---
The silence that followed was unlike anything Kaelen had ever experienced. The crash of the crystal's destruction had torn through his senses, but now there was nothing. No labyrinth. No garden of thorns. No haunting echoes of voices.
Only an oppressive stillness.
Kaelen's eyes fluttered open, blinking against the sudden rush of light. His body felt heavy, like it had been drained of all its energy. He was disoriented, unsure of where he was or how long he had been unconscious.
Where… where am I?
He pushed himself up, his hands trembling slightly as he glanced around. The world he found himself in was nothing like the labyrinth. Instead of the twisted stone walls and fog, he was lying in a soft bed, surrounded by the familiar sight of a warm, well-lit room. The air was fresh and clean, with the faint scent of flowers wafting through an open window.
Kaelen stared at his surroundings for a long moment, a sense of confusion gnawing at the edges of his thoughts.
A soft sound caught his attention, and he turned toward the door. It creaked open, and Ariella stepped inside. She looked… normal. No battle-worn armor or hardened expression. Just her, smiling gently as she entered.
"Kaelen, you're awake," she said, her voice soft and soothing, like a dream.
His mind raced, trying to piece together what was happening. This felt… wrong. This didn't feel like the nightmare he had just escaped.
"Ariella?" Kaelen's voice cracked, hoarse from disuse. "What's going on? How did we get here?"
Ariella's smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered, walking to his side. "We're home. You've been out for a few days, resting. You're safe now."
Kaelen's mind spun. Home? There was no home. The labyrinth, the monsters, the endless traps—it had all felt so real. But now, it was as if none of it had ever happened. He couldn't trust his own memory.
"What… what do you mean, 'home'?" Kaelen asked, his voice rising with uncertainty. "We were just—"
"You were just tired," Ariella interrupted, her tone gentle but firm. "You've been through a lot lately, Kaelen. Don't worry. Everything's fine now."
Kaelen's brow furrowed as he sat up, his mind struggling to make sense of the situation. His hand instinctively went to his side, reaching for the dagger he always carried—but there was nothing there. The weight of it, the feeling of the weapon at his side, was gone.
"Kaelen…" Ariella whispered, kneeling beside him. "You're safe. You've been through enough. Please, just rest."
The warmth of her presence, the tenderness in her voice, made his heart ache. It was like a balm to the wounds that had never healed, the scars from battles long past. But it didn't make sense. None of this made sense.
Kaelen shook his head, his thoughts a tangled mess. "I don't understand. What happened to the labyrinth? What happened to the crystal?"
Ariella's expression softened, and she placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Kaelen. You're not alone anymore. You're home. And that's all that matters."
He could feel her words, but they only deepened the confusion in his mind. This felt too… perfect. Too easy. He wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe that it was all over, that the nightmare was finally behind them. But the feeling of emptiness gnawed at him. The absence of something—something important—was too strong to ignore.
"Where's Seraphine?" Kaelen asked, suddenly remembering the last person who had been with them. "Is she okay?"
Ariella's face tightened for a brief moment, but she quickly masked it with another gentle smile. "Seraphine is fine, Kaelen. You just need to rest. All of us need to rest. We've been through too much."
Kaelen stared at her, feeling the weight of her words pressing on his chest. But there was something wrong. Something in his gut told him that he wasn't really safe. That something was off.
"I don't… I don't think this is real," Kaelen muttered, almost to himself. "This isn't right. I can feel it."
Ariella's expression faltered for just a second, before she gently took his hand. "It's okay. You're just confused. You've been through a lot. Everything is fine now."
Kaelen's mind was a whirlwind. *This isn't real. None of this is real.*
But the more he thought about it, the more the world around him seemed to warp, like the edges of a dream that didn't quite make sense. The peaceful, idyllic surroundings, the comforting voice of Ariella—it all felt like a lie. Something was wrong.
Kaelen stood up abruptly, ignoring the dizzying sensation in his head. He pushed past Ariella and walked to the window, looking out at the landscape. The view was serene—rolling hills, green fields, a gentle breeze. It all seemed so peaceful, so perfect.
But deep down, Kaelen knew.
This wasn't real. This wasn't home.
---
**Wrath Points: 200 / 20.**
---
He could feel it again, that surge of power, that unmistakable presence of the system, like a distant hum just beyond his reach. The Wrath Points were there, steady and full, but they didn't feel earned. They didn't feel real.
Kaelen's breath quickened, his mind scrambling for answers. Had it all been a dream? The labyrinth, the crystal, the battles—all of it? Was it just some twisted illusion?
"No…" Kaelen whispered to himself. "No, it can't be. It can't."
Ariella stepped up behind him, placing a hand on his back. "Kaelen, you're still not well. Please—"
"*This isn't real!*" Kaelen shouted, spinning around to face her. The words felt like a declaration to himself more than anything else.
Ariella's smile faded, her eyes becoming distant, almost cold. "You're still not ready to accept it, are you?"
And that's when it hit him.
He wasn't in control.
He wasn't awake.
It was a dream.
A cruel, twisted dream.
---