Path Of Dreams

PROLOGUE: Red Dream

The ominous glow from the blood red moon bathed the land in crimson. Hundreds of bodies, all broken and shriveled up, having been robbed of all life and essence.

*Huff* *Huff* *Huff*

A young boy breathed raggedly as he fell to his knees, among the sea of shriveled bodies. He clutched his chest with his left hand as he took in the sight of the corpses that seemed familiar and yet unfamiliar.

As he took in the sight of the carnage, something grabbed his ankle from behind. It was a cold touch that sent a dreadful chill sweeping down his spine. His head snapped around in an instant only to see that he was being touched by one of the corpses.

The corpse's hold on his ankle tightened as it struggled to pull itself out from the pile of bodies it was buried under. The boy felt a sharp sting in his chest as he saw the face of the corpse, although her eyes were sunken and her skin shriveled up, it seemed like he actually knew her but at the same time did not, just like it was with the other bodies.

“You. It's y..your fault. You are at fault.”

Her voice was raspy and her speech strained but just hearing himself being accused, the boy felt tears well up in his eyes. His chest tightened, and his heart ached.

An unbearable certainty settled over him. Somehow….someway……He knew he had caused this.

*Thump* *Thump* *Thump* *Thump*

However, just as it seemed like he would give in to the feeling of guilt that seemed to overwhelm him, he heard footsteps coming from behind. Turning his head slowly, he saw a figure clothed in a red cloak, their face hidden behind a hood and their features obscured.

The figure reached out to him with slender but pale hands, as if to help him up and lift him from his knees. He reached out as well, as if to grab the figures hands, however……

“Ughk!!”

The figure wrapped their slender and deadly pale fingers around his throat whilst lifting him up and choking him in the process. He tried to fight back, his hands straining to free his throat from the increasing pressure that threatened to crush it.

As he scrambled to breathe, his hands pushed against the figure's hood, only to reveal an unnerving smile that covered him in cold sweat. A feeling of dread and fear washed over him, embracing him from all sides.

“He shall rise again, and his name shall be known across all realms and races.

“Among mortals he shall be known. Among Mystics he shall be known. Among pseudo-gods his name shall be a bane and among true gods he shall be He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named.”

****************

"Oi Oberon wake up. Seriously? Are you really sleeping today? Of all possible days?.”

"If Randal catches us, I'm blaming you.”

Oberon woke up to the sound of a familiar voice nagging repeatedly about something he couldn't fully understand. He felt fuzzy and slightly dizzy and to top it off his vision was blurry.

“Where am I? I can't see, I can't see anything.”

Oberon said almost in a state of alarm as he looked around, confused and ignorant of his current situation. However the owner of the voice didn't seem to be having any if it.

*Thwack*

“Snap out of it!”

Oberon's head jerked slightly to the side and he was left in a daze for a few seconds, however the sharp stinging pain from being hit brought him back to reality.

Looking around, the first thing he saw was the face of a boy he knew all too well. Sam.

“Come on, we need to go now. Everyone has left already, at this point we'll be the last to get there and we'll be scolded by the instructor. I don't want to make a fool of myself on a day like this and you shouldn't either.”

Sam urged before taking hurried steps towards the door. Oberon stood up right after and followed behind him while simultaneously rubbing his cheek that was now slightly red.

“The awakening ceremony huh? It's finally starting.”