Dreams and Nightmares

Thousands upon thousands of bright lights circle endlessly, hanging for one moment, seemingly complacent, before beginning the dance around the black sun in that dominated the night sky.

Yes, space was black, but this celestial body that Adara gazed at was deeper than that. An endless abyss of nothing but darkness, no time or no space, just eternal nothingness enveloping all it touches.

"Beautiful, isn't it..." Asked the figure next to Adara, in her peripheral vision, she saw a flowing lock of blond hair, she wanted to turn, look at the figure, but she held back, for whatever reason, her instincts screamed not to look.

"Good choice, not looking, I admit that seeing my true face won't have to best effect on you," responded the figure, it's voice seemingly hundreds of thousands of different tones all speaking in one playful tune.

"...if I may be so rude great one, who exactly are you?" Asked Adara, she could feel it's aura just from standing here, the only creature she knew that could do that was Hypnos.

"Great one? How amusing, no... Adara, I am merely a wanderer, I am no god." Answered the voice, it's reluctance to provide a name clearly being shown.

"For simplicity sake, call me Astara, after all, it's your body I'm using right now..." Responded the Shepherd, rather vaguely "you don't need to be scared, you can look now, child, I've taken measures not to hurt you."

Like how Hypnos pushed an aura of calmness around him, this lady seemed to make Adara Extremely curious, pushing her to look at him, still she resisted.

"No? That's a same, I was hoping we could become friends," said the women, half of the many voices sounded regretful, the others seeming glad.

"Perhaps..." Continued Astara, shamelessly stealing Adara's name, "you still need some conditioning... yes that's right! That's what we'll do!"

All of a sudden, the black desert that Adara and the figure was standing on parted, sand being mysteriously pushed to the sides around Adara, before filling back in almost instantly.

The shifting sands around her, manipulated by Astara's unfathomable power, seemed to enclose her, pressing her under the weight of the cold, desolate desert. Adara fought against the oppressive force, her mind racing with a blend of fear and determination to break free.

"Hey! Hey! Stop what you're doin-" the sand now long passed her head, struggling, Adara tried to claw her way out, but she knew she couldn't Reach it, in this nightmare, she would die.

Nightmare?

Why did she say nightmare... Right! she should be in Corcilus! We just found an abandoned home and Lucas volunteered first watch. This Is nothing but a bad dream.

With a surge of determination, Adara tapped into the depths of her mental fortitude. Her thoughts coalesced into a force of defiance against the illusionary grip of the desert and the enigmatic entity that wielded control within this dreamlike realm.

Concentrating her will, Adara visualized the sands dissipating, the suffocating weight of the desert crumbling away into nothingness. She willed Astara's presence to fade, banishing the eerie figure from the confines of her mind.

As her mental strength surged, the nightmarish landscape dissolved into fragments of vanishing darkness, crumbling like forgotten memories. Astara's endless voices waned, drowned out by Adara's determination to break free from the nightmarish hold.

With a final surge of mental prowess, Adara shattered the dream's illusion, returning to the realm of wakefulness. Gasping for breath, she found herself back in the quiet solace of her surroundings, relieved to have escaped the haunting nightmare that had ensnared her thoughts. The remnants of Astara's presence dissipated like morning mist, leaving Adara in the calm embrace of reality, her mind free from the haunting grip of the dream.

As Adara's racing breaths steadied and the remnants of the nightmare dissolved, she let out a relieved sigh. The lingering tension began to ebb away, replaced by a sense of serene calmness. Yet, before she could fully collect her thoughts, a gentle touch landed on her shoulder.

Startled, Adara tensed, her heart quickening once more. A familiar, yet strangely altered presence stood behind her. Astara, a perfect reflection of Adara herself, with sparkling silver hair cascading like moonlight and eyes that held a deep, enchanting lilac hue.

"Surprised? Hehe," giggled Astara, seemingly in a much better mood.

In a soft, melodious tone, Astara spoke, her voice carrying an otherworldly resonance. "I'm leaving you a gift, Adara," she whispered, her lilac eyes shimmering with an otherworldly glow.

Astara leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on Adara's forehead. the half-elf blinked, momentarily dazed by the encounter. When she looked up, Astara was gone, leaving Adara with a lingering sense of wonder and the cryptic promise of a mysterious gift. The sensation of the kiss lingered, a comforting presence that anchored her amidst the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.