[Bonus Chapter for Powerstones!♥]
^0^I'll post another chap in an hour!
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No matter what, being able to initially manipulate his own dreams meant that Wade had officially stepped onto the threshold of Nightmare Magic.
Among the past generations of the Somnolen family, very few had ever achieved this.
According to the records in the manuscript, Wade's next step was to gradually expand the size of the dream space he could control.
Right now, he could only simulate a small corner of a London street within his dreams…
Based on the notes, once he could expand his dream environment to encompass an entire street, he would finally be ready for the final step—a step so absurd and paradoxical that just reading about it made him skeptical.
How was that even possible…?
This is completely bonkers...
Because the final step required him to bring the power of the dream into reality while fully awake.
For instance, he would need to project the London street he conjured in his dream into the real world—so that others could see it too…
And the most critical part?
During the process, the caster must remain completely awake and conscious!
In other words—Wade had to make his daydreams visible to the waking world.
As long as he could achieve this final step, he would be able to put others to sleep and manipulate their dreams at will…
Reading this, Wade immediately knew this was not a goal he could accomplish in the short term.
Without hesitation, he set the manuscript aside, stood up, and stretched lazily.
His mood instantly brightened again.
Although reaching the final step was extremely difficult, practicing this magic continuously strengthened his soul.
That benefit alone was already worth it!
After all, it had been experimentally proven that magical strength was directly linked to the strength of one's soul!
In a world where magic only seemed to grow stronger with age, Wade had found a way to increase it through training!
This was an absolute win!
"Toby, let's head back!"
"Yes, Master Wade! Would you like to Apparate on your own, or should I take you?" Toby asked attentively.
"Take me. Right now, it feels like I can't cast magic at all… Every time I try, my head starts aching. I need to get back and have a proper sleep."
…
Back at the Hog's Head Inn, Wade barely touched his pillow before falling into a deep sleep.
Invigoration Draught could only temporarily boost his spirits.
However, the consumed soul energy couldn't be replenished immediately—it could only recover slowly through sleep.
Following Wade's instructions, Toby sat beside his bed, carefully tending to him, never leaving his side—which made Tom grind his teeth in frustration.
That bastard really doesn't give me any chances!
With Toby watching over him, Tom had no opportunity to attack Wade.
While he felt a deep sense of regret, he was also completely puzzled.
It was just a few hours out, so why was this guy—who could usually stay awake for days without issue—suddenly so exhausted?
Looking at him now, he seemed like he hadn't slept in a whole month…
"Toby, where did you take Wade? Why is he so tired?" Tom asked.
"Toby promised Master Wade that I would say nothing. Even to Master Wade's best friend, Master Tom, I cannot tell!" Toby answered solemnly.
Tom frowned. His instincts told him this was related to Wade's hidden power…
But… Sigh..
He had already learned a lot about house-elves by now.
A house-elf would never disobey its master's orders—which meant he had no way of prying any information from Toby at all.
However, Toby definitely knew something about Wade's secret!
Tom secretly made up his mind—one day, when he learned magic that could pry into others' inner secrets, he would start with Toby and finally uncover the truth behind Wade's power!
When that time came, all debts would be repaid!
But for now…
"He just came back and went straight to sleep… Did he even eat? He better not starve himself."
"Thank you for your concern, Master Wade has already eaten," Toby replied.
...
Wade slept for a very long time.
Even Tom—a true workaholic—was starting to feel drowsy waiting for him, yet Wade still showed no signs of waking up.
Tom glanced at Toby, who remained alert and watchful at Wade's bedside, and couldn't help but curse a few times in his heart.
Finally, he gave up, lay down on his own bed, and pulled the blanket over himself…
As the night deepened, Tom's breathing gradually steadied.
Suddenly, Wade's fingers twitched, and his once peaceful eyes began shifting rapidly beneath his closed eyelids.
Wade, who had spent an entire day immersed in dreams, found himself dreaming once again.
And this dream... felt eerily familiar.
A place shrouded in white mist.
In the distance, hidden within the fog, stood a dark silhouette, waving at Wade.
The shadow's mouth opened and closed, as if trying to say something.
Having recently learned Nightmare Magic, Wade immediately became lucid within the dream.
And then—he remembered.
He had dreamed of this exact same scene before!
However, last time, his dream had been abruptly interrupted—by Grindelwald's attack.
But now, something was different.
This time, Wade could faintly hear the voice of the shadowed figure.
The voice sounded... altered, making it impossible to discern whether it belonged to a man or a woman.
And yet, despite his efforts, he couldn't make out complete sentences—He could only catch fragments of words.
"…Follow… Power… Dream…"
Those were the only words Wade could make out.
The rest of the speech was completely indistinct, blurred into the background of the dream.
Wade attempted to manipulate the dream, hoping to shift himself closer to the shadowy figure so he could hear them more clearly.
But nothing happened.
His attempt to control the dream failed entirely!
This stunned Wade.
"Could it be… this isn't actually my dream?"
Realizing he couldn't alter the dream, Wade gave up on trying to manipulate it and instead began walking toward the figure.
For some reason, however, his legs felt incredibly heavy—each step was a struggle.
It took a long time, but eventually, Wade managed to reach the shadowed figure.
Just as he arrived, though, the figure fell completely silent.
Wade narrowed his eyes.
When I was far away, you seemed to have plenty to say.
But now that I'm here, you suddenly go mute?!
His patience wore thin.
"Who exactly are you?" Wade asked in a low, serious tone.
The shadow spoke again, and this time, Wade heard it clearly—
"Follow it. Come find me."
A sudden weightlessness overtook Wade, and then—The world spun.
"Haah! Huff.. huff... What the fuck was that dream...?"
With a start, Wade shot upright in bed, feeling more energized than ever.
His eyes immediately fell on Toby, who had fallen asleep beside his bed at some point.
And then—The strange, blue-glowing lighter on his nightstand.
At that very moment, the lighter was trembling slightly, its eerie blue glow pulsing in the dim room.
Wade carefully reached out, making sure not to wake Toby, and picked up the lighter.
He hesitated for a moment—then pressed his finger lightly against the blue glow.
Click!
The lighter's lid snapped open on its own.
A wisp of ghostly blue flame emerged from the lighter—And then floated up into the air.
The blue flame hovered over Wade's head for a moment before floating straight out the window.
At that moment, Wade recalled the words from his dream—"Follow it. Come find me."
He didn't hesitate for long.
If the shadow in his dream had the power to invade his subconscious at will, then eliminating him would probably be effortless.
Given the circumstances, Wade figured he didn't have much of a choice.
He put on his shoes, grabbed an old wand, and before leaving, he casually cast a Stunning Spell at the sleeping Tom, ensuring his sleep quality skyrocketed for the rest of the night.
Then—Crack!
With a soft crack, Wade vanished.
He Apparated onto the quiet street outside the Hog's Head Inn.
Oddly enough, despite the distinct noise of Apparition, Toby remained completely undisturbed.
The midnight streets of Hogsmeade were deserted.
Only a few flickering lanterns cast dim pools of light onto the cobblestone road.
Suspended in the air, the blue flame hovered motionless, as though it were waiting for Wade.
The moment Wade stepped closer, the flame began to drift forward again, swaying like a wandering ghostly light, leading him deeper into the night…
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Read ahead: P^treon: Captain69
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