'Was I a spectator?

  Someone who has taken the first row of a show.

  It was a nice show…

  Like a dream come true.

  Sometimes I was lucid.

  Sometimes I only drifted, half-awake.

  My eyes seemed to burn as tears fell as I witnessed moments that had been buried deep in me.

  At some point I knew it was a vivid dream, a happy one.

  However, when I heard her voice…

  The moment when I saw those streets bustle with people…

  The moment when I saw the friends I made…

  The moment when I watched her hold me closer…

  The lucidity was completely gone.

  In the end I was led closer to the place of the nightmare by her. '

  Asher’s voice echoed through the fog.

  The sound of the fallen tree came like lightning falling from the sky.

  Asher shuddered as the lands were filled with tremors.

  His eyes flickered open and his voice died down.

  He looked around in a daze. The fog was deepening around him like clouds and gripping him tightly.

  ‘What… What’s happening?’

  His mind seemed to have been pulled deep inside of an abyss.

  But now the nightmarish tree had fallen.

  With it came clarity.

  Asher saw the figure of William going blurry with the fog.

  His will soared through the abyss, fiddling his mind.

  The lucidity reached deeper till the dream became real.

  A hungry shadow came through the fog.

  Asher took a step back.

  ‘Run, I need to run.’

  Is this place a dream or reality? Maybe both; Asher didn’t know.

  All he knew was that he needed to run.

  However, before he could run, the land trembled. Another tremor filled the surroundings as if something massive had fallen.

  ‘Who is it?’

  “Wait!”

  Asher yelled as William reappeared through the dense fog.

  But then—

  With the swing of a massive sword, his visage was destroyed by the shadow.

  The massive shadow then soared higher, becoming larger and stronger, its presence deepening and striking something deep in Asher’s heart.

  However, the shadow remained still; its eyes, if that was even possible, cast it gaze upon Asher's figure.

  It was a hollow gaze, matched by the light of Asher's silver pupils as he feared he would die the moment he closed his eyes. Unlike what he expected, the shadow turned its gaze away and turned its head to another place.

  Asher blinked, confusion along with fear present in his face. He followed the shadowy eyes and saw something, someone, in the fog.

  It was another shadow.

  No, it was something else, as it flickered uncontrollably.

  Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

  Asher felt a chill run down his spine. His face went deathly pale and his lips quivered as he met two yellow, burning ember eyes.

  “Acosador…”

  Asher muttered.

  Then, as if a puzzle had found its lost piece, everything started to fit together.

  Acosador was a creature of dreams, wasn’t it? So, was it possible that all of this was a dream? Woven by this creature of dreams.

  No, maybe not…

  All of this felt too real—too vivid to be true. Asher knew this could be an illusion, yet his will should have fought back, tearing it apart, or at least cracking its surface. But he couldn’t resist; something about it held him still. That in itself was strange—unless his silent companion had intervened.

  In a way it seemed like a blending of reality and dream. If it were true, then two beings had somehow stitched the waking world and the dreamworld into one.

  Even after coming to such an intrusive conclusion and dreadful realization, Asher could only grit his teeth.

  After all, what was he supposed to do? A giant shadow was looming in front of him; it could very well be the collaborator of this world of illusion with whom the Acosador had worked.

  However, the shadow again moved like a hungry beast, devouring more of the fog. Asher gazed between the creature of dream and creature of shadow before a dark grin appeared on his tired face.

  Though Asher had realized how far the Acosador had worked to pull him into this trap, he too could do something.

  The creature of dream looked different here, not in appearance but in presence. He could sense it just like his own pulse.

  If creatures of dream lived in dreams, then what about now? Was this place not a dream and reality woven with a fragile thread?

  This was an opportunity that couldn’t be missed or left behind even in case Asher were to die.

  Asher took a deep breath and steadied his trembling body with weak steps. He looked at the hungry shadow and then at the beautiful woman standing still. He placed one hand over his heart and sighed before tearing his gaze away from her.

