As I slowly emerged from the depths of sleep, the remnants of the dream still clung to the edges of my consciousness like cobwebs in the corner of a forgotten room. The words of the beasts echoed in my mind, their voices hauntingly familiar yet shrouded in mystery. “Salvation,” they had called me. “Bridge between two worlds.”
I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the lingering haze of the dream. What did it all mean? Why had the beasts chosen me? The questions swirled in my mind like leaves caught in a whirlwind, each one more perplexing than the last.
Sitting up in bed, I wrapped the blankets around me like a protective cocoon, seeking solace in their warmth as I grappled with the enigma of the dream. Was it a prophecy, a message from some higher power? Or merely the product of an overactive imagination, fueled by late-night reading and restless sleep?
I muttered to myself, my words barely audible in the quiet of the room. “Salvation… bridge between two worlds…” The phrases felt heavy on my tongue, weighted with a significance that I couldn’t quite grasp.
But as I pondered the meaning of the dream, a sense of unease began to gnaw at the edges of my thoughts. What if it wasn’t just a dream? What if there was truth to the words spoken by the beasts?
The idea sent a shiver down my spine, prickling my skin with goosebumps. The thought of being chosen, of having some greater purpose thrust upon me, was both exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure.
But deep down, beneath the layers of doubt and uncertainty, a flicker of something else began to take root. It was a spark of determination, a stubborn refusal to shy away from the unknown. If the past few months had taught me anything, it was that I couldn’t afford to ignore the call to action, no matter how daunting it may seem.
With a newfound resolve burning in my heart, I pushed aside my doubts and fears, ready to embrace whatever destiny awaited me. For if the dream had chosen me to be a savior, a bridge between worlds, then who was I to argue? So long as I get to have my revenge on the triplets, I was okay with anything that the goddess had in stock for me.
The morning rays slithering into my room through the half closed window informed me that it was morning. And so abandoning my bed, and its tempting sheets, I hastily grabbed a towel from the closet and made my way to the bath house without bothering to check the time.
***
The cool tiles beneath my feet provided a welcome contrast to the warmth of the surrounding air, grounding me in the present moment as I focused on the task at hand.
As I turned on the faucet, the sound of running water filled the room, a soothing melody that washed away the remnants of sleep from my mind. Stepping into the shower, I let the warm water cascade over me, enveloping me in a cocoon of comfort and relaxation.
With each drop that fell, I felt the tension in my muscles begin to melt away, replaced by a sense of calm and clarity. The rhythmic sound of the water drummed against my skin, a steady beat that echoed the steady rhythm of my thoughts.
As I lathered shampoo into my hair and scrubbed away the worries of the previous night, my mind wandered to the magic book waiting for me back in my room. I hadn’t gotten anywhere with it, hadn’t understood one sentence in it, and yet it called to me, its ancient pages whispering secrets and mysteries just waiting to be uncovered. Or rather, it called to the being inside me. I resolved to ask it for help when i open the book to read again.
But first, I needed to focus on the present moment, on the simple act of bathing and preparing for the day ahead. With a renewed sense of purpose, I finished my shower and stepped out onto the bath mat, the steam rising around me like a veil of possibility.
Drying myself off with the towel, I wrapped it snugly around my body and started the short journey that will take me back to my room.
**
As I made my way back from the bathhouse, the light filtering through the trees cast long shadows across the grassy floor. The peaceful serenity of the woods was shattered when I suddenly caught sight of a looming figure ahead, just by our fence. My heart raced in my chest as I froze in place, my eyes widening in terror.
It was a beast, towering and fearsome, its massive form unable to stay oblivious even in a dark morning. It wasn’t on my path like an immovable barrier, but it stopped me from moving. Though different from the one in my dream, its presence inspired the same gut-wrenching fear that had gripped me in the darkness of the night. Was this one of the Queen’s beasts? Surely, it was.
The beast stood feets across from me, a formidable creature that seemed to defy the very laws of nature. Its massive form towered over me, a hulking mass of sinew and muscle that exuded an aura of primal strength.
Scales adorned its body, glimmering in the dappled light filtering through the trees. Each scale seemed to catch the lights in a mesmerizing display of color, shimmering with hues of iridescent green and gold that danced like flames against the backdrop of its dark, leathery hide.
Its eyes were like pools of liquid fire, glowing with an otherworldly intensity that seemed to pierce straight through to my soul. They held a wisdom beyond comprehension, a depth of knowledge that spoke of eons spent wandering the hidden realms of the forest.
Each leg was thick and muscular, ending in razor-sharp claws that dug into the earth with every step, leaving deep gouges in their wake.
Its wings, unfurled like the sails of a mighty ship, stretched out to either side, casting a shadow that could engulf me in darkness. The membrane between each bone shimmered in the lights, a translucent veil that rippled with every movement, giving the impression of immense power held in check.
But it was the beast’s presence that truly captivated me, a primal energy that pulsed through the air like an electric current. It seemed to command the very elements themselves, bending them to its will with a mere flick of its clawed paw.
As it regarded me with eyes that seemed to pierce straight through to my soul, I couldn’t help but feel small and insignificant in its presence. This was no ordinary creature of the forest; this was a being of immense power and wisdom, a guardian of the hidden realms beyond.
I was terrified. Yes. But I was also in awe and reverence.
Just then, a throaty voice echoed in my mind, deep and resonant, sending shivers down my spine.
“Come,” It commanded, the word reverberating through my consciousness like a thunderclap in the silence of the forest.
I tried to resist, to turn and flee from the monstrous creature before me, but my body refused to obey. My legs moved of their own accord, carrying me inexorably toward the beast despite my frantic efforts to escape its grasp.
My legs carried me far from my hut, made me jump the short fence, and into the path of the beast. Was this my death day? Had the Queen sent the beast after me? If not, what was it doing here, instead of patrolling the community?
As I drew closer, the beast regarded me with a piercing gaze, its eyes gleaming with an otherworldly intelligence that sent a chill down my spine. “Why are you here at this hour?” It asked, its voice a rumbling growl that seemed to shake the very ground beneath my feet.
I struggled to find my voice, my throat constricted with fear. “I-I thought it was morning,” I stammered, my words barely a whisper in the vastness of the forest.
The beast’s gaze bore into me, its scrutiny making me feel small and insignificant in its presence. For a moment, I braced myself for the inevitable, expecting the creature to strike me down where I stood.
But to my surprise, the beast let out a low rumble, a sound that seemed almost like laughter. “Ignorance is no excuse for trespassing,” It warned, its voice carrying the weight of centuries of wisdom.
With a flick of its massive paw, the beast gestured for me to leave, its message clear: I was to go, and never roam around by ‘this hour.’ What was the time? What was ‘this hour?’
As I stumbled away from the creature, my heart still pounding in my chest, as I disappeared into the safety of my hut, I couldn’t shake the feeling of overwhelming relief that flooded over me. I had lived to see another day. I had lived after seeing the Queen’s beast.