.
Sitting on a massive throne at the end of the room, the Dream Lord's voice echoed thousands—no, millions—of times. His regal essence was filled with authority and sadness. He seemed to give off the feeling that of a long journey was coming to a close.
The echoes turned softer and softer, becoming whispers that sparkled in the absence of illumination, becoming their own lights in the darkness of despair.
"You were waiting?"
Sitting on the throne of a giant, the Dream Lord sighed, "Yes, I knew all too well this was destined. I've been preparing for this moment."
"Wait.... so you knew this was going to happen? Do explain."
"Maybe I'll tell you, maybe I won't. I haven't seen this far."
Lifting himself from his throne, the air seemed to shift. Space began to fill with golden luster as golden sands whirled and pooled together.
'He can even transform particles.....indeed he is the most powerful. He must also be a half ruler.'
The Dream Lord sighed again, "It's unfortunate; my only folly was my foolishness thinking I could create a space free from the rest of this prison. But the system too was cunning; over time, my freedoms became restrictions....and now it comes to this."
"System?"
The Dream Lord answered, "Trying to outplay the system will only make you targeted by it. I tried and failed. As a result, those three will benefit from my mistake. My Dream has been crushed.... or maybe facing you is my last chance to save it."
The Lord's voice of sullen, and hints of melancholy and defeat were apparent.
"Well, I'm only here for one thing, where's the core!" Cain had no time to play games.
The Dream Lord sneered, "Hah.... losing to such a greedy and self-centered person... I will not allow it."
Cain scoffed, "Look who's talking!"
"Indeed..."
The golden sands turned violent, and the dunes of gold gushed toward Cain like a tide. Immediately following that, the room became darker as shadows sprouted from the sand itself.
Cain had already disappeared and was in front of the throne; he charged up the steps and reached the Lord of Dreams, pulling him down in a flurry of sand and gold.
Cain's white flesh was punctured, his cloak ripped, and his power ignored.
The Dream Lord's face warped; it turned into a cosmic storm of energy and pink gas.
"Do you think that would work on me!? I was you once! I am those evil things' mistake!"
Cain was toppled as gold pressed against his flesh, the darkness receded, and Unknown was being restricted by an unknown force. Ironic.
The Dream Lord continued while bashing Cain's face again and again.
"Those bastards thought they could replace me! I refuse! I built a utopia to spite them! My Dream in a Nightmare! My path against so-called destiny!"
Punch after punch, the flesh holding the Lord together split and tore, leaving a crazy and horrifying creature attacking Cain.
"You're a Nightmare?!"
The Dreamer thrashed Cain again, "I am a Dream! A dream incarnate!"
Pinkish fumes fused once more with the dark creature, and golden luster covered him once more.
Cain slipped out from under his grasp, turning into a crimson mist that stained the golden sand, diluting it into his own form.
The two stared at one another, both of the same origin of terror, yet, each chose different sides.
"Enough of this! Wasting time!"
The Dream Lord forced everything away from him, and then, a golden orb the size of his palm materialized in his hand. Pinkish gas continued to manifest from it.
"You remember the deal; I supplied you with Imagination to hold up my powers and Dream. You also have to defend me from 'them' as per the contract!"
A robotic yet soft voice rang out, like a lullaby, "I know the terms; it is in my best interest. I can support you, but not for long; the three are watching and waiting."
Hearing everything, Cain couldn't help but laugh, "So that's the secret! The core is alive! It has a consciousness! Is that how you keep everything together, you give it your people's imagination and it helps you stay in control. Are the pills also one of the tools in this endeavor? I'm right, aren't I? Hahaha! That's why you aren't a ruler! You can't control it!"
Cain provoked his opponent.
"Shut up! Die!"
The Dream Lord held out the territory core, and a massive column of pink and gold grew, destroying the Palace in the process.
Cain tried to keep his balance as the structure crumbled, pieces of stonework and solidified sand fell on him as he shifted from shadow to shadow.
'Easy my ass, I can't even use the powers those bastards gave me!'
"Stop running!" The Dream Lord threw down another pillar of sand, swallowing Cain only for him to disappear and reappear away, safe from harm.
As the fight went on, Cain could feel the Dream Realm's influence weakening; he could feel his powers return slowly, allowing him more control over the fight and landing a few blows.
Eventually, an attack led both parties to distance themselves.
Taking this chance, the Dream Lord spoke, "What do you think has the most power in dreams?"
He didn't let Cain respond.
"I'll answer; it is prophecy. I have mastered this art; I already know this fight is destined. I know I have to die; I know what I did was a mistake. But....I still have to try. I still have to persuade you! We can find a way to get what you want without harming my Dream! I can give you what you want; all I ask is time! All I ask is to spare my Dream!"
