The silence in the Great Hall of the Deep Foundation was broken only by the faint hum of dreamlike energies permeating it. Kael, Anya, and Lyra sat before Master Elian, their faces illuminated by the warm light of the floating lanterns. They had just completed an intense training session, and the air was still thick with the scent of concentration. But the gravity in Elian's gaze suggested that their hardest lesson had yet to begin.
"Young Keepers," Elian began, his usually calm voice now laced with palpable urgency, "your progress through the Veils has been extraordinary. Kael, your strength, your ability to rebuild your Dream Garden, has had an impact beyond the Dream Realm."
Kael tilted his head, curious. "Master, do you mean that my Garden affects the Dream Realm in general?"
Elian slowly shook his head. "More than that. Your inner awakening, Kael, your acceptance of loss, and your overcoming denial are emitting a resonance. In the waking world, those near your physical body are sensing a change. Their dreams are less tormented, their lethargy lightens. It is hope, a small flame rekindling in the darkness that the Ash seeks to spread."
A shadow crossed Lyra's face. "That's good, isn't it? A sign we're winning."
"It is," Elian conceded, his ancient eyes studying his students' faces, "but every light attracts moths. And in our case, something far more sinister. The Ash has sensed this anomaly, this resistance arising from an unexpected place. It now understands that the source of this vitality is not a collective dream, but a specific point. An individual."
Anya brought a hand to her lips. "Kael's body... in the real world."
Elian nodded gravely. "Exactly. The Ash has sent its Silent Ones into the waking world. They are not simple nightmares; they are deeply corrupted humans, empty shells driven by the Ash's hunger. They do not seek to destroy your body, Kael, but to locate it, to assimilate it, or perhaps to nullify the resonance that is hindering their progress. They are closing in on your village, your anchor point."
The air grew cold. The threat, suddenly so real and so close, struck them with overwhelming force.
"Then what do we do, Master?" Kael asked, tension in his voice. "If they find me…"
Elian continued, his tone revealing the weight of his decision. "The initial plan was for you to continue your journey through the seven Veils. But the situation has escalated. I've devised countermeasures here in the Dream Realm to mask your presence. However, there's a limit to what we can do without your involvement. I've considered a drastic option, Kael, a forced, premature awakening."
Lyra sprang to her feet. "Wake him? But that would interrupt his training! Leave the Veils incomplete!"
"I know, Lyra," Elian said, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. "But the advantage would be twofold. In the waking world, a conscious Kael could hide his dream essence far more effectively than a sleeping body. He could move, blend in, make the Silent Ones' search infinitely more difficult. And his physical presence, his ability to act, could be crucial in protecting your village, Kael, which, without knowing it, is under silent siege."
Kael felt a sharp pang in his chest. His village, Borin, Mara, Lia... they were in danger. The dilemma burned. Waking up meant abandoning the completion of his path, perhaps losing the chance to fully master his power. But remaining as he was risked endangering the people he cared about most.
Then Anya, who had listened in silence until that moment, stepped forward, her eyes bright with insight. "Master," she said, her voice firm, "what if he doesn't wake up? What if we can fool the Silent Ones instead? What if we give them something to hunt in the real world, something that isn't Kael?"
Elian looked at her, intrigued. "Explain, Anya.
"The Dream Realm is not only the place where our dreams are born," Anya continued, "but it's also infused with echoes and remnants of ancient manifestations. There are creatures, Master, not Keepers, but almost, generated by the emotional resonance of certain places or events in the waking world. They are the 'Silent Guardians.'"
"The Silent Guardians?" Kael had never heard of them.
"Yes," Anya replied. "They were created by Solara herself long ago as a sort of last line of defense. She shaped them from the collective dreams of protection and vigilance of communities. They are not intelligent; they have no consciousness. They are pure instinct, and their purpose is to confuse, mislead, and protect. You've never heard of them," she explained to Kael and Lyra, "because they have always been kept extremely secret. A last-resort resource. Practically, legends even within the Foundation, their existence is a precaution, not a common solution."
"But using them has a cost," Elian added, his eyes fixed on Anya. "To awaken one, even briefly, and project it with enough substance into the waking world for the Silent Ones to perceive it, we must draw from our own Dream Gardens. The price manifests as a penalty of consciousness. Not physical harm, but a temporary dulling of our finer dream faculties. For the one who summons it, it will be like walking through a persistent fog, the mind slower to connect, emotional perception dulled, dream reflexes no longer immediately responsive."
Anya nodded. "I'll be the one to summon it. I won't be fully responsive, and I'll need your help, here in the Foundation, and possibly if I must face anything alone. The stronger the Guardian, the greater the penalty for the Keeper who summons and guides it."
Kael's eyes widened. "But Anya, if your mind is clouded... How will I continue through the Veils? Your support and empathy were crucial when I faced the eight Veils of the Soul. Without you…"
"I won't be completely gone," Anya interrupted, "but I'll be limited. And that's where the rest of the team comes in. Lyra, your quickness and decisiveness will be essential to compensate for my slow reactions. You'll need to be my eyes and hands when the fog envelops me, both for Kael's training and for any dream threats we might encounter. And Master Elian, your wisdom and knowledge of the Foundation's paths and defenses will be our guide."
Elian nodded, his gaze shifting between Lyra and Kael. "Anya is right. Your teamwork will become even more crucial. Kael, you'll need to learn to rely not only on your own strength but also on Lyra's timing and my direction, to compensate for the temporary gap Anya will leave. It will be a more solitary training for you in some ways, but also a test of independence and trust in others."
"The Silent Guardian will appear in the waking world as an ethereal figure," Elian continued, "a vague shadow moving at the edges of perception. It will be visible only to those deeply affected by the Ash or to its emissaries, such as the Silent Ones. It won't be a physical being, but a semi-corporeal manifestation created directly from the Dream Realm, a pure entity of deception. It will be a presence, a lure, convincing enough to divert their hunt from the real Kael. We can guide it to create different 'tracks,' scattering the Ash's forces across multiple fronts and pulling them away from Aris."
The decision was made. Kael would continue his path, protected by deception. Anya would pay the price of clarity, a sacrifice invisible but vital, testing the group's cohesion. The battle for Aris would be fought on two fronts: Kael's mind advancing into the depths of dream, and Anya's cunning weaving an illusion so convincing it could mislead the rising shadow of the Ash in the real world.
And Kael's survival through the upcoming veils would depend on his ability to face solitude, and on the renewed synergy with Lyra and Master Elian.
Would the Silent Ones believe it?
.
> "If you're enjoying the story, add it to your Library. Your support keeps me writing ❤️"