Selene’s face shifted through various expressions as she slept. Meelara glanced at her, as she tended to the fire, and put the fresh meat on a spit. Soon, the enticing scent of roasting meat wafted through the space.

“I wonder what she’s dreaming about,” Meelara muttered as she examined Selene.

***

Lights flashed, creating dazzling arrays of luminescence, revealing a desolate landscape. Crags and ravines were the predominant features of the scenery, dotted with ageing, withered trees. Shadows crept along the ground, indistinct, and fleeting under the lights flashing above.

A dried riverbed weaved through in the distance, leading one’s gaze to a solitary mountain. A dense fog surrounded the landscape but was pushed further, and further away by the dazzling lights.

Walls rose, barely visible through the fog, extending into the sky. The top of the walls were not visible.

Thick roots broke through the walls at irregular intervals, reaching down toward the river, and a lakebed.

Movement in the fog, a large, shifting form moved leisurely along the wall. In its wake, the roots were torn and chewed on.

All over the landscape, a dark, dreary haze lingered, unbothered by the lights above. Blurry shapes moved slowly forward, toward the mountain in the distance.

***

Selene woke from the dream and tried to move. A deep ache flared through her form.

“Urgh!” Selene groaned and rolled slightly. “Ouch.”

She tried to move her arms, but all she managed were small shifts and tremors. Her eyes remained closed, her face marred by a grimace, and forced herself to sit up.

“What the fuck!?” Selene groaned internally. “What happened? Everything hurts!”

“Hah, awake at last, eh girl?” a voice sounded from beside her.

“Meelara?” she thought. “Sounds like she’s got a fire going, and that smell… roasting meat as well.”

She opened her eyes and blinked the dryness, and sleep. She looked over, and saw a similar scene as the last time, except she wasn’t bound this time. The light from the fire danced across the stones that made up the outcropping and provided shelter. Outside, Selene saw the glimmer of golden light touch the horizon, signalling the approaching dawn.

“Well done, yesterday,” Meelara said. “Never expected you to figure that out so fast. You’ve got talent, girl!”

Selene didn’t respond for a while, furrowing her brows, and slowly moving her arms more and more.

“What was that dream?” She thought. “It felt ominous but deeply familiar… The fog looked like the fog on the bridge, but… Gah! I don’t know. Alright, let’s summarize. A desolate landscape, figures moving slowly toward the mountain. Dried rivers and lakes. Shadows that shifted around, as if they had a mind of their own. That immense shape seemed to be eating the roots that grew out of the wall. What could it all mean?”

She shook her head and winced. Her right hand rose to rub her neck, and she sighed.

“Everything hurts,” she finally said. “What happened?”

“Hah,” Meelara laughed. “You overextended. You spent nearly all your spirituality and pushed beyond your body’s normal limits. It happens, don’t worry.”

“Huh,” Selene frowned and looked to the ground. “So that’s how it is. Even with everything I have, I can barely touch you.”

“I’ve got years of experience,” Meelara smirked. “You’ve got talent, but it’ll be a while before you can match me. I hope… If you catch up too soon, I’m not sure my ego can take it, hehe.”

Selene didn’t respond. She kept rubbing her sore muscles for a while.

“Come on,” Meelara gestured to the meat. “It’s done. Eat up, your body needs nutrients. The physical exertion, along with the use of your spirituality takes its toll.”

Selene looked at the roasting meat and felt her mouth water. A rumble from her stomach broke the silence, and she made her way over to the fire and started cutting off slices.

The two ate in silence for a few minutes before she spoke up between mouthfuls.

“So,” she looked at Meelara. “What’s next? More training?”

“Nah,” Meelara shook her head and glanced outside. “We’ll eat, and then start moving. Even though it’ll still be a day or two before anyone starts following, we should make use of the head start. Frankly, I’m happy you proved so talented. It’ll make it easier to protect you if you don’t die immediately.”

“Hmph,” Selene snorted and glared at Meelara. “I beat that Unbear alone, and that guy you came with.”

“And both of them are weak compared to some of the things we might encounter,” Meelara countered immediately. Selene felt a shiver run down her spine. “The further out we go, the stronger the monsters will get. You need to understand that Lon Thrast sent monthly patrols out to clear the surrounding area. We’re still inside the patrol radius. Once we leave, we’ll encounter more monsters, and they’ll be significantly stronger.”

