System Log

[CONGRATULATIONS Maximilian]

[Your request has been granted]

[This system will help you Adapt to Viore]

[Assessing - Please wait]

no no no no no n

I did not REQUEST to

be trapped in anoth

yeah

‎cant‎ ‎seem to move

‎ cant move my‎ arms

‎ ‎‎ cant‎ ‎ ‎ mve‎ ‎ legs

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ whymI ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ alwys ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ pathti

breathe

don't think about last time

this‎ isn't ‎ ‎ that‎ ‎ bad ‎ ‎ ‎ there's‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ not

‎ ‎ ‎even‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ anything‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ just ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ about‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ to

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ eat ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ m ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ haha‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ha‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ h

breathe

when did i

‎ ‎ sleep ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ thats

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ odd‎ ‎ ‎ n ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ why ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ not

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ in‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ control

breathe

dr nichols ‎ ‎ ‎ said

this ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ all ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ it

‎ ‎ ‎ took

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ fathers ‎ ‎ right

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ jus ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ cant

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ anythn ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ rig

breathe

just

breathe

eyes can move

lotta good that does

breathe

still cant see much cause of that

nonsense

it was supposed to be

‎ ‎ better this way

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ just‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ lucid dream ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ yea‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ right

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ still ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ not able ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ move ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ hnnggg

breathe

if i can

tell im dreaming

how can i screw

‎ ‎ ‎ even ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ this up

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ill ‎ ‎ ‎ just never win

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ these

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ night terrors

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ im just

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ too

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ weak

maybe

sister is ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ right

‎ ‎ ‎ its always

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ my ‎ ‎ fault

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ my ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ failure

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ my ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ stain

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ on ‎ ‎ our familys ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ success

breathe

stop

just

breathe

please

just

breathe

im just

defective

even

even my dream knows I asked for it

not sure what i requested but

it does look like theres something behi

Stunning even his inner monologue into silence, the world behind the message spun into focus as Maximilian blinked his eyes, assaulted by colors so vibrant he felt they must only exist in his dreams. His mind reeled as he stared dumbstruck, he could finally tell he was laying flat, and looking straight up, but gone was the familiar grey-blue hazy sky of the suburbs. Instead, he gazed upon thousands of twinkling stars shining bright against velvet black, the myriad of colors and constellations so foreign they barely resembled what he knew as stars.

Trailing across the sky like ethereal curtains made from clouds both solid and transparent, light filtered down from deep space. Unlike the tiny pinpricks against an otherwise impenetrable darkness, these auroras revealed clusters and elongated shapes in different colors- some shining white, others violet, magenta, or glowing with fiery reds. Maximilian could see the nebulae all about, staring back at him from a backdrop of deeper night than he thought possible. The grove in which he lay teemed with life, the trees unnaturally flamboyant and glowing. Leaves of iridescent blue and pink shone like polished metal, their edges shimmering with a faint luminescence.

While the sky was awash in shades that had no place in nature, it was the metallic leaves tinkling as a chill breeze swept gently through the clearing and the gnarled branches of the trees bathed in bioluminescence that Maximilian could simply not wrap his mind around. Every one of his senses seemed slightly off, tilting into the uncanny and casting doubts that lingered a beat too long to be simply shrugged away.

A hysterical laugh bubbled up in Maximilian's throat, the sound emerging as a gurgle from clumsy lips. Either he had gone utterly mad, or this was no mere dream. He had awoken in a strange world that could only be borne of fantasy and magic. His heart raced as he attempted to understand, desperately clawing at the unknown and unknowable with his mind; nothing made any sense to him in this otherworldly place. Glancing up at the canopy of colors above, a dizzying array of sensations flooded through him, until he could barely comprehend what was real and what was imagined. He felt like a tiny speck adrift on an endless raging sea of chaos and confusion.

How is any of this possible

Is any of this possible

I've had

So

So many nightmares

But nothing so far

Far outside anything recognizable

His heart stuttered in his chest as he contemplated the implications, an icy tendril of fear winding through his veins. He was no longer sure of his fate, surrounded by unknown dangers with no way to defend himself. Not for the first time, Maximilian cursed his weakness. If only he had the means to-

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Then, he heard it.

A faint whisper of a language he had never heard before. It carried with it a certain allure; as if the words were alive and crawling along his skin. He felt an overwhelming urge to understand, and yet the more he strained to make sense of the conversation, the more distant it seemed to become. He couldn't tell how many voices were speaking or from which direction they emanated; it was as though they echoed from some point far away deep within him. The words swirled around him like a pleasant breeze, and though their meaning remained unknown, Maximilian could not help but be enchanted by their beauty.

