News report

Blinking awake in his own room on Earth, Adam found himself replaying the crazy adventures he'd had in the Ventcroft Mountains. He'd been hunting like mad, giving up sleep in the Dreamverse to level up. His hard work had paid off though, and he had managed to reach level 12.

His hunting grounds were the outer edges of the mountains, where the beasts who had been chased away by stronger foes hung out. That's not to say he didn't encounter a few tough, high-level Tier 1 creatures. They were just less common. He'd decided to hold off on using his skill upgrade until he was back in the Dreamverse.

Despite his leveling success, he was wiped. The constant hunting had drained him. But he shook off the tiredness and decided to check on his parents. Quietly, he made his way to their bedroom and found them both fast asleep.

"Mom, Dad," he said, gently waking them. "I need you guys downstairs."

Their sleepy faces showed their annoyance at being woken so early. "Adam," his mom mumbled, still half-asleep, "it's barely morning."

He insisted. "I know, but it's important. Really important. Please, just come downstairs."

Even though they looked confused, they agreed and followed him downstairs. As he led them, he noticed that Stella and Anabelle were still snoozed out on the couch. Their peaceful sleep was a stark contrast to the urgency he was feeling.

Their movements, however, stirred Anabelle awake. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up, pulling the covers closer around her, "What's happening? Why's everyone up?"

Adam's mom, Melissa, responded, "We're not sure, Bellie. Adam woke us up, said it was really important."

Adam quickly added, "We need to wait for Stella to wake up before I explain. It's... it's about the Dreamverse."

His parents exchanged puzzled looks. "Adam, what are you talking about?" His dad asked, looking worried.

"Just... let me explain once Stella's awake," Adam said, his voice sounding desperate.

His parents clearly didn't understand, but before they could ask more questions, Stella began to wake up, slowly opening her eyes.

Stella's eyes fluttered open, and upon seeing her surroundings, widened in surprise. She got up quickly, her gaze immediately locking onto her mother, Anabelle.

"Mom... you're okay!" she exclaimed, her voice choked with emotion. Rushing to her, she wrapped her arms around her mother in a tight hug, burying her face in her shoulder as tears started streaming down her face.

Adam watched the scene with a solemn expression. He felt a pang of sadness seeing Stella's emotional reunion with her mother. Meanwhile, his parents, Melissa and Yusuf, exchanged worried looks. They could tell something was off but couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly.

After a while, Stella managed to calm herself. She wiped away her tears and turned towards Adam, her eyes clear and determined. "Have you asked them yet?" she asked.

Adam shook his head.

Melissa stepped forward, her patience evidently wearing thin. "What the hell is going on, Adam?" she demanded, her voice echoing in the quiet room.

Adam gathered his thoughts, bracing himself for the bombshell he was about to drop. "I called you here because we're in danger," he began, his voice carrying a grave urgency. All around him, faces registered confusion – all except for Stella's.

Melissa asked, "What kind of danger, Adam?"

Taking a deep breath, Adam plunged into his explanation. "We're likely on the brink of an apocalypse right now," he said, dropping the bombshell.

"And we think the apocalypse will take people to the Dreamverse."

His parents' eyes widened at the mention of the Dreamverse. They had always yearned to explore it, hoping to help and support him. But they had never been able to enter it like he could.

Annabelle, however, looked utterly lost. "Dreamverse? What's going on, Adam?"

Stella quickly jumped in, "Mom, let him finish."

Adam gave Stella an appreciative nod before continuing, "The Dreamverse is a reality that can be accessed through dreams. It's essentially a multiverse where sentient beings gather and interact. I've been able to go there since I was a newborn."

Annabelle cut him off, skepticism etched on her face. "Adam, this sounds—"

"Mom, plea—"

Annabelle shot Stella a stern look, "Do not interrupt me, young lady. Melissa, are you hearing all of this?"

Melissa chimed in, "Bellie, just… just hear him out, please. The Dreamverse is real. Adam has been visiting it since birth. My pregnancy was strange, and Yusuf and I experienced weird things. On the day of his birth, we both fell asleep and dreamt of Adam lying on a meadow on a stone."

Yusuf gave her hand a supportive squeeze, "Let's hear him out about this apocalypse. What exactly does this apocalypse entail, Adam?"

Adam, with a glance at Stella for support, said, "The Dreamverse is now accessible to earthlings. We believe they'll likely enter it during their sleep."

Annabelle still looked skeptical, "So what? People can dream about a place where they can supposedly talk to aliens. Why does that spell an apocalypse?"

Adam explained, "If they die in the Dreamverse, they will die on Earth."

Annabelle smirked, feeling like she'd caught him in a lie. "Then how are you still alive, Adam?"

Adam, getting a bit frustrated, replied, "Because I'm immortal in the Dreamverse. I can come back to life."

He held up a hand to silence Annabelle's protests. "The Dreamverse has a system that encourages conflict. It's a dangerous place. If earthlings enter, they'll be at a major disadvantage. They're not suited for such a place. Aunt Annabelle, I need you to trust me."

Annabelle hesitated, "I'll try, but it's hard. Do you have any proof?"

Before Adam could respond, Stella interjected. "Mom, I was in the Dreamverse last night."

Melissa and Yusuf looked at Stella, shocked. "Stella, are you telling the truth?" Yusuf asked, "How did you get there?"

Adam answered, "I invited her to join my cult. That's how she got into the Dreamverse."

