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He had never seen a woman so beautiful, and he wondered when, and how, he might see her again.
AURORA
Aurora’s golden hair flew back in the wind like a wild, untamed flame as she spurred on her white stallion, Midnight, to run faster. His hooves pounded fiercely against the ground with increasing speed, every stride growing longer and more powerful.
The scent of pinecones flooded her nostrils and the hostile air bit at her cheeks, but Aurora’s sturdy leather garments and thick cloak kept her warm, shielding her body from the frigid air.
As Midnight galloped on, Aurora strained her eyes to see through the darkness, the faint light of the moon casting a ghostly glow on the path before her. Everywhere around her were invisible monsters waiting to strike, each one capable of ending her life in an instant.
The Dreamworld was a treacherous and unpredictable realm. A place of unbridled imagination, where the boundaries of reality were only limited by one’s mind. The power of her mind was overwhelming, a curse that could manifest anything she wished—from intoxicating fantasy worlds to gruesome monsters unleashed with a single thought. But once her creations manifested, controlling their actions was near impossible.
The only creature she trusted was Midnight. Even though he was an imaginary stallion that she conjured up with her mind, to her, he was real in every sense that mattered. He was her only companion in that world, and he had been her unwavering partner for as long as she could remember. She trusted him with her life and relied on his keen instincts to guide her through the threats of the Dreamworld.
In times past, she had attempted to create illusions of humans, such as her parents and her maids. She even created the children she used to watch in the square, gleefully playing games in the spring sunshine while Aurora was forbidden from stepping outside.
But it was only a matter of time before they transformed into ugly, vicious killers. Their limbs twisted in all manner of ways and their sharp, beady eyes grew black as they attempted to do away with her. The memory of their claw-like nails grasping the air, hungry to slash her throat, sent shivers down her spine.
As the terrain turned rough and uneven, Aurora whispered to her horse, bidding him to slow to a canter and proceed with caution. Midnight obeyed her command, as if they were somehow in sync. She stroked his mane lovingly, a gesture of appreciation for the unbreakable bond they shared.
“We did it again, my friend. Another person saved,” she whispered to him, her voice filled with pride.
Aurora had lost track of how long she had been doing this, but even after all that time, it still felt gratifying every time she aided someone in finding their way back to reality. It wasn’t a difficult task; all she had to do was create a jolt strong enough to awaken them. Of course, each case was unique, and it depended on how they had entered the Dreamworld. But, for the most part, a strong enough jolt was sufficient.
Midnight nickered in response, as if he understood her words. Aurora smiled and patted his neck. “I couldn’t do it without you, you know? You’re the best companion a girl could ask for.”
Midnight nuzzled her hand, and Aurora’s heart swelled with affection for him. Though he was an illusion, his unwavering loyalty was as real to her as her own beating heart.
Aurora stood at the edge of a cliff and gazed ahead. Before her was a long, wooden bridge only half-built, its planks closely fitted together. She counted the wooden planks carefully, one by one, as she reminisced about each and every person she had ever saved. For every person she had assisted in finding their way back to reality, a wooden plank had materialized on the bridge before her. Like a reward.
Midnight slowly moved closer to the edge of the cliff, and Aurora waited for a new plank to appear. As she gazed into the inky abyss below, her thoughts drifted to the man she had pushed overboard—a desperate and foolish soul who had dared to enter the Dreamworld willingly. Who had consumed the potion brewed by the fairies, a dangerous elixir that brought about both ecstasy and agony to its drinker.
She could still see the look of terror etched on his face as he tumbled backward and splashed into the dark waters. But there was something different about him, something that set him apart from all others she’d encountered.
As he stood on the ship’s deck, surveying the chaos around him with a keen eye, Aurora couldn’t help but wonder if he had come seeking answers. Perhaps he had been driven to this madness by an insatiable thirst for knowledge.
Clearly, he had no notion of the dangers that lurked in that realm.
The Dreamworld was not a place for the faint of heart. It was a place of nightmares, a realm of darkness and despair, and Aurora seethed with anger at the thought of anyone willingly subjecting themselves to its horrors. How could anyone find pleasure in facing such terrors with reckless abandon?
Aurora had seen countless soldiers pass through the Dreamworld, sent there to hone their skills and test their mettle. But for many, the journey was a one-way ticket to oblivion. If only she had been able to save them all, the bridge would have been completed by now. But so many had been lost to their own inner demons before she even had a chance to reach them.
And as quickly as it had begun, the stream of soldiers stopped. Perhaps their commander realized not many were making their way back and stopped sending the soldiers.
She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the memories. Part of her was relieved that the madness had come to an end, but another part of her knew that without new arrivals, there would be no more planks, and she would never make it to the other side.
To the golden tower.
Its intricate metalwork sparkled silver and gold in the moonbeam, almost as if it was illuminated with power from within. There was a secret within its walls, a mystery waiting to be unraveled if she could only reach it.
She looked back at the bridge, examining it closely, her eyes tracing the wooden planks stretched out before her. No new plank had appeared yet, and her heart tightened with trepidation. The Dreamworld was strange and unpredictable, so it wasn’t impossible to believe that one day the planks could stop appearing altogether. Regardless of her efforts.
But that wasn’t a thought she was ready to entertain. She was so close. The bridge was already halfway done.
Aurora dismounted from Midnight and stepped onto the bridge. The first few planks creaked under her weight, and she clung onto the rope railing for balance as the bridge swayed with the icy chill of the night.
Midnight’s warm breath on the back of her neck reminded her that she wasn’t alone. She turned to him, a small smile curving her lips. His presence was a comfort, a reminder that she had someone to rely on even in the darkest of moments. No matter what happened, she would always have him by her side. She leaned against him and closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his body around her.
But before she could get lost in the darkness of her thoughts, she felt a nudge at her shoulder. She opened her eyes to find Midnight staring back at her. He nudged her again, and she understood.
