As the green mist receded, a mild sense of hunger spread throughout the Clan, an expected consequence of Sarah's ultimate nightmare. Everyone was aware of the situation, as they had all contributed a bit of energy when the mist was utilized. The Clan was abuzz with gossip, theories swirling around the significance of the green mist and its effects.

As night fell, news of the incident circulated, accompanied by the Clan leader's decision to implement a new rule. Some cocky parents entertained the thought of complaining, but ultimately, no one openly voiced their dissent. If even the eight powerhouses couldn't sway Dalton's resolve, no one else stood a chance.

Gradually, people began to accept the new rule, and the incident faded from their minds. The combat classes now focused on teaching control before unleashing full power, prioritizing defense basics before engaging in sparring. Even the parents encouraged their children to practice controlling the power of dreams in their free time, particularly those with exceptional talents.

A week later, Artemis arrived. Dalton's Majestic Wind Eagle landed beside his house, its giant wings folding as Artemis swiftly dismounted without waiting for the creature to settle. Stepping onto the ground, Artemis sensed that something was amiss. People hurried past, their pace quickened as if they feared an impending disaster. And indeed, they did.

Every member of the Clan harbored fear toward Artemis. The memory of her previous outburst, unintentionally demolishing part of the village while tossing Dalton around like a punching bag, lingered in their minds. Artemis had flown into a fit of rage, mistakenly believing Dalton had betrayed her, and the structures crumbled around them. In truth, Artemis hadn't been seriously intending to harm him.

In short, Artemis was never known for her rationality or composure. Quite the opposite, in fact. Nobody wanted to be near her when she discovered her son had come close to losing his life.

Before she could even reach her house's door, Dalton materialized beside her. "Hey, babe," he greeted.

BANG.

A solid jab landed on his nose. "Dammit, Dalton! You scared me! I told you not to use Saulo's dream near me!" Dalton lay flat on the ground, apologizing, "I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to frighten you. I've just missed you so much during your long visits to that gnome you call your father. Would you honor me with a skyward journey to catch up?"

With a snort, Artemis saw through his ploy and agreed, saying, "I don't know what you've done wrong to suddenly act so affectionate as soon as I return, but I'll take the bait. I do miss the times when we used to fly together every weekend."

Without wasting a second, Dalton swept Artemis off her feet, soaring high into the sky. He aimed to put as much distance between her and the village as possible before being compelled to reveal the events of the past week. He engaged in small talk, attempting to delay the delivery of bad news, but he couldn't prolong it indefinitely.

Back at the Clan, life resumed its normal routine. An hour passed without any notable occurrences, aside from occasional tremors.

Silently, they returned together. Artemis wore a clearly furious expression, her fists bruised and trembling with anger. Dalton, on the other hand, continued to apologize profusely throughout their journey back. Purple patches marked his skin, including around one eye, evidence of the price he had paid to safeguard their Clan.

Lucien's suffering had ignited a raging fire within Artemis, causing her to unleash her full wrath upon Dalton as a means of relieving her fury. Fortunately for him, Artemis stopped earlier than he had anticipated. Her son's well-being took precedence over venting her frustrations, prompting their return.

"I knew something was wrong, damn it! And because of you, I'm practically drained of energy now, and you know I hate feeling like this!" Artemis complained when they landed.

"I'm sorry once again, babe, and I'll apologize as many times as necessary. But you know I had no other choice, right?" Dalton repeated like a broken record.

Artemis swung open the door and headed straight for Lucien's bedroom, continuing to grumble, "I know, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm furious!"

Artemis stepped into Lucien's room, her eyes scanning the familiar surroundings. The mood inside was a stark contrast to her earlier anger. She found some solace in seeing her son's friends, Mary and Jess, along with his brother Tomas, gathered around Lucien, keeping him company during his recovery.

The room itself exuded a sense of warmth and comfort. Soft light spilled from a bedside lamp, casting a gentle glow on the thick wooden walls. The small stacks of notes, carefully written by Artemis about his visions, adorned his table, a testament of his dedication to his dream.

As Artemis approached, a smile tugged at her lips, witnessing the genuine camaraderie between Lucien and his friends. Mary, with her cheerful disposition, engaged Lucien in animated conversation, her laughter filling the air. Tomas sat nearby, providing occasional comic relief, making his brother chuckle despite being locked in his bedroom for a week by Sarah’s order.

Lucien shared with Artemis his experience, recounting the events that unfolded before and after his near-fatal encounter. He described his fight and how he messed up while already devising counter plans against that bastard making a silent vow in his mind. All that situation generated by far the worst feeling he ever had. Not having a way to fight back, the despair of not knowing what to do and being at the hands of his opponents were the core feelings he desired to never feel again. His to never be so powerless again before an opponent and for that, he needed power.

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In the end his recovery had been almost instantaneous, thanks to the Clan's healer’s nightmare, but by her own recommendation he had to stay in bed for some time just to be sure.

Artemis couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude towards Mary, and the others who visited Lucien every day. They provided not only companionship but also emotional support during his healing process. Mary's unwavering presence and Tomas' mischievous antics brought a sense of normalcy to Lucien's days, easing the weight of his ordeal.

Though Jess joined them every day too, everyone knew her true motivation to appear so many times was to escape the rigorous training sessions her father demanded. Nevertheless, her presence added a sense of solidarity among the group, reinforcing the bonds of friendship they shared.

