Chapter 16: Endurance

Searching for Celeste had been more difficult than I thought. After scouring the Quarter in all four directions, I realised that the place was akin to a maze.

It turned out that she was a persona non gratta in Morston and the quarter as well. I found it strange since according to Laira she only practised fortune-telling. Unfortunately for me, Laira was unable to provide me with more information.

I had waited for her to return to Morston for almost three weeks. She travelled with the fare, and they had finally reached Morston.

Standing before the door of her house, I pondered on my decision to see her.

" Come in Lily," A gravelly voice from behind the door dragged me back to reality. That sent shivers down my spine. How did she know it was me?

" How did you know it was me?" I curiously asked the moment I opened the door, and was greeted with a thick cloud of cigarette smoke and unbreathable air.

" Oh, my neighbour told me you were looking for me. Actually, she referred to you as the soup kitchen girl. And there are only two girls in the soup kitchen. You and Laira." She replied waving me to take a seat.

" Oh," I felt a little disappointed at the news. No mystical powers there.

" What can I do for you? Do you want me to tell you when you will meet your future husband?" She asked as she lit up yet another cigarette.

" Could you put that out," I said as politely as I could, struggling to breathe. I doubted that there was any oxygen left in the room.

Standing up, I made my way towards the rusted, run-down door to open it. And watched the smoke getting sucked outside. Grateful for the breath of fresh air, I returned to my seat.

" No," I whispered and shuffled in my seat, " What can you tell me about dreams?" I asked and raised my eyes to meet her penetrative gaze. In spite of my request, she hadn't put out the cigarette and carried on smoking.

" Interesting," She hummed, taking another drag of her cigarette," Not much. I'm a fortuneteller as I'm sure you are already aware. Dreams are a manifestation of your subconscious mind." I hummed at her answer, I knew as much.

" How about lucid dreams?" I pressed further, trying to get as much information as I could. And my question gained me an interesting reaction on her part.

" Those are not possible, unless," Celeste paused," But they don't exist anymore. Not for thousands of years now. Dreamwalkers, the bloodline has been extinct for thousands of years now. Dreamwalkers were put in the same pot as the witches." The haunting chuckle that erupted from her throat made me shrink in my seat. Was I a witch?

" Were they," I took a deep breath, afraid to ask the question, and hear the answer, " Witches?" I finished my thoughts in a quiet voice.

" No, not even close. They can only manifest in the dream world, and not in the physical world," She replied, casually looking at her black nails.

" Oh," That didn't provide much, however, was more than I had until then, " Is it possible for anything to cross the barrier between the physical world and the dream world?" I thought I should ask, just to be sure.

" Yes, but it's just residual magic. Why do you ask?" I breathed out a sigh of relief and closed my eyes when she asked the question.

" I think, I am one," I said in a quiet voice and opened my eyes, only to find her just as impassive as before.

" Darling, in that case, you better make sure that you're being careful while you are in there because whatever happens in there affects you in the real world." Don't I know it?

" I have no control over the environment while, I'm in there, and things keep happening to me," I replied and slumped in my seat, to which Celeste hummed, and lit up yet another cigarette.

" Depends on which kind you are?" She stood up, and fetched a thick book slamming it on the table," This is all I have on dreams. I don't know if you'll find anything useful in there, but I'm leaving tomorrow. Come and see me in three months' time. I'll see what I can find out for you. Dreamwalkers are rare, and you are the first one, I have heard of in a very long time," She sighed, shaking her head, pensive.

" So do you want me to tell you when you'll meet your future husband?" Her question took me by surprise and made me take my eyes off the browned book laying on the table.

" Uhmmm, maybe, I don't know." I wasn't sure if I wanted that anymore. Who would want me, given the new information? How would I even explain? I was relieved that I wasn't going mad but still didn't make things better.

" Let me know when you decide. Now, I need to get some sleep." It was a polite get-out of my house.

" Thank you for your help," I said as I stood up, and picked up the book off the table. I had one more week before my interview with the academy, and the book was next on my to-do list.

" It's alright, " She languidly replied as I made my way out the door, " Close the door behind you," She said before I stepped over the threshold. Nodding, I pulled the creaking door along with me and was greeted with the evening refreshing breeze.