I know that I'm dreaming. This one is easy to understand, it's happened before. I'm walking down an empty street outside of my apartment. Small purple flames line the curbs on each side of the street; forcing me to focus on one, narrow path. With every step my stomach clenches tighter and tighter. My gut tells me this is a bad idea.

I know that I'm dreaming, and I want to turn around or even just stop, but my feet move on their own. If I know that I'm dreaming then why can I not turn back? Turn around, turn around, turn around, I repeatedly think to myself, but with no prevail. My body moves without hesitation and without heed to thought. My heart races and my stomach clenches, but I still follow this path. It happens every time.

I walk down these empty streets without anything in sight aside from the flames and apartment buildings. The same scenery fills the dream every time, but not a single soul is ever in sight. With every reoccurence of the dream the path seems to extend, just a step at a time. I've had this dream countless times, and I wonder if it will ever end.

Outside of my apartment I walk straight, take a right, move straight down two roads, a left, and I'm walking down the last road I remember from a previous dream. My last time having this dream I was one step away from the end of the road. As I approach it I get ready to take my final step and expect my dream to end.

Instead, I stand at the end of the road. The path now takes me right. I stare down this new road and see something resembling a shrine. In modern day America, it's a most unusual sight. I don't recall actually ever seeing a shrine in person in my entire life. The tightening of my stomach relaxes and curiosity overpowers my caution. I no longer am forced to walk, but my body finds itself moving willingly: excited to see what lies ahead. I finally arrive at the shrine and take a step inside-

My alarm clock rings, and I wake up in a panic. My body is flooded in sweat, and I feel a little confused at first. I take a few breaths to calm myself and remember the dream.

I found it strange that it let me take more than one extra step this time. I wondered what that was about, but I was sure I’d find out what's in the shrine the next time the dream was to come.

Usually I'm annoyed by this dream with it's bland scenery, irritating repetition, uneasy feeling it gives me, and abundance of sweat I'm constantly consequenced with it in the morning; but this time I actually feel excited to have it again. I shake the feeling and head to the restroom to take a shower. It's 5AM and I have to get ready for my daily 6AM shift at the local convenience store. I don't have time for that kind of excitement right now.

After getting out of the shower I brush my teeth and put gel in my hair. My blonde hair is shaved short on the sides and somewhat long on the top. I put gel and hairspray in it to push it to the sides. Afterwards, I head to my closet. My entire wardrobe consists of the same white, collared dress shirts, blue jeans and khaki slacks. I put on my shirt and decide to go for the khaki slacks.

It's 5:40 and I'm running a little late today. I skip breakfast and decide I'll just buy something to eat on my first break at the store. I slip my black vans on and head out the door.

As of today, I'm eighteen years old and living on my own. Both my parents and my siblings died in a car accident approximately a year and a half ago. I was staying the night at a friend's house in the next town over and they were on their way to pick me up. A semi driver fell asleep at the wheel and ended up swerving off the road, taking my parents' vehicle with him. All parties involved in the accident's lives ended that day.

I was put into foster care, taken care of by a family that didn't want anything to do with me: they only wanted the money. They would beat me and yell at me, using me only as an outlet for their anger. All I did was accept the blows and abuse for three months. I didn't care. I stopped attending school, lost contact with everyone I cared for, and I felt like I deserved it. I felt as though I was the reason my family died. They were on their way to get me when that accident happened. I couldn't forgive myself.

After three months of feeling immense sorrow and pain, I finally lost almost all sense of feeling. I was stuck in complete apathy aside from one thing: my hatred towards my foster parents. I wanted out, and I wanted them to pay. Around that time was when I saw a help wanted sign at the convenience store I work at today. I applied, got the job, and took my foster parents to court. They were arrested on charges of abuse and neglect, and I provided proof to the court that I had a full time job and could take care of myself.

Since then every day on my way to work I replay these instances in my head. I've been told I'm stuck in the past, and I don't disagree, but I don't care to move forward as well. I still can't forgive myself for what has happened. I don't know if I'll ever be able to. I no longer feel the tugging sorrow I once felt, but I now only feel empty in regards to it. I feel as though it's my duty to replay their memory in my head daily; just so they'll never be forgotten... at least by someone.

I approach the building belonging to my job- average sized, outlined by grey bricks with large windows in front filled with advertisements of the store’s merchandise, and a sign reading “Super C” centered towards the top, front wall of the store. I open the door and turn to the right to see a fellow associate and the store owner standing behind the register. The fellow associate, Aaron, is a short (5’3’’), 21-year old male with dark skin and medium length, curly, black hair. The store owner, Raul, is a short (5’1’’), elderly man with light skin, a bald head, and grey facial hair.

Aaron turns towards me and then back towards Raul saying with a smirk, “Well look who we have here. I told you he’d be here boss. I know him like the back of my hand.”

Raul then turns towards me and says, “Dante, I thought I told you to take the day off and let Aaron cover your shift.”

“Sorry Raul,” I said scratching my head and then looking away, “I just need the money.”