Cindy and Marlon, committed to their training, visited Lucien less frequently, their absence partly explained by their dedication to honing their skills. Michel, whom Lucien had only met twice before, made a single visit at the beginning of the recovery period, nothing special to take notes of.

Artemis settled into a chair beside Lucien's bed, her eyes filled with a mix of pride and affection as she observed her son surrounded by his loyal friends. The sun went out and the girls returned home, ending the day without any more surprises.

As the days passed, the Clan settled back into a semblance of normalcy. The initial shock and fear triggered by the green mist incident gradually faded away, replaced by a renewed focus on their daily routines and responsibilities. Lucien, too, found himself falling into a new rhythm that became his usual routine.

Each morning, Lucien would rise from his bed, greeted by the gentle sunlight that filtered through his window. After a quick breakfast with his family, he would retreat to a quiet corner of the house, where he would review his visions with Artemis.

Together, they would delve into the intricate details, extracting every ounce of meaning from the cryptic messages that had been gifted to Lucien. Armed with a kind of a pencil and paper, he meticulously recorded the contents of his visions with his mother’s aid, making more sense of what he was seeing by each passing day.

After the vision reviewing session, Lucien then transitioned to honing his physical abilities. Engaging in a series of calisthenic exercises, he strengthened his body, preparing himself for the challenges that lay ahead. The old tree in his yard became his training partner, enduring the force of his strikes as he practiced his hand-to-hand techniques, refining his moves with each calculated strike, with the same sentence repeating in his mind “never again, never again”.

Noon came, and Lucien would gather with his family for a shared meal. His father and brother always arrived just in time for lunch from their training. Laughter and conversation filled the dining table, despite Lucien’s silence, providing a respite from the intensity of their daily pursuits. It was during these moments that Lucien felt the reassuring presence of his loved ones, and Artemis' support served as a constant reminder that he could reach his goals.

After lunch, Lucien ventured to the combat dreamers class, where the true test of his skills awaited. The combat sessions were intense, the air filled with the sound of bodies colliding and the clashing of powers. Despite the previous encounters that left him battered and bruised, Lucien faced his opponents with a newfound determination. The other children, fueled by their desire to make him quit, were relentless in their attacks, but Lucien stood his ground, refusing to succumb to their taunts.

Of course, in the end, he was beaten. After all he couldn’t fight the ranking system itself, and the stronger or weaker he got, his opponents would always be on the same level as him. The training was always arduous but, because of the new rule made by the Clan leader, it was never as bad as his first two days.

Along the time, the gap between him and the other combat dreamers in the class widened and there was nothing he could do about it, his ranking falling every week being a nice representation of that. The weird part in all of this, is that enemies wishing to hurt him were always present like a plague no matter his rank, making every training day a timescheduled torture session. But he endured.

At the end of each meat grinding session, Lucien would make a detour to Sarah's house accompanied by his only close friend, Mary, seeking her healing touch to fix him. Her gentle yet powerful abilities soothed his aching body, alleviating the pain and leaving behind traces of renewed strength but a lot of hunger. With gratitude, he would thank her and continue his journey homeward taking a slightly different path to deliver Mary to her home first.

Evenings were marked by very well served meals, consumed with gusto to replenish the energy spent during the day's activities. Lucien's appetite seemed insatiable, a testament to his body's need to offset the healing effects he received.

Nightfall would descend, casting its comforting veil over the Clan, and Lucien would retire to his bed. As his eyelids grew heavy, he would drift into a restful slumber, allowing his body and mind to relax, preparing him for another day in his vision realm, as he called it, because he was already sure his visions were also passing at a normal time frame on the other side (the first vision was day one, the second was day two…).

By this point, some might be thinking, what happened with his other friends? Don't they hang out anymore? No, they don’t. With time, his other friends started becoming more and more distant, it was inevitable, after all Lucien's schedule was packed.

Lucien was already spending the entire morning training and studying his visions alone or with Artemis and after the class he always had to visit Sarah’s house until late to get patched up. During the training he was also almost alone, if not for Mary. Since the gap in rank was so big between Lucien and Mary compared to the rest of the group, they did not even meet each other during the training, always occupying opposite sides of the training grounds.

In this routine, weeks turned into months, and day by day, the passage of time became a blur. The combat classes followed a structured routine, focusing on combat training during the weekdays while dedicating the weekends to theoretical lessons. Reading and writing, mathematics, and the study of the local fauna and flora were the core subjects, deemed mandatory for all Clan members. The remaining topics, including geography and other subjects, were offered as optional lessons, allowing individuals to pursue their interests and strengths.

Lucien found solace in the theoretical lessons, expanding his knowledge beyond the realm of combat. He eagerly absorbed the intricacies of the local ecosystem, fascinated by the diversity of the flora and fauna that surrounded them. Math and literacy skills sharpened his mind, providing him with the tools he thought would be needed to navigate and understand his vision realm.

With each passing day, Lucien's growth became evident. His visions started making some sense, his body grew stronger, and his mind sharpened with newfound knowledge. The journey was arduous, but Lucien was determined to fight for his future and nothing or no one could stop him. And so, he pressed on, driven by a fire that burned brightly within his soul and, like that, two years passed.