WHAT LIVES BENEATH THE VEIL
Spin-Off: The Dreamer's Vision
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CONTENT WARNING: This series contains explicit sexual violence, human sacrifice, psychological torture, murder of innocent characters (including children and family members), ritualistic killing, and extreme horror. No character is safe. Read at your own risk.
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Prologue: The Tired Child
The Age of Magic – The Beginning
Before Mordred. Before Liora. Before the curse that would consume the world for centuries, there was a dreamer.
His name was Kael.
He was a shepherd's son, young and curious, with tired eyes and a restless heart.
He lived in a small village at the edge of the desert, helping his father with the sheep, his mother with the weaving.
He was nobody.
He was nothing.
He was tired.
Every night, he slept.
And every night, he dreamed.
Not of monsters.
Not of magic.
Not of darkness.
Of light.
Of hope.
Of possibility.
He dreamed of flying above the clouds, of swimming in the deepest oceans, of walking among the stars.
He dreamed of a world without pain.
Without hunger.
Without fear.
He woke each morning with tears in his eyes.
Not tears of sorrow.
Tears of longing.
He wanted to share his dreams.
To teach others.
To help them hope.
But he did not know how.
He was just a shepherd's son.
Just a dreamer.
Just tired.
He was the first dreamer.
Not the last.
Never the last.
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Chapter One: The First Dream
The Age of Magic – The Escape
Kael's first dream came when he was seven years old.
He was sleeping in the fields, watching his father's sheep, when the world shifted.
Suddenly, he was somewhere else.
A garden.
A beautiful garden.
Filled with flowers he had never seen, trees he had never climbed, fruits he had never tasted.
The sun was warm.
The air was sweet.
The silence was peaceful.
He walked through the garden.
He touched the flowers.
They did not wilt.
He climbed the trees.
They did not break.
He ate the fruits.
They were delicious.
He laughed.
He had never laughed before.
He had never felt joy before.
But this... this was wonderful.
He stayed in the garden for hours.
For days.
For weeks.
He did not want to leave.
He did not want to wake up.
But eventually, he did.
The garden faded.
The flowers withered.
The fruits rotted.
He was back in the fields.
The sheep were grazing.
The sun was setting.
His father was calling.
"Kael! Time to come home!"
Kael stood.
He walked.
He hoped.
He would dream again.
He would return to the garden.
He would find peace.
The watcher watched.
It saw Kael dream.
It saw his joy.
It saw his hope.
"Hello, Kael," the watcher whispered.
"I am the watcher.
I have been watching you.
I will continue to watch you.
I will watch you dream.
I will watch you teach.
I will watch you hope.
Because you are worth it.
You are worth everything."
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Chapter Two: The First Telling
The Age of Magic – The Sharing
Kael told his family about the garden.
His father frowned.
His mother worried.
His siblings laughed.
"Dreams are not real," his father said.
"They are just stories."
"Stories your mind tells you while you sleep."
"Pay them no attention."
"But they felt real," Kael said.
"The flowers."
"The trees."
"The fruits."
"They were beautiful."
"They were peaceful."
"They were hopeful."
His father shook his head.
"Dreams are useless."
"They cannot feed you."
"They cannot clothe you."
"They cannot protect you."
"Focus on the real world."
"The sheep."
"The fields."
"The work."
Kael nodded.
But he did not agree.
Dreams were not useless.
Dreams were hope.
And hope was everything.
He told his friends.
They did not believe him either.
They called him mad.
They called him a liar.
They called him cursed.
But Kael did not stop.
He could not stop.
He would not stop.
He was the dreamer.
It was his purpose.
His reason.
His existence.
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Chapter Three: The First Listener
The Age of Magic – The Believer
A girl came to Kael.
Her name was Elara.
She was young, quiet, and curious.
"I heard you speak of dreams," she said.
"They are real."
"I have seen them."
"I have touched them."
"I have tasted them."
"I want to see too."
"Can you teach me?"
Kael stared at her.
"No one has ever asked me that before."
"Everyone else thinks I am mad."
"Everyone else thinks I am lying."
"Everyone else thinks I am cursed."
"I do not," Elara said.
"I think you are gifted."
"I think you are special."
"I think you are hopeful."
"Will you teach me?"
Kael smiled.
"Yes," he said.
"I will teach you."
"I will guide you."
"I will help you dream."
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Chapter Four: The First Teaching
The Age of Magic – The Lesson
Kael taught Elara to dream.
