The Emergence

Leena could see that stopping Shamura had become secondary to her friend. Fueled by hate, Xander sought revenge. His only goal now was to find Moreas and kill him.

"You're not thinking straight." Leena intervened before Xander could take another reckless step. "This isn't just about Nelly. There are greater things at stake here."

"What on earth could be greater than family?" Xander questioned back

"Saving the world," Leena answered. "Stopping that Dreamwalker won't solve our problems if Shamura finds another way to cross over to our world. We have to destroy her whole cult."

This was something Xander could actually agree upon. He nodded and replied, "I won't let Shamura cross over. If I fail Mordred, it's gonna cost me dearly."

"I just want you to remember that you're not alone in this. We need all the help that we can get."

"We can't let anyone know about this. No one would believe us, and even if they did, they will only point fingers at us. The Department Of Mystical Affairs is just looking for a reason to put all Mystics behind bars. Let's not give them that chance."

"They'll get to know eventually. You can't hide this from them." Leena walked up to Xander and looked pleadingly at him. "The High Council needs to know about this so they can prepare."

"I don't have any proof. Whatever I saw, was inside a vision. Do you think they'll believe that?" Xander asked, furrowing his brow. "Besides, if the Ordinaires find out about this, they'll create another ruckus. There'll be riots in the streets. I'm trying to prevent that chaos."

The memories of the last Ordinaire Uprising were still fresh in Leena's mind. She had lost several friends and relatives to the violence. It was one of the worst periods in Somnium's history.

All those inhumane trials and brutal punishments meted out to those judged guilty had gone down in the history books as a scar on the face of human civilization.

Although things were a lot different now due to the new laws and general public awareness, there were still those who didn't trust Mystics just because they wielded powers beyond their comprehension.

Even in this day and age, the Mystics were always treated as second-class citizens and regarded with suspicion wherever they went. It was only natural for Xander not to trust his secrets to the Ordinaires.

If the people got wind of the news that a Dreamwalker was involved in the recent murder they would start raising questions. And things would only go from bad to worse if they discovered that a group of crazed mystics was trying to summon a malevolent deity into their world.

Xander changed into a fresh set of clothes and took both the medallion and the diary with him. Though it was seven in the evening, he knew he could find Detective Locksley working overtime at the police station.

Leaving Tiva in Leena's care, he was about to head outside when a loud knock on the firm wooden door arrested his footsteps. He wasn't exactly expecting any guests and he had already paid the rent on time.

Cautioning Leena to stay back, he peeped through the eyehole. The person standing outside wasn't a stranger, but the man he was just thinking about.

Xander quickly opened the door and was greeted by an anxious Chief Volgin. The man looked like he had all the burden of the world placed on his broad shoulders.

"I was about to go to the police station myself. It took—"

"There's no need for that," the Chief cut him off. "I received the forensic reports an hour ago. You were right. Esther was suffocated to death. They found her saliva on the pillow along with traces of male perfume. It was a murder."

Hearing the Chief's words, Xander breathed a sigh of relief. Even a moment ago he was thinking the senior officer had come to arrest him.

"May I come in?" the Chief asked, looking behind Xander and taking a quick glance at Leena. "Is she your—"

"She's a friend. She was helping me with the investigation. You can trust her," Xander replied, moving out of the doorway to allow the tall figure to pass through and enter his apartment.

"Are you a Dreamwalker too?" Chief Volgin asked, fixing his keen gaze on Leena.

Leena was surprised by the sudden guess. "How did you know?"

"I am a cop. It's my job to know," Chief Volgin replied. "It was your pocket watch that gave you away. Only Dreamwalkers carry those antiques."

Leena looked down and saw her Chronica dangling from her pocket. She quickly put it back in and tidied her clothes.

"What else did you two find about those cultists?" Chief Volgin asked, quickly scanning Xander's apartment. He wasn't looking for anything in particular but was just trying to keep his mind busy.

Xander showed him his sister's diary and told him everything he'd learned from that vision. Everything except the part where he'd struck a deal with Mordred.

The Chief slumped down on the couch, overwhelmed by this new information. On any other occasion, he would've dismissed such warnings with a skeptic's rationalism, but the recent events had turned him into a believer.

"How many members are there in this cult?" he asked.

Xander shook his head. "I don't know."

"Who's their next target?"

"I don't know."

"How are they planning to summon Shamura's generals?"

"I don't know," Xander repeated for the third time. "All I know is that they have to destroy the veil between our worlds to achieve their goal. Shamura's army can't cross over until someone opens the door for them."

"How?" Chief Volgin questioned back.

"By creating a rift, a tear in the fabric of reality," Leena answered on Xander's behalf. "There's a book in the Museum of Dreams that describes the rituals for summoning dark deities into our world. It's called the Noctis Umbrae. We need to get our hands on it as soon as possible."

Before Chief Volgin could respond, a loud thumping on the door interrupted their conversation.

"Are you there, Chief? Xander? Open the door!" a familiar voice shouted from outside.

As Xander opened the door, Detective Locksley burst in. He was gasping for breath, and beads of sweat were rolling down his creased forehead.

"Chief, we're in deep...trouble. Those things are...coming for us."

"Catch your breath, Detective." Chief Volgin guided the detective to a chair and helped him to a glass of cold water. "Now, tell me what's got you so riled up."

"It's on the news. Channel seventeen," he replied, shifting his eyes from Chief Volgin to the others in the room.

Xander quickly switched on the old television in his room. Adjusting the dial, he switched to channel seventeen—Flash News.

On their television screen was an aerial coverage of Windbell Park. The camera was focused on a glowing red portal near the birdwatching tower.

"What the hell is that?" Chief Volgin asked with a note of confusion in his voice.

"It's a Nightmare Portal," Xander replied keeping his eyes glued to the TV screen. "Who the hell opened a portal in a public place?"

"It must be those cultists," Leena answered.

The camera slowly panned around, and a terrifying sight greeted their eyes. A mob of red-skinned creatures with pointy ears and sharp white teeth was chasing the people in the park.

These nimble, little devils were half the size of adult humans, but their small stature didn't stop them from jumping on the fleeing bystanders and biting their legs.

There were dozens of these freakish imps, each more aggressive than the next. However, these smaller fries weren't what scared Xander and Leena. It was the larger, more muscular specimen rampaging across the park with a club in hand.

"What are those things? Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Chief Volgin yelled.

"Those smaller red-skinned creatures are Implings. And that giant clubbing people to death is a Goblin Berserker."

"I've never heard of these creatures before."

"That's because they're not from our world," Xander replied, turning to the Chief. "These are all Ethereals from the Nightscape. That portal is a bridge between our worlds."

"But Ethereals can't use the portal to cross to our world. It's never happened before," Leena intervened.

"It means the wall between our worlds has been ruptured. The veiled world is merging with the real one. It's an Emergence!" Xander replied.