Morning mist clung to the narrow road leading away from Greyhaven.
The village slowly disappeared behind the distant hills as Elias Vale walked alone along the damp stone path.
The world felt quieter now.
Almost peaceful.
But Elias knew better.
Beneath the calm surface of reality, something subtle had begun to shift.
The incident in Greyhaven had confirmed it.
The barrier between the waking world and the Sea of Dreams was weakening.
And where cracks appeared…
Things from the abyss inevitably followed.
Elias adjusted his gloves and continued walking.
The faint silver thread he had absorbed from the destroyed parasite was still settling within his mind.
Its memories had begun organizing themselves.
Not as clear images.
But as instincts.
Directions.
Sensations pointing toward distant disturbances.
One in particular stood out.
West.
Far beyond the hills.
Elias followed the road for another hour before reaching the next settlement.
A small roadside town built along the banks of a slow-moving river.
Wooden buildings leaned slightly from years of weather and age.
Fishing boats drifted lazily along the foggy water.
Above the town entrance hung a faded wooden sign.
Ravenport.
Elias stepped onto the muddy main street.
The atmosphere felt… different here.
Not dangerous.
But restless.
Like a place where something invisible had been quietly bothering the people who lived there.
That matched the feeling coming from the dream-thread in his mind.
He walked past a bakery, a blacksmith, and a small trading shop before stopping outside a tavern near the river.
Voices drifted through the open door.
Angry ones.
"…I'm telling you, something's wrong with him."
"You've said that every night this week."
"Because every night it gets worse!"
Elias stepped inside.
The tavern smelled of wood smoke, cheap ale, and wet boots.
Several fishermen sat around a long table near the window, speaking in hushed voices.
Behind the counter, the bartender wiped a glass while listening carefully to their conversation.
Elias took a seat at the bar.
"A drink," he said calmly.
The bartender glanced at him briefly.
"You passing through?"
"Yes."
The man filled a glass with dark ale and slid it across the counter.
"You picked a strange time to visit Ravenport."
Elias raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Why is that?"
The bartender hesitated.
Then leaned closer.
"Because of Jonas."
The fishermen at the nearby table fell silent.
One of them looked over nervously.
"Don't talk about that here."
But the bartender ignored him.
"Jonas Calder."
Elias sipped the ale.
"And what about him?"
The bartender lowered his voice.
"He started hearing things."
Elias's interest sharpened immediately.
"Voices?"
The bartender nodded.
"Whispers."
The fishermen exchanged uneasy glances.
"Started about five nights ago," one of them said.
"At first Jonas said someone was calling his name while he slept."
Another fisherman continued.
"Then he started waking up screaming."
"Talking about shadows in his dreams."
"And eyes," the bartender added quietly.
Elias paused.
Eyes.
He had heard that detail before.
The fishermen continued speaking.
"Last night he ran through town shouting that something was crawling out of the river."
"Half the village heard him."
"But when we went to check…"
The man swallowed nervously.
"There was nothing there."
Elias set the glass down slowly.
The silver thread in his mind pulsed faintly.
Yes.
This was definitely connected.
Dream energy had been leaking here too.
But unlike Greyhaven…
This disturbance hadn't formed a parasite yet.
It was still building.
Which meant something else was happening.
Elias stood.
"Where can I find this Jonas Calder?"
The bartender pointed toward the river.
"Small house near the docks."
Then he added quietly:
"If you're smart, you'll stay away from him."
Elias smiled faintly.
"That would defeat the purpose of coming here."
The bartender frowned.
"You talk like you expected something strange to happen in Ravenport."
Elias turned toward the tavern door.
"Let's just say I've seen this pattern before."
Outside, fog rolled slowly across the riverbank.
The docks creaked softly as the tide shifted against the wooden supports.
Elias followed the narrow path toward the fisherman's houses built along the water.
The dream-thread in his mind grew stronger with every step.
Something nearby was stirring.
Not fully awake.
But restless.
Like a nightmare just beginning to form.
He stopped in front of a small wooden house at the far end of the dock.
The windows were covered.
But faint candlelight flickered inside.
And beneath that light…
Elias felt something else.
A presence brushing against the edge of the dream realm.
Whispers drifted faintly through the air.
Too quiet for ordinary ears.
But Elias could hear them clearly.
Dozens of voices murmuring at once.
"Watcher…"
"Dreamer…"
"Open the door…"
Elias stood perfectly still.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
These whispers were not coming from Jonas Calder.
They were coming from something behind the veil of dreams.
Something curious.
Something aware.
And far away in the endless darkness of the dream realm…
The faint attention of The Lucid One stirred once again.
Watching with silent amusement.
Because this time…
The whispers had not appeared by accident.
Someone—
Or something—
Had deliberately called Elias Vale here.
From inside the dreams of a terrified fisherman.