'Pleading? Is using the core that taxing?'
"Begging now? Doesn't that ruin your image as the Dream Lord? Anyway, what I want is that core, give it and I'll leave."
Frowning, the Dream Lord lashed out, "Why! Why does it have to be like this!? You and the Three are at fault! The one who made this prison is at fault! Fate is at fault! I'll kill you! I'll kill you all if it's the last thing I do! You have taken, you have taken everything from me!"
Filled with wrath, the ruler of the realm brought the core of it closer to his chest.
The core yelled out, "What are you doing?! You're breaking the deal; I already told you, you can't become a Ruler! Wait! Stop!"
It was too late; the core entered the Nightmare's chest. The energy around him started to grow agitated; the air ruptured and screamed out, and the Realm cried.
"You know, I was the first Nightmare born in this realm. I am the Nightmare of Loneliness.... something that will forever be alone, apart from connection. At first, I thought it was a good thing; thought of myself more as a being that embodied freedom."
The Dreamer's face paled.
"But as I saw more Nightmares being born, as the Three came and dominated us. I yearned for more; I wanted more. After the Three found me and tried using me to escape and failed, I found the core. I decided that my Dream had more substance than my fears; I built a place, a place where I might not feel lonely anymore."
The air burned, and the core sunk deeper into his body. Cain simply watched; he let the First Nightmare continue.
"I was the First Nightmare and the First Dreamer. I became a legend and ruled in peace. But no matter what I did, I was away from it all; I was always more of an icon, a figure. I was someone people couldn't contend against, so they didn't bother with me. Now more than ever I found myself lonely, more than ever I found my blessing was in actuality, a curse!
"All I ever wanted.....all I never needed.....was a connection, a true connection! That's all I ask, that's all I Dream of! Why can't I be happy?! Why do I have to be alone!"
The room was silent, the world was silent. No one responded; the silence was deafening.
Yet... Cain broke that silence, a silence no one was meant to answer.
"So that's what all this is, a place where you can be accepted, where you can be close and feel a connection to someone?"
"Yes!"
Cain's face was stiff, "I'm afraid you went about it wrong, maybe because of outside influence or maybe not. But ruling always separates you from the rest; you will never be like them because you are the one in charge of them.
"People are packs; they group when there are similarities. As the strongest, you were the most different, the most unreachable. This was your mistake." He explained.
Tears were filling the Lord's eyes, or whatever was equal to tears for a being such as him. He long knew, ever since his vision, he knew what he did was a failure. But he had already taken the path he took; it was too late to turn back and abandon what he created.
He learned something ruling; he learned of responsibility, and he couldn't stop and throw it all away. By now, he was already seeing the blue screen of the system. Over and over, it was showing errors; the Dream Lord didn't want to be a Ruler; he didn't want to stray further from his dream. But the consequences were too strong; his body slowly began to break down as the core expunged itself from him.
Cracks lined his person; he looked like a crumbling toy, one broken down by the elements.
He tried to speak, but his voice was just as broken as his body, as warped as his existence. "Y-You...are strong like m-me. I-I wish...I-I w-want.....f-friend....."
Cain replied, "You want me to be your friend?"
"Y-Ye-es"
It was strange; Cain felt....pity, but he also felt....jealousy and sadness.
'To be so pure and innocent through it all. To be so determined and everlasting. I tip my hat.'
Nonetheless, he replied; only he spoke with his true feelings, his true self. A self that understood, a self that wished to break the rules placed on him. That... that was the similarity between the two.
"Sure, I don't see why not. I would never reject something like that, as long as it's not going against my interests."
Cain took a deep breath, "So.....I'm Cain, nice to meet a friend. What's your name."
The fading figure smiled; it was such a joyful and childish smile Cain almost thought it was Luna's. It was a smile of innocence, a smile of pure happiness.
"I'm Durrin! Nice to meet you, Cain!"
As Durrin's words found their way to Cain's ears, he was gone. He died, killed by the backlash of trying to harness the power of the system while being a being that rejected it.
Cain stood there. He stood in silence, in grief, in misery.
'Why....why do I feel like this? I haven't felt this in a long time....'
Tears rolled down his cheeks; they were filled with a beautiful scarlet. A person just like him died, a brother in the same mission, the same want. But Durrin wasn't like Cain, he was long trapped without an escape. It was better for him to die, so his friend could live on.
All that was left of the battle, all that was left of Durrin, was a small pile of golden sand; it still contained its luster.
There was that, and.....
The Core.