Bad Dream

_Human school sucks, magic school is great_

Lily tossed and turned in her bed, her mind plagued by a disquieting darkness that enveloped her dreams. In this dream, she found herself wandering through a desolate forest, the trees gnarled and twisted, reaching out to her like skeletal fingers. The oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily upon her, making each step she took feel like an effort in futility.

As Lily pushed forward, an unshakable feeling of being watched settled upon her, causing her heart to quicken in her chest. She glanced over her shoulder, but there was no one in sight, only the eerie silence that seemed to enhance her growing unease.

A distant cry echoed through the forest, sharp and penetrating, chilling her to the bone. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as goosebumps spread across her skin. She quickened her pace, but the sound followed her relentlessly, drawing closer with each passing second.

A figure emerged from the shadows, dressed entirely in black. The Banshee, as she instinctively knew it to be, floated towards her with an ethereal grace, her mournful cries transforming into desperate sobbing. Lily tried to scream, but her voice was swallowed by an intense pressure that filled her ears.

Tears streamed freely down the Banshee's face as she reached out to Lily, as if she sought solace, a lifeline in her despair. But the blood dripping from Lily's ears muffled any sound that might have helped her decipher the Banshee's tortured words. The crimson liquid cascaded down her cheeks, staining her vision scarlet.

In her dream, Lily desperately clawed at her ears, trying to stem the flow, but the blood only increased, saturating her hands. A voice, faint yet somehow demanding, echoed in her mind.

"Listen, Lily, listen," the voice urged, teasing her with its mystery. "You must hear her. You must understand."

But try as she might, Lily couldn't comprehend the voice's cryptic words. It lingered on the edge of her consciousness, just out of her grasp, like a thread slipping through her fingers.

The Banshee continued to weep, her sorrowful gaze fixed upon Lily. There was a pleading desperation in her eyes, a plea to be understood, to be heard. Lily's heart ached with empathy, her own tears now mingling with the blood cascading from her ears.

"Please... listen," the voice continued to implore, growing more insistent.

"Who are you?" Lily cried out in her mind, her thoughts intertwining with the voice's presence.

"I am the Amulet, the one who sees beyond the surface, who understands the depths of your soul," the voice replied, both soothing and unsettling in its response.

As Lily continued to struggle against the onslaught of blood and the Banshee's haunting presence.

Suddenly, the world around her shattered like a broken mirror, and Lily found herself standing in a field filled with eurynomos (A aithered humanoid with a blue-black hide glistening like a housefly's skin, it's eyes filmy white orbs and it's bare teeth dripping saliva), undeads (Skeleton warriors) and vrykolakai (Zombies). The Banshee's tears transformed into blood, falling gently to the ground.

Her ears were no longer filled with blood, but instead, a haunting melody, as the Banshee's cries.

Lily awoke with a start, her chest heaving with each ragged breath. Sweat soaked her forehead, dampened her sheets. The remnants of the dream clung to her mind, leaving an indelible mark, an unquenchable curiosity.

She sat up, rubbing her temples, trying to shake off the lingering unease. The voice, which had guided her through the dream, now silent, refused to be forgotten. Who or what was it? And why was it seeking her out?

The questions circled relentlessly in Lily's mind as she struggled to make sense of her strange encounter. With a determined sigh, she resolved to find answers, to understand the nature of her unsettling dreams and the voice that now felt woven into her very being.

Sunlight streamed through the narrow window, illuminating Lily's room in a warm golden hue. Rubbing her tired eyes, she groggily glanced at her Amulet.

Just a moment ago, she had been trapped in a terrifying nightmare. She recalled the images vividly, the sense of dread and the blood that seemingly flowed down her ears. Shaking off the residual fear, Lily took a deep breath, determined to shake off the remnants of her bad dream and start her day afresh.

With a heavy sigh, Lily swung her legs out of bed and slipped into her carefully chosen school uniform. It was her first class at Magic School, and she didn't want to look anything less than her best. She brushed her long auburn hair, letting it cascade in gentle waves over her shoulders, and pulled on her emerald green robe.

Hesitant steps carried Lily down the bustling hallway, filled with the buzz of excited students and the smell of parchment and enchanted books. Each classroom was buzzing with anticipation as new friends reunited and old friends shared stories of their summer break.

Her heart skipped a beat as she reached the door of her first class, Potions. With a tremor of excitement, she pushed open the heavy door and entered the labyrinth of workstations and bubbling cauldrons.

