FANTASIA

Nightmares and Revelations

Genesis lay sprawled on the ground, staring up at the night sky, contemplating every choice that had led him to this moment.

His mother had humiliated him.

In front of everyone.

His pride was shattered. His body ached. And worst of all—Clark was still laughing.

"You—haha—you really thought—hahahaha—" Clark wheezed between gasps of air. He wiped a tear from his eye. "Man, that was the best thing I've seen all week!"

Genesis groaned, rolling onto his side. "Clark. Shut. Up."

Mrs. Domino, the root of his suffering, merely smiled down at him, calm and unbothered as ever. "Are you ready to accept that you still have much to learn, my son?"

Genesis muttered something unintelligible into the dirt.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Mrs. Domino asked, leaning closer.

Genesis sighed dramatically, pushing himself up onto his elbows. "Fine, fine. You win. For now."

Mrs. Domino arched a delicate brow. "For now?"

He cleared his throat. "I mean, forever. You are supreme, almighty, all-powerful. May I never cross you again."

Clark whistled. "Smart man."

Mrs. Domino chuckled. "Good. Now, since you've learned your lesson…" She turned on her heel, walking toward the house. "Come inside. It’s late, and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Genesis blinked. "We do?"

She didn’t answer. Instead, she disappeared into the house, leaving the group to exchange wary glances.

Clarissa was the first to follow, shaking her head. "I swear, your mother is scarier than half the professors at Fantasia."

"Scarier than the headmaster," Aguya corrected.

Genesis sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just go inside before she decides another life lesson is in order."

The group trailed into the house, and soon, the aroma of warm desserts and tea filled the air.

Later That Night

Genesis lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. The house was quiet, save for the faint sounds of Clark snoring in the next room.

But sleep wouldn’t come.

His mother's words echoed in his mind.

"Your power is shifting, Genesis. The blood in your veins is reacting to something."

"Soon, you will need to make a choice."

What choice? What was she talking about?

Then there was the school. Students going missing. Lady Rhea falling under some unknown influence. Mr. Shawn acting more on edge than usual.

Something was wrong with Fantasia.

And if it had anything to do with the strange call he'd felt in his soul earlier, then he wasn’t just a bystander in all of this.

With a frustrated sigh, Genesis closed his eyes.

And then—

Darkness.

A suffocating, endless abyss.

Genesis turned, but there was nothing. No light, no sound. Just emptiness.

Then, a voice.

A deep, chilling whisper that slithered into his mind.

"Awaken, child of ruin."

Genesis stiffened. "Who—?"

But before he could finish, something moved in the darkness.

A massive, shadowy figure loomed before him, its form shifting and writhing like it wasn’t bound by any physical laws. Its eyes—burning crimson—pierced through him.

"The time is near."

Genesis' breath hitched. "What time? What the hell are you talking about?"

The figure leaned closer, its presence suffocating.

"Your blood remembers."

Genesis took a step back, panic rising in his chest. "Remembers what?"

The voice rumbled with something that almost sounded like… amusement.

"Soon… you will know."

The darkness surged forward, swallowing him whole—

Genesis bolted upright in bed, gasping for air.

His body was drenched in sweat, his heart hammering in his chest.

The room was normal. The moonlight filtered through the window. The house was silent.

But his hands were shaking.

And deep in his chest… that pull was stronger than ever.

Something was coming.

And he had a feeling it wouldn’t wait for him to be ready.

The morning sunlight crept through the curtains, casting a golden glow over the room. Genesis groaned, shifting beneath the covers, every muscle in his body protesting as he rolled onto his side.

Last night had been a disaster. He had challenged his mother to a fight, and she had obliterated him with less effort than it took to swat a fly. His pride was in tatters, and to make matters worse, his so-called friends had enjoyed every second of his humiliation.

"Time to get up," Mrs. Domino’s voice rang through the house, firm and final.

Genesis grumbled, burying his face in the pillow. "Five more minutes…"

A second later, the blanket was gone.

He jolted upright, shivering. "What the—"

Mrs. Domino stood by his bedside, holding the blanket in one hand. She smiled. "I warned you."

Genesis groaned. "You’re evil."

"Breakfast is ready," she said, ignoring his complaint. "And you all need to decide your next move before returning to Fantasia."

At the mention of Fantasia, Genesis immediately sobered. The school was in trouble. Students had gone missing. Something wrong was happening, and he could feel it in his bones.

He sighed, dragging himself out of bed. "Fine, fine. I’m up."

---

Downstairs, the others were already gathered at the table, finishing their breakfast. Clarissa glanced up as Genesis walked in, smirking. "Look who finally survived the night."

Clark grinned. "You missed the best pancakes, man."

Genesis rubbed his temples. "Don’t talk to me until I’ve had coffee."

Aguya snorted. "I don't think coffee is enough to fix what’s wrong with you."

He ignored her, dropping into his chair. Mrs. Domino placed a plate in front of him—a balanced breakfast of eggs, toast, and fruit.

"So," she said, taking a seat at the head of the table. "What’s your plan?"

Silence.

Genesis swallowed a bite of toast before answering. "We have to go back. If something’s wrong at Fantasia, we need to figure out what’s causing it."

Clarissa nodded. "Agreed. But how? If even the professors are affected, we’ll be walking into a war zone."

Clark scratched his head. "Maybe we should call for backup? Like, real backup. Someone strong enough to deal with this mess."

Mrs. Domino took a sip of her tea. "That would be me."

Genesis nearly choked on his food. "Wait, what?"

She set down her cup. "Do you honestly believe I would let you return to a cursed battlefield alone?"

His brain short-circuited. "Since when do you care about Fantasia?"

Mrs. Domino arched a brow. "Since my son’s life is at risk. Don’t misunderstand—I have no interest in babysitting, but if an unknown force is attacking the academy, I need to see it myself."

Aguya folded her arms. "Not that I don’t appreciate the help, but how do we get inside? If the school’s security is compromised, sneaking in won’t be easy."

Mrs. Domino’s golden eyes gleamed. "Leave that to me."

The table fell silent.

Genesis hesitated. He knew his mother was powerful—last night had been proof enough—but something about the way she said that made the hair on his arms stand on end.

Before he could respond, a knock came at the front door.

The group tensed.

Clarissa’s eyes flickered with magic as she reached for the dagger at her belt. Clark subtly shifted his stance, prepared to summon his abilities at a moment’s notice.

Mrs. Domino, however, remained perfectly calm.

She stood gracefully and walked toward the entrance. With a single flick of her wrist, the door swung open—

And Mr. Shawn stepped inside.

His expression was grim. "We need to talk."

Genesis exhaled. "Of course we do."