Chapter 19 - CHAPTER 19 – A Strange Dream

Alex was dreaming. He stood in the middle of a vast forest. The trees rose high above his head, so enormous and ancient that they seemed endless. Their trunks were thick and dark, and the branches intertwined above, forming a dense canopy of leaves. The air was humid, filled with the scent of damp earth and moss. Everything around him was unnaturally vivid—the colors too intense, the sounds too loud.He felt as if the world was breathing with him. Whispers and rustling came from every direction—the leaves moved though there was no wind. Beneath his feet was a thick network of roots that pulsed with a faint light. Something deep inside him told him that this forest was not an ordinary place.With each passing moment, he felt more overwhelmed. His senses were in chaos, as though his body couldn't keep up with what was happening. The light filtering through the leaves shimmered in strange shades of green and gold, and the sounds—the creaking wood, distant rumbles—were too clear. He had the impression that everything around him was alive and watching.He stopped. Before him, at the edge of the trees, there was a clearing. The trees grew in a circle, and in the center, a fire burned. The flames were not normal—they shimmered green and blue, and a delicate mist floated around them. Alex stepped closer, feeling a strange energy flow through his body.Every step echoed as if the entire clearing was listening. His heart pounded faster. He couldn't tell if he was afraid or fascinated. He felt like he was there for the first time—and yet, as if he had always known this place.Then he heard a voice. Soft, but clear. Deep and calm, echoing through the entire forest.— Come…The voice belonged to no one, and yet it was everywhere. The forest seemed to repeat it—trees, leaves, earth. Alex felt something pulling him deeper. He was no longer sure if he was dreaming… or just beginning to wake.On the other side of the fire, a figure appeared. A tall man, thin and unnaturally slender. He wore something that looked like a robe made of leaves and bark. His skin glowed, and tiny sparks of light circled his hands. His eyes were green—almost glowing.The man moved slowly, his feet not touching the ground. Light radiated from his body, and the runes on his skin glowed rhythmically. Alex stared at him in silence, unable to move.— Your blood remembers… your heart calls… the stranger said.At that moment, the ground trembled, as if the forest itself responded to his words. The man extended a hand toward Alex.— You must come. You must reclaim what is yours.Suddenly, the world around him began to fall apart. The light grew blinding, the colors bled together, the sounds swelled. Alex felt his body couldn't take it anymore. Everything exploded—the fire, the clearing, the trees—and then, there was only darkness.He awoke with a scream. Gasping for breath, his heart pounding in his chest.For a moment, he didn't know where he was. He lay on warm sand, his body heavy and numb. Every muscle felt overworked. Though he couldn't yet see the sun, he felt the heat radiating from the earth, growing stronger by the minute. He had the sense that he had been lying there too long. A few steps away, Lyra sat. Silent and still, staring ahead. Her presence was calming. A reminder that this wasn't just a nightmare. They had truly fought. They had truly survived.— You saved my life, she said softly, not looking at him. Thank you.He tried to sit up, but his arms and legs felt like lead. He trembled, and every movement brought pain. He closed his eyes. He could still see that green glow—and the power that had surged through him. That tingling in his hands when the magic had come alive on its own.The hot sands felt like a bed that wanted to keep him down. His eyes wandered aimlessly, as if searching for direction. The daylight began to illuminate the landscape in shades of ochre, and he barely registered the world around him. He knew he had acted on instinct—but it was more than that. It felt like an awakening to some unknown part of himself.The sand beneath him was soft, but treacherous—too comfortable to leave. Still, he knew he couldn't rest. Not now.Lyra finally stood and wordlessly began to search the area. She inspected the hunter's abandoned gear—his weapons, his bags. She did it thoroughly, without rushing. Alex watched her in silence. His body rested, but his mind was still racing, trying to piece together everything that had happened.After a while, Lyra returned. She carried a rolled-up map and a few pouches. Sitting beside him, she spread everything out on the sand.