"Take a seat, everyone! We're about to begin," Professor Hawthorne's commanding voice echoed through the room. He was a tall, grey-haired man with an air of authority that commanded respect from his students.

Lily scanned the room, her eyes widening when she spotted Finn, a handsome boy with brown hair and sparkling honey brown eyes, sitting alone at a table near the back. Nervously, she made her way towards him, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Hey, Lily," Finn greeted with a smile, his fingers toying with the edge of his robe. "Good to see you. I was hoping we'd be partnered up for our first class."

Lily's cheeks flushed at the sight of him, a mix of nerves and excitement swirling within her. "Good to see you too, Finn," she replied, trying to steady her voice. "I was hoping for the same thing. I mean, partnering up with you, I mean..."

Finn chuckled, breaking the tension. "Don't worry, Lily. I'm not the most eloquent either. Let's just focus on the lesson for now."

As Professor Hawthorne began his lecture on healing potions, Lily's mind began to wander. Images from her nightmare popped into her mind like unwelcome guests, the blood that she swore she could still feel trickling down her ears. She absentmindedly started tapping her fingers on the table, her attention divided between her thoughts and the lesson.

Noticing her restlessness, Finn gently nudged her arm. "Lily, pay attention. Professor Hawthorne is explaining the process of creating the healing potion."

Blinking to refocus her attention, Lily glanced up at the professor, only to find his disappointed gaze fixed upon her. The room fell quiet as everyone turned their attention to her. Embarrassment crept up her face, and she realized she had been tapping her fingers so hard that it had destroyed some of the delicate equipment on her workstation.

"Oh no," Lily gasped, her mouth forming a silent apology. Mortified, she turned her eyes to the ground, her face aflame with embarrassment. She had ruined the first day of class, and it was only the beginning.

Professor Hawthorne's voice cut through the silence like a sharp gust of wind. "Miss Lily, this behavior is unacceptable. You will report to detention after class today. I hope this will serve as a lesson in attentiveness and responsibility."

Lily nodded, unable to look up, her heart sinking with each passing second. She could feel the sympathetic glances from her classmates, their whispers echoing in her ears like a reminder of her mistake.

Class resumed, but Lily's mind was still clouded by her earlier embarrassment. Her hands trembled as she tried to follow the steps of potion-making, but her turbulent thoughts made it nearly impossible to concentrate. Every echo of bubbling liquid and every flick of the wand sent chills down her spine, as if the nightmare from the morning had somehow invaded the classroom.

As the bell finally rang, signaling the end of class, Lily gathered her things with a heavy heart. She glanced at Finn, who gave her a reassuring smile, silently conveying his support.

With a determined breath, Lily made her way towards the detention hall, her feet dragging along the cold stone floor. Detention meant facing the consequences of her actions, but it also offered an opportunity for growth and redemption.

Entering the detention hall, Lily found herself face to face with Professor Marlowe, a stern but fair disciplinary figure with a gruff exterior. He motioned for her to take a seat at a desk in the center of the room, his hawk-like eyes watching her every move.

_Detention means no class for me, but why did I have such a weird dream, and why does it affect me. Since morning, I tried all possible ways to make this Necklace talk, but it just refuses to._

For what felt like an eternity, Lily sat in silence, her mind racing with a mix of regret and determination. She knew she had made a mistake, but she also knew that she had the power to learn from it and make amends.

Finally, Professor Marlowe's voice broke the stillness. "Lily, destroying potions equipment is a serious offense. It not only endangers yourself and those around you but also undermines the trust we place in our students. Explain yourself."

Lily took a deep breath, her voice steady despite the nerves threatening to consume her. "I apologize, Professor . I had a terrible dream this morning, and I was distracted during class. I didn't mean to destroy anything, it was purely accidental."

The professor regarded her for a moment before relenting, his eyes softening slightly. "Dreams are powerful, Lily. They are part of an Enchanted life. The dream you had is your first quest, now is up to you to find what it means."

Lily nodded.

"Now tell me Lily, you are a new student here, can you already change form? Have your enchanted stone spoken to you yet?"

The professor queried.

"Only in my dream." Lily replied.

_So I can actually change form?_

Without altering another word, the professor sat on his seat, as though he didn't ask her anything.

As the detention hour came to an end, Lily rose from her seat, and exited the detention hall, Lily took a deep breath, She brushed away the remnants of her bad dream.

To be continued...