We all dream and live out great adventures, but not everyone gives their dreams the importance I do. To me, dreams are more than just nightly stories; they are gateways to past lives and parallel dimensions where extraordinary adventures unfold, far beyond everyday imagination.
During the day, I'm a fugitive who broke the law, though no one suspects it. I blend in with the citizens, work a conventional job, and live day by day like anyone else. But in my dreams, I am so much more.
Although my real life might seem interesting, this book has nothing to do with that. Perhaps my reality will have relevance at some point, but for now, I want to dive into my dreams, where I have powers, face extraordinary challenges, and become someone else. There, the impossible becomes real.
-Dark Roots-
Somewhere in the world, there is a town that, at first sight, seems entirely normal. Its quiet streets, its silent houses with little noise—everything exudes pure tranquility. However, beneath this façade lie secrets that everyone hides from the youngest among them.
One day, Adam, a curious and energetic young man, entered a small shop with his younger brother, Elias. The goal was simple: to buy ice cream for Elias. While they were looking at the options, Elias, with a mischievous grin, asked:
"Do you think I could get extra flavors in my ice cream?"
Adam shrugged and passed the question on to the cashier, a woman who looked somewhat distracted. She glanced at him with curiosity and then asked them to wait a moment. From a staircase leading to the second floor, two figures descended: a thin, stern-looking man with glasses that seemed to amplify his authoritative expression, and a small boy who followed him, laughing with enthusiasm.
The man, adjusting his glasses, muttered something about the need to raise product prices. The boy's laughter contrasted with his serious demeanor. The cashier pointed to them and said:
"That's the customer who wants extras in his ice cream."
The man let out a short, dry laugh before turning to the boy who accompanied him:
"Those are the kind of things you shouldn't do! We'd lose money if we agreed to such requests!"
The boy, with a frustrated expression, replied:
"But Grandpa, it's easy to do, and maybe you'd get more customers that way…"
"No!" the man retorted sharply. "That's not how business works. Let's go; it's almost nighttime."
The boy sighed, casting one last apologetic look toward Adam and Elias before following the man out the door. Adam placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder and said with a warm smile:
"How about we just head home? I'll make you something even better than ice cream."
Elias nodded, though his face betrayed a hint of disappointment.
As they walked back through the neighborhood streets, loudspeakers installed on the corners broadcasted an urgent message:
"Attention! Everyone must return to their homes immediately. Nightfall is approaching."
Elias frowned and asked,
"Adam, why do we always have to be home before dark?"
Adam didn't answer right away. Memories from the past flooded his mind, but he finally responded:
"It's for safety, Elias. It's better not to question it right now. Let's go."
When they arrived home, they found Neil, their older brother, hurriedly closing windows and securing doors. Neil's girlfriend was also helping, setting up makeshift barricades. Adam left Elias in the kitchen while preparing a dessert for him. The atmosphere in the house was tense, but the children tried to maintain a sense of normalcy.
That night, as everyone slept, Adam was awakened by a piercing scream from outside. He jumped to his feet, and Neil intercepted him in the hallway:
"The Bakers didn't lock their doors in time."
From the window, they saw dark, twisted roots emerging from the ground, invading the neighbors' house. Neil murmured,
"It's back. Stronger than last time."
Elias, who had also woken up, asked in a trembling voice,
"What are you talking about?"
Adam sighed before replying,
"Those roots… they're part of a darkness your brother and I faced long ago. No one believed us at first, but we managed to contain it. Now it seems it's returned, and it's much more powerful."
Before they could discuss further, a grotesque creature formed by the roots burst into the living room. Neil reacted quickly, grabbing an improvised weapon and attacking it, while Neil's girlfriend threw a homemade bomb she had prepared. Adam took Elias by the hand and said,
"We need to get out of here."
After gathering backpacks with provisions they had prepared beforehand, the four left the house. The journey wouldn't be easy, but they all knew this was just the beginning of a new confrontation with the darkness.
Days later, traveling on a train that crossed desolate landscapes, Adam and Neil began recounting to Elias how it had all started. The story of the dark roots and the events that led them to confront them for the first time was just the beginning of something much greater.
After these events, I woke up, but not without remembering some important details. In the dream, I was Adam, and his thoughts were mine. There are fragments that now echo in my memory, and I want to write them down, hoping to dream of that life again.
I remember that when we were kids, Neil and I used to play in the forest near our house. One day, we saw something strange: a root that seemed to move. Curiosity drove us to get closer, but before we could understand what was happening, the thing attacked us. In the chaos, we used rocks to cut it and ran away in terror.
That night, safe in our room, we saw something even more frightening: a dark shadow moving toward us. It was as if it fed on our fear, growing stronger with each moment of terror we felt. That's when Neil reminded me of something Dad used to tell us: "If you're afraid of bullies, they feel more powerful over you." His words gave us courage, and we faced the shadow with determination. To our surprise, it began to shrink until it disappeared.
The next day, we told our parents everything. However, they didn't believe us. To them, our stories were just the product of childish imagination. But we knew what we had seen.
Then, as if time had leapt forward, chaos erupted in the town. Terrifying screams echoed through the streets, and roots began appearing everywhere, invading homes. I vividly remember how Dad gave his life to protect us during one of those attacks. Mom, who was pregnant at the time, died giving birth to Elias.
Suddenly, Neil and I found ourselves alone, with a newborn in our arms. Neil took on the role of leader and told me firmly:
"Adam, all of this must have started in that place where we used to play years ago. But first, we need to find milk for the baby. We can't lose him. Now we're his only family."
We carried Elias in an improvised sling and set out. The journey was full of dangers, but our determination to protect him gave us strength.
In another jump through time, I remember how we ventured into a giant tree trunk that seemed to be the epicenter of it all. There, we saw something that looked like a beating heart—dark and twisted. We decided to go during the day, believing it would be safer. However, as we approached, the roots began generating small monsters that attacked us. Armed with machetes, we fought them off and, with great effort, destroyed the heart.
That act marked a turning point. The darkness weakened, and for a time, the town became relatively peaceful. However, not everyone was safe. Over the years, we discovered a pattern: fear fed the darkness. The more people were afraid, the stronger it grew. Thus, the nights became a time for lockdown and silence—a routine to keep the darkness at bay.
Over time, the roots returned, stronger than before. Now, Neil and I face this new threat alongside Elias, who has grown up in a world full of danger and secrets. But I know there is more to uncover, and I feel that this dream isn't over yet. Perhaps, when I sleep again, I'll find more answers.