The night was quiet, save for the occasional rustling of the wind against the wooden walls of his small room. Zehron lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind restless.
He had been thinking about it all day, he decides he will do the underground fighting as suggested, but he has never fought and has no experience, he then remembers Sylus, an experienced hunter and the commander of his group. Surely he must know about fighting. He tries to sleep but is unable to. He couldn't wait till the sun rises up and another problem? He doesn't know where he lives!
There had to be a way to reach him now.
He tries to sleep anyways, frowning as the thoughts keep coming up and eventually he finds himself in a dreamstate where he floats around and the surroundings are dark, he alone shines bright, confused, he tries moving to another direction and sees various strings. He grabs one of the strings and is suddenly pulled in, his heart thumping loud and confused, he hears a loud chattering and goes towards the direction of the noise.
He sees a gateway, some kind of portal he assumes, he goes in and sees a man who seems to be of a noble status chattering loudly with various women with barely any clothes on, the man is seen having fun with the women, seeing the state of the women he quickly averted his eyes and gets out of the portal.
He goes to the spot where various strings were gathered, he grabs another one and gets pulled gain, another portal shows up and he goes in and sees a woman buying luxurious clothes and foods for a child that seemed poor
But through their conversations he realised the child was hers.
He then goes back to the same spot sit down and calms his mind concentrating an image of sylus, his voice and the way he behaves, doing anything he could, suddenly a string floats around, the string is golden and is floating towards him.
Zehron, though his eyes closed, he is aware of the bright light. When he open his eyes the string is right infront of him, without wasting any moment he grabs the string and at the end of it, a portal shows up.
He hope it to be of Sylus, and it indeed was!
His plan in concentrating the person's image or voice and the desire to be in that particular dream worked. Although it was just a feeling, he tried it anyway as if he felt it was natural to do that!
Zehron found himself standing in front of a grand wooden table, completely covered in food. There were roasted meats, fresh fruits, steaming bread—plates upon plates of extravagant dishes.
At the center of it all was Sylus, grinning ear to ear, stuffing his mouth with a piece of roasted meat.
"Ha! Now this is what life should be like!" Sylus laughed, biting into another chunk. Then, noticing Zehron, he blinked and waved a piece of bread at him. "Oh? What are you doing here? Didn't expect to see you here! Zehron! C'mon, have a seat! Join me!"
Zehron didn't waste time. His mind was already beginning to slip—he could feel it. His concentration wasn't strong enough to hold the dream for long.
"I don't have much time," he said quickly. "I need you to meet me at the Lanara Tree tomorrow at sunrise. Don't be late."
Sylus frowned, clearly confused. "What? What are you talking about? Wait—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Zehron's presence wavered. The world around him began to blur. The sounds of the dream faded into a distant hum.
And then—
Everything shifted.
The world around him melted, colors blending and reshaping, and in an instant, he was no longer in the dream, he see the ceiling of his room huffing and panting loud, his body jolting awake in his bed. His breath was heavy, his forehead damp with sweat. He feels dizzy and his head starts to ache.
He wonders if it really was what he assumed to be, other's dreams.
Now, he just had to wait.
The next morning, Zehron stood beneath the Lanara Tree, his arms crossed, eyes scanning the road. The morning light filtered through the leaves, casting soft golden shadows on the ground. He had been here since sunrise, waiting.
But Sylus didn't come.
Maybe he overslept. Maybe he forgot.
That night, Zehron tried again. He lay on his bed, repeating the process—clearing his mind, focusing, stepping forward.
The dream took shape.
Sylus was sitting on the same extravagant feast table, grinning as he stuffed his face with food. When Zehron appeared, Sylus gave him a confused look, his mouth still full.
"You again? Are you a ghost or something?" Sylus laughed.
"Meet me at the Lanara Tree tomorrow. Don't forget," Zehron said, keeping his voice firm.
Sylus squinted at him. "Huh? Alright, alright. But why so dramatic?"
Zehron didn't answer. The dream faded, and he woke up.
----
The Second Morning
Zehron stood beneath the Lanara Tree again, waiting.
The morning passed.
Sylus never came.
What is this idiot doing?
Frustrated but not giving up, Zehron tried again that night.
He appeared in Sylus' dream like before, watching the man feast.
"Sylus."
Sylus blinked at him. "You again?"
"I'm serious. Come to the Lanara Tree. This is important."
"Alright, alright! Geez, but why though?."
Zehron felt the dream waver, his control slipping. "Don't forget this time."
---
The Third Morning
Zehron stood under the Lanara Tree.
Sylus never came.
Zehron ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. Was Sylus ignoring him? Did he not take it seriously?
He started considering the option of just finding where Sylus lived and dragging him out himself. But then he doubts if his assumption was wrong!
But for now, he had no choice but to go on with his work.
---
After a long day at the docks, Zehron finally made his way home. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm orange glow over the town.
As he approached his house, loud chattering and laughter reached his ears. The sounds were familiar.
A sinking suspicion hit him.
He dashed inside, pushing open the door—
And there he was.
Sylus.
Sitting comfortably at the small wooden table, enjoying the meals his mother had cooked. Plates were already half-empty, and Sylus looked way too comfortable, like he lived there.
When Sylus spotted him, his face lit up with the brightest grin.
"Zehron!!" he exclaimed, waving a spoon at him. "Finally, you're back! You won't believe what I'm about to tell you—"
Zehron stood frozen, staring at him, still processing this.
Sylus leaned forward excitedly.
"I saw you in my dreams. Three times!."
Sylus barely had time to swallow his food before Zehron grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him toward his room.
"Hey—what's with the rush? I was still eating!" Sylus protested, though he followed anyway.
Zehron shut the door behind them, his expression serious. He lowered his voice.
"Why didn't you come to the Lanara Tree at dawn?"
Sylus blinked. "Huh? How do you—" He suddenly gasped, eyes widening. "Wait a minute! How do you know about my dream?"
Zehron crossed his arms. "Because I was IN your dream."
Another gasp. This time, dramatic. Sylus staggered back, clutching his chest like Zehron had just told him he was a ghost.
"Wha—?! You mean to tell me you actually entered my dream? On purpose?"
Zehron nodded, his face unreadable.
Sylus pointed at him. "Witchcraft."
Zehron sighed. "It's not witchcraft."
"A curse?"
"No."
"Then—a secret forbidden technique only passed down through the ancient generations of dream walkers?!"
Zehron gave him a flat stare. "Or you could just listen, and I'll explain."
Sylus pursed his lips, watching him suspiciously. "...Alright. But first, tell me something."
Zehron raised an eyebrow.
Sylus narrowed his eyes.
"In the dream.....did I look manly or was it just my wishful thinking??