Aaron starts to chuckle and says, “Oh no you don’t! Dante, you live alone, and don’t even spend half of the money you earn. What are you doing here, man? Come on, it’s your eighteenth birthday for crying out loud. Go; for once, try to enjoy yourself and take a day for you.”

I started shaking my head but couldn’t begin to disagree. Aaron was the only person I felt as though I could trust in this world. I wasn’t quite sure if I felt as though I was a nuisance to others, or others were a nuisance to me: whether or not misfortune was brought to those around me, or others brought the misfortunate into my life. Either way, I decided it was best just to keep a safe distance. Although somehow; Aaron found his way through the maze in my mind, and reached the end to become the only person I could find comfort in. My confidant, my brother, and my only family. My solace that kept me sane in my journey of otherwise solitude.

I sighed and replied, “Fine, Aaron. Just this once I think I’ll take you up on that offer.”

Aaron and Raul both smiled, and as I was turned around to leave Aaron said, “Yeah. Just this once. Enjoy yourself, Dante.”

I exited the building and started making towards my way home. I couldn’t stop thinking about what I was to do with this day now. I never looked forward to my days off. I never have anything to do with my time. Work is the one, constant thing that I can keep doing to occupy my mind. Usually I run and workout as part of my daily routine, but I can only do that so much before my body reaches its limits. Usually after that it’s just an empty day. Today was going to be just another one of those empty days.

My train of thought was broken when at the corner of my eye I noticed a cat limping on the side of the road. I turned towards it and it looked as though it had stepped on something, possibly a thorn. Its leg wasn’t crushed or didn’t look like it had any disfigurement in its appearance. I thought maybe I could help it so I started making my way towards it.

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As I walked a full street towards it I noticed I wasn’t gaining any distance between it and myself. I couldn’t help but wonder how this cat was moving so fast using only three of its legs. Must be some kind of super cat when at its maximum potential.

I decided to call out, “Here little one! Tch, tch, tch! Come on!”

No response. No movement to even acknowledge me. It was like I wasn’t even calling it, yet I knew I was being loud enough for it to hear me. I decided to start picking up the pace and walking a little faster.

Down another road I followed it, and still, somehow- no distance gained. I was beginning to get a bit frustrated so I began to run after the cat at full speed. Somehow I chased this three-legged, lame cat for about half a mile, and finally started to close the gap on it.

I was very close now, and it took a sharp right. I stopped to catch my breath; leaned over, panting with my hands on my knees. I raised my head and couldn’t believe what I saw in front of me: a shrine.

The shrine itself wasn’t very wide, but it sat on top of  a hill with a staircase spiraling around it. It was made of a very worn down, black concrete. It stood erect atop of the hill with a squared off, tiled roof.

I was astonished. I had never seen a shrine in my life, and had never heard of this shrine, yet I lived so close to it. I questioned how it was even possible. I felt amazed and in awe, excited and anxious, and then suddenly this flurry of emotion all began to pinpoint on one singular emotion with great extremity: fear.

As I looked up at the shrine and saw the three-legged cat sitting at the top of the staircase staring down at me I began to feel a sense of deja vu. I knew this shrine- I had seen this shrine- I had been here. This realization was not connected to reality though, it was the exact shrine I had seen just a few hours earlier. This was the shrine in my dream; the same dream that I had been treading through for over half of my life.

All air left my lungs again just after regaining it. My heart began to pound quickly, increasing in speed with every beat. I gasped and clenched my chest as hard as I could. Questioning thoughts of confusion and paranoia all began to rush through my head simultaneously at what felt like a thousand words per second. I couldn’t think clearly, I was beginning to feel as though I would collapse. I needed to calm down, but I couldn't even control my thoughts to think of the right words to calm myself.

The cat suddenly turned away from me and began taking steps towards the inside of the shrine.

Still overwhelmed with fear and anxiety, I found myself taking steps up the stairs. It was as though I was watching my body from a third person view. I could see myself clearly, but I couldn’t believe that was me walking up the staircase. I had no control over the movements, all I could do was just watch as I was somehow forced up.

I reached the top of the staircase and entered the shrine. The inside of the shrine was empty aside from a large black rock in the centered surrounded by four pillars, and the cat sitting in front of it. As soon as the cat’s gaze met mine it disintegrated, forming a small, purple flame floating in the air that almost immediately vanished. When the flame vanished the rock folded up revealing a staircase underneath just large enough for a human to enter.

Still unable to control my own body I immediately began walking down the newfound staircase. When I reached the lower level of the shrine I found myself in a larger, square room with orange and yellow walls. The floor matched the walls, but had a large red square in the center of it. The square had candles with purple flames aligned on the top and sides of it with an opening for me to walk through.

My body moved through the candles’ entrance and as soon as I did the air around the square suddenly combusted and I was surrounded by the purple flames. The air in front of me now lit up in flames and a figure began to emerge as these new flames dispersed.

