Chereads / The Convergence: Phantasm, Sovereign of Dreams / Chapter 5 - The Grandiose Escape (Part 2)

Chapter 5 - The Grandiose Escape (Part 2)

Innocence felt like they were falling through a kaleidoscope.

Colors swirled around them, bright and dizzying.

It was like being inside a giant lava lamp, if lava lamps were made of rainbows and stardust.

*Well, folks,* Innocence thought to their imaginary audience, *I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.*

The journey seemed to last forever and no time at all.

Just when Innocence thought they couldn't take any more of this technicolor roller coaster, everything stopped.

They found themselves standing in a place that... wasn't a place. It was like being nowhere and everywhere at once.

The ground beneath their feet was solid but looked like swirling mist.

The sky (if you could call it that) was a shifting canvas of soft pastels.

"Okay," Innocence said out loud, their voice echoing strangely. "This is new."

As they looked around, trying to make sense of this non-place, Innocence noticed something odd.

Their body seemed... different. More fluid, somehow.

When they moved, they left trails of light in the air, like a long-exposure photograph.

*Cool,* Innocence thought, waving their arms around to create patterns. *I'm a human sparkler!*

But the novelty wore off quickly as Innocence realized they had no idea where they were or how to get to the dream world proper.

They were stuck in some kind of in-between place, a waiting room between realities.

"Hello?" Innocence called out. "Any dream tour guides around? I could use some directions!"

No answer. Of course.

Innocence sighed, running a hand through their hair. "Alright, think.

How did you get into the dream world last time?"

They closed their eyes, trying to remember.

Last time, the Jester had been there to guide them.

But now? They were on their own.

*Come on, Innocence,* they thought. *You've got this. You're the great Phantasm, master of dreams! ...Or you will be, anyway.

Fake it 'til you make it, right?*

Taking a deep breath, Innocence focused on the Morpheus Stone.

It pulsed gently in their hand, warm and alive.

They could feel its power, like a low hum just on the edge of hearing.

"Okay, magic rock," Innocence muttered. "Time to earn your keep. How about a hint?"

As if in response, the stone's pulsing changed.

It became a rhythm, almost like... a heartbeat?

Innocence's eyes widened as understanding dawned. "Oh, you clever little pebble. I get it!"

Holding the stone close to their chest, Innocence closed their eyes and focused on matching their breathing to the stone's rhythm.

Breathe in, pulse.

Breathe out, pulse.

Slowly, Innocence felt a change come over them.

It was like their body was dissolving, becoming one with the misty ground and pastel sky. But instead of being scary, it felt... right. Natural.

*I am the dream,* Innocence thought. *And the dream is me.*

Just as Innocence thought they might fade away completely, everything snapped back into focus.

They opened their eyes and gasped.

The dream world spread out before them in all its impossible glory.

The sky was a riot of colors, with clouds that looked like cotton candy and stars that danced and swirled.

The landscape was a patchwork of every terrain imaginable, from lush jungles to glittering ice fields, all squashed together like a kid's collage.

And in the distance, rising up like something out of a fairy tale, was a city.

Its spires and towers defied gravity, twisting and turning in ways that would make an architect cry.

Lights pulsed and flowed through the streets like rivers of neon.

Innocence let out a low whistle. "Now that's what I call a skyline."

As they stood there, drinking in the view, Innocence noticed something odd.

People - well, dream people - were appearing all around them.

They popped into existence like soap bubbles, each going through a similar process to what Innocence had just experienced.

*Huh,* Innocence thought. *Looks like I accidentally crashed orientation day.*

Curious, Innocence sidled up to one of the newcomers, a guy who looked like he was made entirely of blue fire. "Hey there, flamey. First time in dream land?"

The fire guy jumped, sparks flying. "Oh! Uh, yeah. How did you know?"

Innocence grinned. "Lucky guess.

Say, you wouldn't happen to know the normal way to get here, would you?

Asking for a friend."

Fire Guy looked confused. "You mean you don't know? But you're already here..."

"Humor me," Innocence said with a wink.

"Well," Fire Guy said, still looking puzzled, "normally it's a whole process.

First, you gotta find a Dreamgate.

They're like... special places in the real world where the barrier between realities is thin.

Old theaters, ancient ruins, that sort of thing."

Innocence nodded, thinking of the mirror in Madame Zora's shop. *Bingo.*

Fire Guy continued, warming to his topic (pun totally intended, Innocence thought). "Once you find a Dreamgate, you gotta activate it.