— We have enough food for a few days. I found a desert map among his things. If we want to reach the edge of our land, we're looking at several days of walking. We also need to avoid the main route and plan our path carefully—find shelter each night. Otherwise, we won't survive the evening.Alex nodded, still overwhelmed by the events of the night. As he tried to make sense of it all, his thoughts kept circling around the images—runes, magic, the nightmare, and the monsters that attacked them.— What are those creatures? he asked. Where did they come from?She hesitated for a moment, as if weighing her words. Finally, she exhaled and began to speak—her voice quiet, but clear.— For as long as I can remember, these creatures have appeared every night. In my homeland, they looked different, but they acted the same—bloodthirsty and attacking anything that wasn't them.— The only way to defend against them is through runes—remnants left by the ancients who once lived.Alex furrowed his brow.— Runes?Lyra nodded. She looked at the walls surrounding the ruins, then pointed to them.— In the great cities, you can still find the original runes—the first ones carved into stone by those who knew their true power. They're the ones that protect people. The runes here… they're just a fragment of that strength. They create a magical barrier, but it's weak.— So what happens if they break? Alex asked.— Then… what's outside gets inside, she replied dryly.A heavy silence fell.— There are other places that can repel the monsters, she added after a while. Like the forest of Edirn. Its magic won't allow them near.Alex stared at her, trying to sort through his thoughts. Monsters, runes, magic… It all sounded like bedtime stories meant to scare children. And yet here, in this world—where inhuman screams echoed at night and walls glowed with mysterious light—fairy tales became reality.— Can't they be killed? Alex interrupted.Lyra turned to him slowly, and in her gaze was something strange—sorrow, exhaustion, resignation.— Many have tried, she said. Some even succeeded. But sooner or later… they all fell.— What do you mean?— Their bodies… changed. After death… they became the very things they fought.Alex felt a chill run through him.— So they can't be destroyed?— Not in any way you know, she replied. Our weapons are useless against them. Long ago, mages could defeat them, but…She paused, unsure whether to continue.— But what?— But mages are dying out. Hunted by everyone, as if they were the source of this corruption.Alex held his breath.— Why do people hunt them?— Because they're afraid. And people always destroy what they fear.Alex stared at the runes for a long time, trying to grasp everything Lyra had told him.As he looked, one of them seemed to pulse. He tried to stand but collapsed again.— Can you help me? I don't have the strength to stand, but I want to see them up close.Lyra helped him to his feet. He leaned on her slight but steady form. Together, step by uncertain step, they approached the ancient wall, standing like an eternal guardian. Lyra led him along it, stopping at a familiar rune.He reached out, barely feeling his hand before it touched the rough stone. The rune glowed, filling the space between them and the wall with green light. Power flowed into his body. He felt energy return to him. He let go of Lyra and stood on his own.Lyra watched him, her expression filled with utter fascination.— This has never happened before, she whispered, as if she couldn't believe it herself. None of the runes ever responded to touch. I have to take you to my master.There was a sudden hope in her voice that Alex couldn't ignore.— Your master? He pulled his hand away, but the energy still pulsed within him—no longer foreign, as if it had begun to fuse with him.He studied Lyra carefully, trying to understand what she truly meant.— Of course. Her gaze was sure, full of conviction. He's never seen anything like this. I think he'll accept you. Maybe even teach you how to truly use these powers.— You think he… would accept me? I'm not an elf. There was uncertainty in Alex's voice—but also a new, growing certainty that he might truly belong.— Of course he would, she said with no hesitation. My master would be eager to meet you.— So? Lyra looked at him, her eyes glowing with rising light.— Do you want to come with me to Edirn—to the forest, where I live?Together, they began planning the journey. With that new purpose pulsing between them, leaving the desert no longer felt impossible. They were once again on the same side, considering each other in a new light. In the green glow of the rune, Alex felt that he might finally discover who he truly was.