Startled, I fell backwards to the ground, staring at this figure. It was a man, a few inches shorter than me with brown eyes and dark, brown semi-curly hair. He looked at me and smiled.

“Scared are you? Hi, my name is Tobias. A pleasure to meet you,” he said.

To my surprise his voice was slightly feminine for a male. He was shorter than me, his muscles were less defined, and he looked like a regular human. These factors obviously shouldn’t mean much considering the fact that he just appeared from unusually colored flames that came from seemingly nowhere, but I decided to take what I could get and focus on these details to help recollect myself. I was mentally exhausted, extremely frightened, and utterly confused; I needed some sort of hope that I wasn’t going to die here.

I stood stood up and decided the best course of action to take here would be to bluff. To show fear is the first step to an absolute and imminent defeat. My pride would not allow me to go out without a fight.

“Me? Afraid?” I replied, trying to mask the shakiness in my voice. “That’s highly unlikely.”

Tobias’ smiling face suddenly turned straight.

He then only replied with, “Good.”

A plethora of small flames again began to conjure in a rectangular shape; this time right above the hands of Tobias. The flames materialized and revealed a katana. It was average sized with a silver blade and black and gold hilt.

He quickly threw the katana to me and said, “Take this, you’ll need it.” I cautiously, barely caught the katana with both hands by the hilt, carefully attempting to avoid touching the blade.

He then conjured another katana and as soon as it appeared he ran straight towards me, holding his katana near his waist in his right hand. His right arm and katana both elevated with every step he took towards me. It all happened so fast I could hardly comprehend what had even happened. My eyes were staring straight at him- the information was there to react, but my mind couldn’t process it quick enough.

“Aaaahhhhhhh!” I screamed in agony as the blade sliced my left arm just below the shoulder. The blade had easily bypassed both shirt and skin to tear into my deltoid. I looked down and was horrified by the open wound. Blood frantically raced out of it, bathing my entire arm and dripping onto the katana I was clenching towards the ground. I grasped it tighter to try and relieve some of the pain.

I quickly realized I didn’t have time to feel fear. I wasn’t blessed with the opportunity to feel pain nor to stand there hopelessly feeling sorry for myself. There wasn’t a single soul in the world that was coming to save me.

After slicing upwards from my right arm, tobias was now swinging his blade down onto the right side of my neck. I responded by simultaneously stepping back and lifting my blade to meet his, but was too slow. His blade grazed my right arm, tearing off a small layer of skin.

As his blade passed by me I swung my blade down in both hands aiming towards his right arm. He changed directions of his blade and moved it just to the right to intersect my blade. As our blades clashed I took the opportunity to quickly jump back and reposition myself.

The flames still burned violently around the arena. There was no escape. No chance of cheap tricks or thinking of any sort of tactics. This had been set up to be a duel. A duel versus myself and Tobias. The stakes were our lives.

Tobias came charging at me again with a furry of slashes towards me. Block up, lower left, left, right, up again, right, lower right. He then jabbed at me, but I swung my katana up and reflected his blade up. I then thrusted myself forward, but he crashed his blade down onto mine. He swung to the left, but I swept my blade up. Instead of pulling back and going for another swing, he pushed harder. I pushed back with all my strength and our blades were met in between us.

We stared at each other. I couldn’t help but find myself smiling. I was getting quicker, I was growing stronger. I was getting accustomed to this; learning to react faster every time our blades met.

As we stood there, pushing back and forth between our blades he began to speak, “Your arm… How long do you think you’ll last with that.”

He was right. I could feel the pain, feel the blood still oozing out. I was beginning to feel a little light headed, but I couldn’t stop now. I had to win, no matter what, all I could think was that I was going to win.

He smiled and then released the pressure of his blade, pedaling backwards at a speed my eyes couldn’t even keep track of. In an instant he was at the other edge of the arena.

“I had fun,” he said, “but this is where you learn the true difference between you and I. You did well. You learn fast, but unfortunately for you, we are two completely different beings.”

All of a sudden Tobias was shrouded by his purple flames, and when they disappeared he was unrecognizable. His skin had turned very pale, with a slight purple hue to it, and his back had sprouted a single, black, feathery wing on the right side. His irises had turn a dark violet with black circles surrounding the skin of his eyes. His shirt had changed from a black collared button-up, to a long, coat with a hood he was now wearing.

The atmosphere had completely changed in the room. Again, I began to feel suffocated. All the hope and hard work I had been clinging to, it was gone. All I could sense in this moment was an undeniable death. All adrenaline left my body and was completely replaced by fear. The pain in my arm fully returned. Despair was all that was left.

The next thing I knew, I felt deep slices in both my forearms and thighs simultaneously. Almost immediately after, I lost majority of my senses. My vision was blurred and my hearing was muffled. I no longer felt pain, but I could smell and taste fully. I smelt a room of death and tasted a mouth full of blood.

I found myself clinging to a steel, anchor necklace with a jewel inside that I wore as I fell to the ground. “Ashe… Ly…” I muttered, lying on the ground in a puddle of blood.