Xen was running for his life.
There was a giant chasing him and it kept calling him.
He was back in his nightmare in a narrow, lonely alley. He found himself trapped in his own thoughts. Darkness surrounded him, making it hard to breathe. He felt like something bad was about to happen.
Then, he saw a flickering streetlight ahead, making creepy shapes on the ground. There was something on the floor—a sharp knife. It looked dangerous, shining in the dim light.He felt drawn to touch it, even though he was scared. When his hand met the cold metal, he felt a shock through his body.
The metal morphed and shifted, just like his own hand. His hand no longer looked human nor did the metal look like a knife, it was a Staff all along.
He knew that he was sweating. He knew that he wasn't awake. Yet he failed to wake up, instead he traveled to another dimension.
There lay the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, lying on clouds, unaware that he was staring.
He went closer. He wanted to feel the softness of those curls that fell loose on her face. He wanted to help her tuck it behind her ear.
As he closed in, he saw a thread made of light coming out of his body. He saw the thread reaching the ethereal woman, but it did not end there.
Two more branches were bifurcated after leaving her body.
He tried to come closer to see where they led but something was stopping him. An invisible shield, like a wall, stopped him from going any further.
And then he heard a voice.
" You need to do this for our tribe. They look down upon us. We need to show them who we really are. You have one of our finest bloodlines. We are certain that you will not disappoint us. "
***
Kian felt like a rope was tied around his waist and someone or something was pulling him towards a place that was unseen and unheard.
He was skeptical. But he walked nevertheless. His feet stopped when his eyes fell on someone floating in front. It was as if she was sleeping.
Kian could not see her face but knew that she was beautiful. He knew that she was very dear to him and that he would do anything for her sake.
Her clothes brushed against his body as it blew in the light breeze. He would have believed that he was in heaven if he had not been an atheist.
" Young master, what are you doing? She doesn't belong to your status. " It was Mrs.Smith with her golden tooth, smiling at him.
He tried to shoo her away by waving his hand.
Her hair started growing and it began to turn all white.
" My son... You are my most treasured possession. My heart rips when I think about parting with you, my darling. " Kian knew that the voice was familiar but he also knew that it didn't belong to Mrs.Smith.
" When I send you away from me, I believe that you are the only one who can give me what I want.
The Southern Star has risen. With your father gone, it's just the two of us who have to take this tribe to the top.
It's like the prophecy says, either we rule them or they rule us. Do not get lost, my dear boy. Your mother waits for your return, impatiently. "
The woman snapped out of his vision but he could still see the woman that he loved, in front of him.
There was another tug at the rope around his waist. He tried to look for the source but all that he found were two similar ropes, tied to his and all of them were tangled around Mira's waist.
Kian tried to hurry towards her. She was sleeping. It would be too uncomfortable with a rope tied at the waist.
But as soon as his fingers touched the delicate skin around her hips, jolts of electricity traveled from his finger tip to his hair.
The ropes lit up and he saw two other shadows appear in the horizon.
***
Braze could hear a distant cry of a woman.
" Not my son! How can you take him from me without my consent! "
He knew it was his mother but it wasn't the mother that he was used to knowing.
As he followed the sound he saw Mira.
His Mira came floating towards him.
He extended his arms to wrap her in an embrace but instead, as he extended his arms, he pushed her away.
" Nooooo! " He yelled but no sound was emitted.
Mira floated away from him but luckily there were two luminous lines where she got stuck and couldn't float away.
Braze increased his pace to try and catch up to her. But he was blocked by a bluish flame.
He backed off and from the blue smoke emerged a strange creature.
" Your father ordered me to send you down to the human world, my prince. Remember your duties. There will be distractions demanding your attention but always remember that your sole purpose is to claim the power of the ancient for us. Only then will our kingdom be able to subdue all rebellion and maintain peace and harmony on Chemorian soil. "
The smoke dismantled and disappeared. Braze tried to go back to his Mira but an uncanny darkness enveloped everything.
Braze could not see anything. He panicked for himself, for Mira. He tried to feel his way forward when he saw those luminous lines shine again.
The lights emitting from there, led him in the direction that he wanted.
They lit up Mira's face and she looked even more unreal.
Just a look at her was enough to melt his insides. He could not fathom what would be if he got too close to her.
Braze heard his own heartbeat.
But then he heard it again.
There were more than one heartbeat beating in that darkness and they all seemed to be in perfect sync.