Chereads / Dream Weaver: I Can Traverse Through Dreams / Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: The Desert of Echoes

Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: The Desert of Echoes

The mysterious figure vanished as suddenly as they had appeared, leaving behind only a faint shimmer in the air.

Lira and I exchanged a glance, but neither of us spoke.

The fragment in my hand pulsed, its glow stronger than before, pulling me toward a shimmering portal that had appeared in the distance.

"Guess we're not getting a break," I muttered, tightening my grip on the fragment.

Lira smirked faintly.

"Welcome to Elysia."

We stepped through the portal, the air shifting around us.

When we emerged on the other side, a searing heat washed over me.

The Desert of Echoes stretched endlessly before us, an ocean of golden sand under a blazing sun that seemed too close to the horizon.

Strange mirages flickered in the distance floating ruins, towering spires, and shimmering oases that disappeared as quickly as they appeared.

The air was filled with faint whispers, disjointed and haunting, as though the desert itself was alive and aware of our presence.

"This place feels… wrong," I said, shielding my eyes against the glare.

"It's the echoes," Lira replied, her voice low. "Fragments of dreams left behind by those who failed the trials. They linger, trying to latch onto anyone who passes through."

Before I could respond, a figure appeared on the horizon, moving toward us.

At first, I thought it was another mirage, but as they drew closer, I realized they were real a man dressed in tattered clothes, his face half-hidden by a scarf.

"You're new here," the man said, his voice raspy but steady. "Not many make it to the desert."

"Who are you?" Lira asked, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade.

The man chuckled, a dry, humorless sound.

"My name's Mylo. I've been wandering this desert for longer than I care to remember."

"Why?" I asked, frowning.

"Because this place doesn't let you leave," he replied simply. "Not unless you pass its trial."

The fragment in my hand pulsed again, and Mylo's gaze flicked to it.

"You're carrying a shard," he said, his tone shifting. "That's how you got here. And if you're looking for the next one, I might be able to help."

I glanced at Lira, who gave a small nod. "Fine," I said. "But if this is a trap-"

"It's not," Mylo interrupted, holding up his hands. "I've seen enough people get lost here. I don't need any more company."

The desert was a nightmare to navigate.

The dunes shifted constantly, making it impossible to find a stable path.

The whispers grew louder the deeper we ventured, forming half-heard words that made my skin crawl.

"Do you hear that?" I asked, glancing at Mylo.

He nodded.

"The echoes. They're fragments of memories, yours, mine, anyone who's been here. Don't listen too closely, or they'll drag you under."

As if on cue, the sand beneath us began to ripple.

A massive shape rose from the dunes, forming into a creature that towered over us.

Its body was made entirely of sand, shifting and twisting as though it couldn't decide what shape to take.

"Move!" Lira shouted, drawing her blade.

The creature roared, the sound a mixture of grinding sand and distorted voices.

It lunged, its amorphous arm sweeping toward us.

I dove to the side, raising the fragment instinctively.

A burst of light shot out, striking the creature and causing part of its body to collapse, but it quickly reformed.

"Hit its core!" Mylo shouted, pointing to a glowing mass near the creature's center.

Lira darted forward, her blade slicing through the creature's arm as she aimed for the core.

The creature howled, its form destabilizing.

I channeled the fragment's energy again, focusing on the core as Lira delivered a final strike.

The creature exploded into a cloud of sand, which quickly dissipated into the wind.

"That was… unsettling," I said, brushing sand off my clothes.

"Welcome to the Desert of Echoes," Mylo said dryly.

As we continued, I couldn't shake the feeling that Mylo was hiding something.

He knew the desert too well, its dangers, its layout, and he avoided certain questions about his past.

"Why are you still here?" I asked finally.

Mylo hesitated before answering.

"Because I failed," he said, his voice low. "The trial beat me, and I've been stuck here ever since. I thought I could help others pass, but…" He trailed off, his expression unreadable.

The fragment in my hand pulsed more urgently as we reached a crumbling structure partially buried in the sand.

At its center was a glowing shard, identical to the one I already carried.

"There it is," Mylo said, his voice filled with a strange mix of relief and dread.

I stepped forward, but Lira grabbed my arm.

"Wait," she said. "Something's wrong."

Before I could respond, Mylo moved between us, his gaze fixed on the shard.

"This is my chance," he said quietly.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, my chest tightening.

Mylo turned to face us, his expression twisted with desperation.

"I've been trapped here for so long. If I take the shard, maybe I can finally leave."

"That's not how this works," Lira said, her blade already drawn.

"I don't care!" Mylo shouted, lunging for the shard.

The moment his fingers touched it, the shard released a surge of energy, sending us all flying backward.

The ground trembled, and the air filled with a deafening hum.

"Mylo, stop!" I yelled, struggling to stand.

But Mylo was consumed by the shard's energy, his form distorting as the desert around us began to collapse.

The whispers turned into screams, and the golden sands shifted violently, threatening to swallow us whole.

"Kay!" Lira shouted, her voice barely audible over the chaos.

The shard in my hand glowed brighter than ever, reacting to the energy around it.

I clutched it tightly, trying to stabilize the storm, but the pull was overwhelming.

As the world around us disintegrated, I could only hope we would make it out alive.