Zaila POV
The first thing Zaila felt was the hum. Not the hum of stone or air, but something else: soft, persistent, resonating from the very marrow of her bones. It was the System.
[SYSTEM ALERT: Soulmate Presence Detected - Threshold: Near
Mission Optional: Observe & Influence Dream Subject (Tom M. Riddle)
Reward: 50 SC + Ability Integration]
She couldn't move, couldn't sit up, couldn't even turn her head. But the System had ways. Ways that would let her act.
[Interface Active - Thought Command Mode]
A tiny ripple of her consciousness brushed against Tom's dream. The System registered it.
[PASSIVE ABILITY UNLOCKED: Dream Resonance (allows subtle influence of dreamer's subconscious emotions) (Doctor Who)]
Her hazel eyes glinted faintly gold as the System pulsed warmth through her mind. She could feel the bond forming, fragile and electrifying.
[MISSION UPDATE: Establish Subconscious Communication (Success Probability: 70%)]
She concentrated. A soft thread of emotion-a memory of curiosity and wonder-was sent to him. Just enough to leave a lingering impression.
[REWARD: 50 SC added
NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: Minor Emotional Influence - nudges dreamer's emotions subtly through dream-space (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)]
---
Tom POV
He awoke with a jolt, sheets tangled, heart pounding. The feeling of being noticed lingered.
That night, in his dream, he stood again in the cavern. The glass coffin glowed faintly.
And she was there.
Her hazel eyes caught the torchlight of the dream, flaring gold, and he felt... seen. Not judged. Seen.
He reached for the glass, and for the first time, the dream seemed to answer him. Subtle shifts-ripples of light, the faintest brush of thought in his mind-made him pause.
A whisper seemed to curl around him.
"Tom..."
It was not a sound, but a feeling. A gentle tug at his curiosity. Something about it felt almost magical. And yet, it left a strange warmth in his chest, a spark he couldn't name.
---
Zaila POV
The System pulsed again.
[OPTIONAL ABILITY ACQUISITION:
> Use System Credits (50 SC) to gain new minor ability for survival or dream-space interaction.]
Zaila thought carefully. She needed versatility, subtle influence, something that could protect and guide without direct confrontation.
[ACQUIRED: Illusion of Shadows - create faint illusory shapes or movement to distract or intrigue a dreamer (Labyrinth)]
[NEW SC BALANCE: 0]
She sent a small, flickering shadow across the dream-space corridor. It danced just out of Tom's direct attention. His brow furrowed. He looked around, puzzled, intrigued.
[Success] the System noted quietly. [Tom is aware, curious, and not suspicious.]
Zaila allowed herself a small smile. She might be trapped, but she was not powerless.
---
Tom POV
The boy-king of the orphanage, the brightest in every class, the one who would someday leave his mark on history, had never been good at ignoring mysteries.
Something was different in the dream the next night. A movement caught his eye. Shadows flickered. He swore he saw shapes shifting at the edge of his vision. He turned quickly-nothing there.
A pulse of emotion-warmth, curiosity, a fleeting sense of connection-washed over him. His rational mind struggled to place it. 'What was that?'
The hazel-amber glow of the girl's eyes haunted him, a single vivid image burned into his memory. And somewhere, deep inside, he felt drawn to her.
Not because he wanted friendship. Not because he sought guidance.
But because something in the dream-the girl, the glass, the gold in her eyes-told him he should.
---
The glass shimmered.
The basilisk stirred beneath the stone.
And somewhere in the world between sleep and reality, Zaila's smile spread.
Her first mission was complete. Subtle influence established, abilities integrated, soulmate bond forming.
The System chimed quietly, almost happily:
[Host is adapting. Survival probability increasing.]