That's the tricky part.

You need to enter a lucid dreaming state while physically touching the gate."

"Sounds complicated," Innocence said, trying to sound casual while furiously taking mental notes.

"Oh, it is!" Fire Guy said. "Most people use meditation techniques, but some use special herbs or tones to induce the right brain state.

It usually takes years of practice to get it right."

Innocence whistled. "Years, huh? Good thing I'm a quick study."

Fire Guy nodded enthusiastically, not catching Innocence's sarcasm. "Once you're in the lucid dreaming state and touching the Dreamgate, you gotta visualize yourself entering the dream world.

Like, really vividly imagine it.

Some people say you should imagine yourself as a seed, growing roots into the dream world."

"Very zen," Innocence commented.

"I know, right?

Anyway, if you do it right, you start to feel this tugging sensation.

That's your dream self separating from your physical self.

You gotta let it happen, which can be scary the first few times.

Your physical body stays in the real world, in a deep trance state, while your dream self enters here."

Innocence's eyes widened. "Wait, so my real body is still in that creepy occult shop?"

Fire Guy gave them an odd look. "Uh, I guess?

Everyone's physical body stays where they started the process.

That's why it's important to find a safe, quiet place before you begin.

You don't want to leave your body somewhere dangerous."

*Well, crud,* Innocence thought. *Here's hoping Madame Zora doesn't come back anytime soon.

Or the cops, for that matter.*

Out loud, they said, "Fascinating stuff, my flame-broiled friend. Any idea how long this dream vacation usually lasts?"

Fire Guy shrugged, his shoulders flickering. "Depends.

Time works differently here.

You could spend what feels like days or weeks in the dream world, and only a few hours might pass in the real world.

But it's not exact.

Some people have reported spending just a few minutes here and waking up to find days have passed."

*Double crud,* Innocence thought. *This could be trickier than I thought.*

"One last question," Innocence said. "How does one, hypothetically speaking of course, get back to the real world?"

"Oh, that's the easy part," Fire Guy said cheerfully. "You just have to genuinely want to wake up.

Your dream self dissipates, and your consciousness returns to your physical body.

Simple!"

*Yeah, simple,* Innocence thought sarcastically. *Except I don't exactly want to wake up to a bunch of cops or an angry psychic.

Looks like I'm stuck here for a while.*

"Well, thanks for the info dump, my incendiary friend," Innocence said, patting Fire Guy on the shoulder and immediately regretting it as their hand passed through his flames.

It didn't burn, exactly, but it tingled in a weird way. "I'm gonna go explore this wacky wonderland.

Catch you on the flip side!"

As Innocence walked away, heading towards the impossible city in the distance, their mind was racing. They had a lot to process.

*So,* Innocence thought, addressing their imaginary audience again. *Looks like we've stumbled into a whole new world, with a whole new set of rules. But hey, who doesn't love a challenge, right?*

They pulled out the Morpheus Stone, its glow pulsing in time with the rhythm of the dream world around them. *At least I've got you, my little rocky friend. Something tells me you're going to come in handy.*

As they walked, Innocence's appearance began to shift and change.

Their casual clothes melted away, replaced by a sleek, form-fitting suit that seemed to be made of liquid starlight.

A mask materialized over their eyes, intricate and mysterious.

Innocence grinned, admiring their new look. *Now this is more like it.

Watch out, dream world.

Phantasm is back in business!*

With a spring in their step and mischief in their heart, Phantasm set off towards the glittering dream city.

New adventures awaited, and they couldn't wait to see what kind of trouble they could get into.

*Stick around, folks,* Phantasm thought to their imaginary audience. *Something tells me this is going to be one heck of a ride!*

Phantasm's feet touched down on the cobblestone streets at the city's edge.

Night had fallen in this corner of the dream world, casting long shadows that danced and twisted with a life of their own.

Looking up, Phantasm's breath caught in their throat.

The moon hung low and impossibly large in the sky, its surface etched with a face like something out of a medieval woodcut.

Its eyes seemed to follow Phantasm, its mouth curved in a knowing smirk.

A slow, mischievous grin spread across Phantasm's face, a silent challenge to this watchful celestial guardian.

To Phantasm's delight and slight unease, the moon's expression shifted, matching their grin with an equally malicious smile.

It was as if the very essence of the dream world was acknowledging Phantasm's presence, welcoming them to the game once again. 

*Oh yes,* Phantasm thought, their grin widening. *This is going to be fun.*