The word 'cult' hung heavily in the air. "Wait, did you just say 'cult'?" Melissa asked, concern clear in her voice.

Adam nodded. "Yes, it's my talent, something you gain once you awaken at level 10."

Annabelle looked stern, "A cult? Is this some kind of prank? Because if it is, it's not funny."

Adam shook his head, "This is not a joke. It might sound strange, but it's all true."

Stella nodded in fierce agreement.

Adam finished his explanation, then turned to his parents. "You don't have to fully believe me right now. I only ask you to join my cult. Once you do, the truth will reveal itself."

Anabelle looked between Adam and Stella, her expression a mix of confusion and worry.

Stella, understanding her mother's apprehension, added, "If we're wrong, then no harm, no foul. We'll accept whatever consequences you deem necessary. But if we're right..."

The room plunged into a tense silence, the gravity of Stella's words permeating the air.

After what felt like an eternity, Melissa and Yusuf turned to Adam. "What do we have to do?" Yusuf asked, his voice heavy with trepidation.

Adam met their gaze, his voice firm. "Will you join my cult?"

Another stretched moment of silence filled the room before both parents gave a hesitant nod.

"Mom, Dad, I need you to verbalize your agreement. I don't know if a nod is enough, and I can't afford to take any risks."

"Alright, Adam, I agree to join your cult. I'm seventy percent convinced right now, but if this is some kind of prank..." Melissa warned.

Adam quickly responded, "I promise, I'm not fooling around."

"Adam, I also agree to join your cult," Yusuf conceded.

"Aunt Annabelle?" Adam shifted his gaze to her.

Stella looked at her mother, her eyes welling up with tears.

Seeing the emotion in her daughter's eyes, Annabelle sighed, "Alright. I agree to join too."

With the parents' agreement secured, Adam and Stella both let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank God," Stella breathed out, relief coloring her tone. Overwhelmed, she suddenly threw her arms around Adam. "Adam, I... thank you. Thank you for doing this, for saving us."

Adam, although taken aback by Stella's sudden display of emotion, patted her back in reassurance. "We're in this together, Stella."

Clearing his throat, Adam then began to explain his talent in more depth. "Alright, I should probably tell you a bit more about my talent now. It's not as simple as it sounds, but it's also not overly complicated..."

After a lengthy explanation, Adam concluded with a suggestion. "And now, I think we could all use some breakfast. Let's head to the kitchen."

Anabelle, still shaking her head in disbelief at the morning's revelations, agreed to join them for breakfast. Turning to Stella, she said, "You need to get ready for school."

Stella quickly retorted, "I'm skipping school today, mom."

Anabelle's brow furrowed at this. "That's not..."

Stella cut her off, "Remember, mom? Apocalypse incoming."

Seeing Anabelle's suspicious gaze, Stella couldn't help but stick her tongue out playfully, earning a gentle hair ruffle from her mother.

---

Over a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, Adam, his parents, Stella, and Anabelle were seated around the dining table. The atmosphere was slightly tense, given the earlier revelations, but the scent of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the room, providing some semblance of normalcy.

"Mom, Dad," Adam started, glancing at his parents with a serious expression. "Can you both take the day off?"

Melissa and Yusuf exchanged a glance, a silent conversation passing between them. There was evident hesitation, but after a brief moment, they nodded. "Alright, we can manage that," Yusuf conceded, though Melissa quickly added a stern warning. "But Adam, if we don't find ourselves in this so-called Dreamverse tonight, there will be a reckoning."

Adam nodded, understanding the gravity of his mother's words. As the family continued eating, he turned on the tablet and switched it to UBC, the UK's largest news channel. The bold, red headline of 'Breaking News' immediately caught everyone's attention.

"People not waking up?" Melissa read the headline aloud, her brows furrowed in confusion and concern.

The news anchor's face on the tablet screen was solemn as she delivered the shocking news. "Ladies and gentlemen," she began, her voice steady but filled with concern, "we have breaking news that's both troubling and baffling. Over the last twenty-four hours, there has been a sudden surge in coma patients around the globe. Doctors are perplexed and deeply concerned as no external stimuli seem capable of rousing these individuals."

She turned to her left, where a large screen displayed a world map with dots of varying sizes scattered across continents. "These dots represent the reported cases of sudden comas," she explained, her finger tracing the clusters of dots over major cities. "And the disturbing part is, the numbers are increasing at an alarming rate."

The news anchor paused, allowing the severity of the situation to sink in for the viewers. "Sadly," she continued, her voice dropping lower, "there have been reports of deaths as well. People, who were asleep during tragic incidents like fires or gas leaks, could not be awakened, leading to fatalities."

A shiver of dread ran through the room as Adam and his family digested the information. The news anchor's grave expression mirrored their feelings. "What's more," she continued, her brow furrowed in concern, "there appears to be no discernible pattern in the victims - no common age group, no pre-existing health conditions, nothing that could potentially link them."

She shifted slightly in her chair, her eyes piercing the camera lens as she concluded, "What is happening is beyond explanation. It's as if these people have been taken captive by their own dreams, locked within a sleep from which they cannot wake."

Adam's heart pounded in his chest as he listened. He couldn't help but feel a wave of relief wash over him; he had managed to convince his parents and Anabelle in time. They were safe, for now.

The reporter continued, "We have two guests today, who will give us their insights into what they think is going on."