Why can't I recognize it? I had at least heard most every language out there through Sister's competitions, right? How can my brain dream up something I’ve never heard? I was sorta thinking maybe this wouldn't be as terrible as the other times but so little makes sense I don't even know where to begin. Nothing is like normal, none of Dr. Nichols’ "tools" are hel-

System Log

[Assessment complete]

Core Attributes-

[Vitality]-1

[Finesse]-1

[Endurance]-3

[Will]-2

[Anima]-1

Traits detected-

[Juvenile]

[Adaptable]

[Adaptable] effect activated- due to mana toxicity

Race evolved from [Human] to [Changeling]

[Adaptable] effect activated- due to extreme emotional instability

Mind Trait [Linguist] unlocked

Are you a [Linguist]?

Again shut up by the system messages, though now by their sudden appearance rather than departure, Max barely registered the fact he was radiating iridescent golden light. In fact, in all likelihood he would not have noticed at all, except he nodded in acceptance. He couldn't ignore the voices that he could now clearly understand, and they, well they definitely noticed the light.

"And now it glows?" A dulcet voice cut through his racing thoughts, arrogant and droll. "How curious that a mere mortal could cling so stubbornly to life in our realm."

“The infant should have been dead, but now it is overflowing mana. Has something happened to the faeling I left in its place? You were not the one to face Stardancer and Briarshadow-" the second man's formal tone faltered and he continued barely audible to Maximilian, "Dan and I grew up together, I never got on with Bri and now... I don't blame them for hating me, but I can't bear any more burden on my conscience... sir, please can you sense him? Is he safe? Have I doomed their son in some way?"

"Oh, merciful gods," the other voice mumbled in vexation. "This phenomenon is indeed most peculiar, yet I can assure you it shall be fleeting. The mana here within the Fae, this concentration allows us to achieve untold feats yet it is highly toxic to any not born to this environment; therefore, this youngling cannot possibly remain here alive for any extended period and any undue ruminations on your part are needless."

"But it is already long past when the others succumbed, High Priest," the first voice interjected, their words tinged with anxiety and impatience. "And when it should have been taking its last breaths, if the radiance is any indication, it grows stronger even in this sacred place. You know as well as I do that the mana here is uncomfortable for even some of our kin. The other infants, you only watched them fade. This one barely stirred in its slumber as I brought them here. You have always begun your vigil as the last of their lifeforce drained away, if you had been the one to endure the others’ anguished wails you would not find it merely... peculiar. By now you should have sent me away to guide their departing souls in solitude, please, what if you are wrong? What if it will not die?"

The High Priest stepped forward, his cold eyes regarding Maximilian with a mix of amusement and indifference. Long maroon hair framed his gaunt face, meticulously brushed and pinned by gnarled branches giving an air of dour elegance. He loomed over Maximilian, robes of ebony and crimson whispering against the stone altar as he leaned close. His lips curled into a mocking smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Your tenacity is admirable, if futile. Our very air is poison to your kind, little mortal. Each breath draws you closer to a slow, agonizing demise. Or", continuing in a sardonic tone as he turned to face the other man, "Why waste time? Since you are ever so concerned. You could prevent that misery now, and easily! You were assigned to me by Countess Laurelfete for your unparalleled will to follow through with your duty, not your critical thinking- clearly. No matter what the explanation for the babe's luminance, surely an elite [Fighter] such as yourself could snuff out such a young [Human] and its supposedly grand, mysterious power. Oh, how I'd just love to return home to the palace early. I could tell your mistress over a nightcap how you felt you were better suited to steward my new exchange program. Or, and this is just a wild and wacky thought so you tell me if it's just too far out there okay? Or, you could let your vastly wise and immensely powerful high priest of our patron Mnemet, the first [Temporal Hierarch] in existence, the prodigy whose power and [Holy] affinity surpassed every follower of Mnemet alive- before even my first centennial birthday- you could let ME observe what transpires."

"Perhaps there is something more to this creature than meets the eye. Perhaps there is some nefarious [Human] supremacy plot and you've mistakenly stolen their prized next generation and doomed us all to die to their inevitable retaliation. On the other hand, perhaps it will simply succumb to the mana permeating its fragile-" the priest glanced back at Maximilian briefly. "Well, fragile everything really. There are only 2 options, watch and wait, or end it yourself. In this most honored of tasks there is no insight in Elaeden, no there is no insight in all in all the Fae greater than my own. I admit, I don't know why it's taking so long for it to die, but it will eventually rejoin the cycle and offer its life up in due time- whether you aid it or not. Mnemet knows this, I know this, and in time you too will know this."

Maximilian's pulse raced, anxiety tightening his chest against the hammering of his heart as he came to terms with what was happening.

Well, I guess that confirms my “trait” works- until moments ago these men were speaking some language without words and now I can clearly understand them. Even if trying too hard to focus on the specific phrasing they're using does make my head a lil fuzzy.

More immediately concerning though, they are talking about me.

So.

Paralyzed waiting to be eaten by the monster of the night, maybe not.

A baby on, what, a sacrificial altar? Just waiting for death, vibing. Just. Sooo much better.