Crane's mind raced.
What did this mean in the long run?
Were there even incubi in Arcane?
His head grew hot, sweat forming from the sheer weight of his thoughts.
Before he could dwell on it further, a cloth pressed against his forehead, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Singed silently collected the sweat, wringing it into a vial with meticulous precision.
The vial turned a soft, translucent pink, the liquid inside swirling gently as Singed examined it under the dim lab light.
"Ah, it seems your very existence is rooted in desire," Singed mused, holding the pink vial up to the light, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"And yet… how have you managed to survive all this time?"
Crane kept his expression neutral, the lie rolling off his tongue as easily as a breath.
"People tend to fear what they don't understand."
"People tend to keep their distance from me… and so does money," Crane remarked, steering the conversation toward payment.
"You'll get paid," Singed replied, "but you'll have to earn it."
Crane's eyes flickered with opportunity, a spark of determination lighting within them.
"So, what can I do today?" Crane asked, a slight grin tugging at the corner of his mouth as the prospect of earning money sparked his interest.
"Nothing for you today," Singed replied, setting the vial down before reaching for his tools.
"Don't rush things, boy. It'll only get you killed."
"Can I sleep here… for free?" Crane asked hopefully.
"First door to your left," Singed said, not looking up. "Get some rest. Tomorrow will be grueling."
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Entering the first door, Crane lifted a hand to his face, the weight of the realization settling in.
I'manincubus? Disbelief mixed with curiosity. Incubicanshapeshift,right?
His gaze shifted to his right hand. Slowly, he watched as bone, muscle, and flesh formed, inch by inch, until a new finger emerged.
A flicker of excitement sparked in his eyes.
Yes,Icanshapeshift. It'sslow, butit'sprogress. Anyprogressisgood.
other questions flooded his mind. What else can an incubus do?
Dreammanipulation? he mused, buthowdoItestit?
With a decision made, Crane figured he'd try it while he slept. He glanced around the room, his eyes landing on a small mountain of papers scattered on the floor, right next to a mirror. It wasn't ideal, but it would do.
Sighing, he made his way over and lay down among the papers, determined to test his newfound abilities.
He slowly but surely took his long-awaited sleep.
—————————-
He felt a tug in his subconscious.
His mind—or perhaps something deeper within him—began to separate from his body.
A ghostly projection of himself slowly peeled away from his physical form.
———————————————
Crane's eyes flickered open.
Looking down at his own body, lying on the paper, he wondered:
Isthisdreammanipulation?Doesn'tseemlikeit.
He looked down at the floor, noticing he wasn't touching it—he was floating above it, his body a ghostly hue.
Crane's eyes widened.
Thishastobeastralprojection.
First, Iseemyownbody.
Second, I'mfloatingabovethefreakingfloor.
Third, mybodyisghostly.
Crane looked at the door, his translucent form flickering.
Glancing at the mirror, he saw nothing—no reflection staring back at him.
AmIinvisible?
Crane's astral body jerked in place, struggling to fly.
Relaxing his mind, he tried again.
His astral body hovered in place for a moment, then began to rise slowly.
His head hovered just below the ceiling.
Crane hesitated for a moment.
Then, he pushed forward, letting his head pass through.
He breathed in a sigh of relief.
Idon'tknowhowanyofthishastodowithdreammanipulationbutI ain'tcomplaining
The calmer he got, the faster he moved.
Flying farther and farther up, he looked down on Zaun.
Ishouldreallymapthisplaceout. It'shuge.
His eyes focused on Zaun, roaming from place to place before finally landing on…
The Last Drop.
His eyes showed recognition.
Deciding to go closer, he noticed four blue orbs enter his vision.
As the four blue orbs entered his vision, Crane's head tilted slightly, his eyes narrowing with curiosity. He drifted closer, drawn to their faint, rhythmic pulsing.
All coming from inside The Last Drop.
Crane's astral body phased through the walls of The Last Drop, in search of the source of the blue orbs.
He phased downstairs into a bedroom.
Crane's eyes wandered to a girl with blue hair, her form peaceful in sleep, a blue orb hovering faintly above her.
The orb pulsed softly, and his gaze lingered, intrigued by the connection.
I didn't expect to see Powder on my first night in Zaun, he thought, recognizing her from his memories of the show before his reincarnation.
How strange… to see her here, like this.
The orb above her pulled at him, drawing his attention with an almost magnetic force.
He shifted closer, inching forward, unable to resist its pull.
And closer.
Reaching out a hand, his fingers brushed against the blue orb, sending a shiver through his astral form.
In an instant, the orb sucked him in, pulling him deeper.
Into her dreams.
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I finished my first book today all 430 pages of it
I ran out of blue crayons this so I had to use purple, all in all 10/10 coloring book