  She wasn’t real… not even close to how she appeared in his dreams—where every glance, every smile carried the warmth of something alive. This one was hollow, a pale imitation, a cheap excuse for what she once was. Asher felt disappointment sink deep into his chest. Though he knew this was neither the time nor the place to feel such things. Yet, he couldn’t help it.

  From the looks of it that shadow was trying to fight the other creator of this illusion; since he had avoided me till now, I should be safe for now… Asher pursed his lips tightly and summoned his crystal blade as it appeared from nothing.

  The blade was real; he could feel it. His abilities were working just fine as well, so it was real.

  Asher repeated it in his mind like a prayer to not lose his lucidity and reached for the creature of dream still grinning.

  Before long the shadow consumed the beautiful woman with white hair and the gown.

  The village was being destroyed once again but Asher didn’t have the courage to look back; his hands holding the crystal blade trembled, though he kept his gaze fixed on the tall figure.

  “...Are you not going to laugh?”

  Asher asked with a disdainful tone.

  When he got closer to the creature, it took a step back.

  “Huh, are you scared?”

  Asher's grin widened.

  “Are you mad that your plan failed? Is that also the reason you didn’t laugh when I came here?”

  That explains why the carapace beast was running away…

  Asher closed the distance instantly, leaving behind his trail of thoughts.

  Acosador twisted, dodging the swing of his sword.

  Asher's eyes glowed as the time to his eyes slowed down to a crawl.

  Swiss!

  Dark tendrils at the same time shot up from his surroundings; the acosador led the fray, trying to run. However, his mocking laughter pressed closer than ever in Asher's ears.

  Bending his knees and twisting his torso, Asher again swung his sword with deadly precision, cutting the thorn of darkness.

  “Bastard, don’t run!”

  Tremors filled the land as the shadow struck. The fog seemed twist and turn in pain as the shadow fought something Asher couldn’t see; however, he could feel cold sweat run down his neck as he dwelled deeper in the fog. Something terrifying was there, hiding behind where the tree once existed.

  “Hahaha”

  All the creature of dream could do was laugh and mock, though it never expected its plan to fail because of a hungry shadow that appeared out of nowhere. Its prey and the prey's dreams had been snatched before the feast could be presented to both creatures.

  Suddenly the creature of dream, Acosador, slowed down, unnaturally even; from behind, Asher came closer, his cloak again hiding his figure, unlike the previous simple tunic he had been wearing.

  The illusions were shattering one after the other.

  The shadow fought vigorously and so did the creature of dream.

  Thorns appeared one after the other, woven from dreams. The fog stirred deeply, but Asher cut them down.

  To the creature of dreams, Asher might have even looked like a demon, though it could not understand how hideous it itself looked.

  “...Still grinning?”

  Asher again asked with a poisonous tone and disgusted look before closing in and leaping in the air.

  The Acosador shivered, its yellow, burning ember-like eyes widened ever so slightly as Asher came closer and struck the sword in its chest.

  This time ichor didn’t fly in the air; instead, nothing happened.

  Acosador was pushed back and almost about to laugh, as it was a creature of dream, and this was the reality of it never being struck by a weapon.

  However, to the creature's surprise, the world of illusions and dreams had forged a new path.

  The blade shimmered with darkness and the creature of dreams was pushed back even more. Asher kicked the beast's knees as hard as he could as he heard a snapping sound echo in his ears.

  For the first time a painful shriek escaped the creature's mouth.

  “What? Did you just instinctively run without being aware of this?”

  Asher mocked.

  “Well, this is pain. You have seen me cry and grunt, remember? This is your turn now.”

  Asher shoved the blade deeper as the creature's frail body started to break into pieces.

  Cries of pain filled the air like a melody only Asher could enjoy.

  The blade enchantment to become deadly when striking called it a curse. So, curses are supposed to give pain, correct?

  At the same time, the sound of mirrors breaking resounded through the fog as it started to dissipate.

  The hungry shadow seemed to have won its fight… Asher let out a sigh, knowing it might come for him next.

  Asher suddenly smiled as the creature of dream had finally died in his hands.

  “Good night…”

  And then—

  The fog vanished as the sun above disappeared; darkness filled with stars once again wrapped the sky.