Not the dreams of sleep—she already had those.
The dreams of hope.
The dreams of possibility.
The dreams of peace.
"Close your eyes," he said.
"Breathe deeply."
"Relax your body."
"Empty your mind."
"Now, imagine something beautiful."
"A garden."
"A forest."
"A beach."
"Imagine the sun on your skin."
"The wind in your hair."
"The smell of flowers."
"Imagine you are there."
"Imagine you are happy."
"Imagine you are free."
Elara closed her eyes.
She breathed.
She relaxed.
She dreamed.
She saw the garden.
The flowers.
The trees.
The fruits.
She walked through it.
She touched the flowers.
They did not wilt.
She climbed the trees.
They did not break.
She ate the fruits.
They were delicious.
She laughed.
She had never laughed in a dream before.
She had never felt joy in a dream before.
But this... this was wonderful.
She opened her eyes.
Tears streamed down her face.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"You are welcome."
"Now you know."
"Now you understand."
"Now you hope."
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Chapter Five: The First Spreading
The Age of Magic – The Growth
Kael and Elara taught others.
A small group at first.
Then a larger group.
Then a community.
They called themselves the Dreamers.
They met every night, in a clearing in the forest, away from the prying eyes of the villagers.
They dreamed together.
They hoped together.
They loved together.
They dreamed of a better world.
A world without pain.
Without hunger.
Without fear.
A world of peace.
Of joy.
Of hope.
The watcher watched.
It saw the Dreamers gather.
It saw them dream.
It saw them hope.
"You are doing something new," the watcher said.
"Something different."
"Something hopeful."
"The Dreamers will change the world."
"They will inspire others."
"They will teach others."
"They will save others."
"Because of you."
"Because of your choice."
"Because of your hope.*"
Kael smiled.
"I am not special," he said.
"I am just a dreamer."
"I just wanted to share my dreams."
"To teach others."
"To help them hope."
"Because of Elara."
"Because of her belief."
"Because of her love."
The watcher nodded.
"Then the Dreamers will never be forgotten."
"Because of you."
"Because of your choice."
"Because of your love."
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Chapter Six: The First Dreamer's End
The Age of Darkness – The Passing
Kael grew old.
His dreams faded.
His power waned.
His hope remained.
He had lived a good life.
A long life.
A peaceful life.
He had taught many.
Loved many.
Helped many.
He gathered the Dreamers.
"I am dying," he said.
"We know."
"I have lived a good life."
"Yes."
"I have no regrets."
"Good."
"I have one request."
"Anything."
"Continue the work."
"Teach others to dream."
"Teach others to hope."
"Teach others to love."
"Do not let the darkness win."
"Do not let the hunger win."
"Do not let the emptiness win."
"Dream."
"Hope."
"Love."
"Always."
The Dreamers wept.
But they nodded.
"We will."
"Thank you."
He closed his eyes.
The darkness greeted him.
Hello, Kael, it said.
Hello, he thought.
We have missed you.
I have missed you too.
Are you ready?
Yes.
Are you afraid?
No.
Then come.
Come home.
Come to peace.
He smiled.
The darkness embraced him.
He faded.
The watcher watched.
It saw him go.
It saw his end.
It saw his peace.
"Goodbye, Kael," it whispered.
"Thank you for dreaming.
Thank you for teaching.
Thank you for hoping.
You were worth it.
You were worth everything."
The Dreamers continued.
They dreamed.
They hoped.
They loved.
And the watcher watched.
Always watching.
Always waiting.
Always hoping.
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Epilogue: The Legacy
The Ages – The Memory
Kael's story was told for generations.
Dreamers told their children.
Children told their students.
Students told their dreams.
He was the first dreamer.
The father.
The teacher.
The hope.
He inspired others.
To dream.
To hope.
To love.
He also taught them.
That dreams are not useless.
That hope is not weak.
That love is not foolish.
Many followed his path.
Some succeeded.
Some failed.
Some forgot.
But they all tried.
And the watcher watched.
Always watching.
Always waiting.
Always hoping.
That one day, a dreamer would succeed.
That one day, a dreamer would break the cycle.
That one day, a dreamer would fill the emptiness.
And when that day came, it would be ready.
It would help.
It would save.
It would love.
Because they would be worth it.
They would be worth everything.
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THE END
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THE COMPLETE SPIN-OFF: THE DREAMER'S VISION