Astral Realm

I woke up at night feeling uneasy and feeling my body vibrating, i can hear buzzing sounds and i can clearly see in the dark. I look around the people around me and no one is moving or waking up, everyone is asleep which creeped me out, i don't want to experience this again.

I stand up and like the last time i'm feeling like i'm moving trough water but without that push back effect, this time i wanted to explore surroundings so i opened a door of sleeping quarters and started walking trough the ship.

I'm walking trough halls passing room by room and looking around expecting anytime for some monster to jump right at me, last time i felt cold hands touching me on chest and on my cheek. 

At some point i found myself at main section of the airship, an engine section where multiple magicians used their powers to power up Aether crystal. 

Engine or crystal section was big enough for one airship, it's protected from multiple metallic layers inside and out, walls were decorated with white paint and academic banners to both right and left side of the hall.

I saw Aether crystal standing there at the top of placeholder, glowing and emitting light blue color from it weirdly enough, stronger light than usual. 

Suddenly strong sense of fear and unease waved trough me, making my body shiver and enter survival mode. I started looking around for any potential uninvited guest but couldn't see nothing, i started running and headed towards cockpit.

My running feet slammed onto sturdy metallic floor and i ran fast as i could, sense of nightmarish fear still followed me and i eventually could feel like someone's watching me. 

Eventually i arrived by the door of cockpit and tried to open it but without any success, panic got into me and i tried to open the door desperately but still failed. But then realization came into my mind, pilots usually lock themselves when flying in case to avoid any assassination during the night when most of ship's crew is sleeping.

Few curses flied out of my mouth thinking how stupid i am and asking myself how could i forget such important thing, it's literally one of most important rules for pilots when doing night shifts.

I gave up after minute of trying to open a door and then turned behind, looking at dark hall i didn't notice anyone being there, but i felt like something is lurking there, watching me up close.

"Lucid dream." 

I murmured and then remembered what Ameri told me about lucid dreams and what they are. 

"So this is just a dream."

Confidence sparked trough me and i felt easier now since it's just a lucid dream, i nervously smiled there for a second and tried to control the dream like Ameri said i could.

But before i could do anything huge sense of fear and unease hit me again, this time anyone or anything that followed me is standing there in a hallway watching right at my eyes.

Being able to sense it's intense gaze my face turned pale, no word or any kind of noise leaving my mouth.

Then i saw it.

A weird and unnatural humanoid figure standing there in a hallway ten meters from me, watching me even if i couldn't see it's face i could sense it's gaze.

It's lower body is mostly the same like regular humans, but it's head was small compared to it's body and neck very thin. 

Not a sound was heard during stare down between me and this thing, this is first time in a long time since i experienced this kind of fear, fear of unknown which is the oldest and strongest kind of fear. 

Our quiet stare down broke mysterious shadow creature as it began walking towards me, taking slow and quiet steps. It got closer and closer but i still couldn't manage to see it's face or any other thing on it.

Creature now stood right before me.

As it stood before me my legs were frozen and my face was pale like that of a dead man. Creature was faceless or so i think and it was made entirely out of shadow. 

I couldn't see any other thing than shadow completely covering it's figure, a moment felt like eternity as it started at my eyes and i stared at it's presumably face.

Shadow creature extended it's arms to me and held me by the shoulders, having immense strength and grip on my shoulders. 

I gulped unable to scream or make any other noise and tried with all my strength to push it back but with no avail. 

Next moment a light appeared behind it, a white lighting ball emerged from God knowns where and got close to the creature. 

Creature left out weird screeching noise and released it's grip on me, making me able to move again. Creature quickly disappeared, leaving dark smoke effect behind it for a few seconds.

I looked up the lighting ball still scared and confused by all of this and it spoke.

"Extend your arm to me."

My arm moved by itself and extended, not do i have any choice but this lighting ball saved me so only thing i could do is trust it.

Next moment the ball moved onto my hand and i saw sudden flash of light and pleasant feeling of warmth and security.

Forest glowing with magical flowers and other fauna surrounded me, no animal can be heard and only feeling of safeness and warmth engulfed me. 

I feel like i'm in total peace.

"Welcome Sparrow."

Calm and feminine voice spoke right of me making me turn my head at its direction.

A white glowing orb this time clearly visible flied above me, it's the size of my hand but other than that, it's giving me sense of comfort and peace.

"Em who are you?" 

I asked looking at strange white orb above me.

"I'm Zorya a guardian of this realm and spirit of light."

Spirits are very mysterious creatures and many think of them as a myth due to how rarely they show to the people, but for one to speak with me.

"Nice to meet you Zorya, i guess you are the one who saved me from that shadow creature?" 

Lighting orb moved down a little and got closer to my face.

"I didn't really save you, but i did invited you here."

I got little confused, she did save me from that creature right there, is she just being humble right now?

"But you did save me and i thank you for that."

I laughed and nodded my head to her

"That creature couldn't hurt you, i just made it release you earlier."

Okay i'm pretty sure that creature wanted and could hurt me but it seems that Zorya is clearly not getting to a point here.

"Can you explain to me why it couldn't hurt me?"

A lighting orb got straight at my face but weirdly enough, without it's light hurting my eyes up close.

"You were inside Astral Realm which is the place for all kind of spirits and spiritual beings to wander, it's a place where most of spirits go when they want to spectate lower realm which is your awake state. That spirit which held you close couldn't hurt you, it used your fear as it's food but after a few moment it would release you and you would've woken up."

Okay first Etheric Realm and now Astral Realm, i only heard of Etheric realm before but never about Astral.

"Follow me and let's find a nice place for our chat."