Selene furrowed her brows and gazed into the fire.

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“Stronger than the Unbear, and the leader of that squad?” Selene shivered as goosebumps appeared on her arms. “Fuck. I never thought there’d be so strong monsters this close to the town… Although it makes sense, I guess.”

Meelara, seeing Selene’s expressions, didn’t interrupt.

They kept eating in silence, until Selene leaned back, rubbing her stomach.

“By the way, Meelara?” Selene asked, biting her lip and furrowing her brows. “Haah… Alright! Uhm, so… Do dreams have any significance after ascension?”

Meelara raised an eyebrow and smiled crookedly.

“Heh, yeah. Usually, they hold some clues toward your path,” she explained, meeting Selene’s eyes. “Unless your path is one of clairvoyance or foresight, then it shouldn’t relate to any future events, but your experiences and your progress on your path might be reflected. They could provide hints for future development, clues toward how far along the path you’ve gone, or how long remains. They’ll usually show up whenever you’ve made some advancement. Learning how to fight, and making use of your Spirituality would definitely count as an advancement.”

“So,” Selene frowned. “I should try to decipher it, to figure out any hints?”

“Yes,” Meelara nodded. “Although, they don’t always hold clues. They can also just be informative. Hmm… Giving a glimpse into the background of your Path, for instance. It’s up to you to figure out if there is a clue for progression though. Keep in mind, that they can be false… You have to understand the Path and create your truth about it. The dreams and such could give you an apparent road to follow but could lead you astray. You need to decipher the signs, and pick the right way.”

“So, it could provide some clues toward my Path?” Selene smiled slightly, as her heart beat faster at the thought. “This… This is incredible. To think we’ve been robbed of this! I need to figure this out. To grow strong enough, I need to learn the truth. My truth!”

Meelara watched the glimmer in Selene’s eyes as she started breathing faster, and smiled.

“It’s the same thing for almost everyone,” Meelara smirked. “Once the curtains have been lifted, their imaginations run wild, and they start to picture the future.”

Her smile faded, and she looked down, furrowing her brows.

“Until they realize how weak they are, and die…”

Selene snapped out of her reverie and glanced at Meelara, mouth half-open, but froze.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, seeing her downcast eyes. Meelara snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Selene before smiling.

“Nothing…” she said in a soft voice. “It’s just… Some memories, is all.”

“Anything you want to share?” Selene asked.

“Nah,” Meelara shook her head. “Do you want to share? The dream, I mean. Maybe I can help you.”

Selene furrowed her brows, and bit at the nail on her thumb, before she nodded.

“Alright,” she said and took a deep breath. “I guess I’ll trust you…”

She looked at Meelara for a few seconds before she started talking. She explained the dreams she’d had, and how they led her to discover the inner space, and thus how to level up. Once she started talking, her fears faded, and she went into great detail.

After she’d finished, she sat in silence, looking at Meelara.

Meelara had a deep frown on her face, and her eyes flitted around the place. After a while, she sighed and met Selene’s eyes.

“I’m no dream reader, but I can tell a few things,” she said. “The bridge, the Gates and the figure guarding it… Along with the surroundings, and having felt your Spirituality when you channelled it… I’d say your Path is one of Death, Cold, and Shadows. It’s quite a dark Path, and many will fear you, and try to eliminate you if they learn about it. Don’t tell anyone you don’t trust.”

Her eyes conveyed the seriousness of her words, and Selene paled.

“Did I make a mistake?” her mind scrambled. “Should I have kept it to myself?”

Her spiralling thoughts were interrupted by Meelara continuing.

“Now,” she said with a smile. “I’m here to help you. That’s still true, so I’m not going to sell you out, or anything. Hmm… The last dream, though. The desolate landscape, shadows and figures, and the thing along the walls… I think it continues the references toward Death. The thing in the fog might be a future danger or an advancement trial. Do not take it lightly.”

She went silent for a while before she clapped her hands.

“Right!” she said, nodding. “Every Path, as long as one follows it will lead to some form of Authority or Dominion. Some people call it Sovereignty. I think your Path will lead to the Dominion over Death, it might even lead to a Divinity, which is not an easy thing to gain. In all of the Multiverse, there are countless Authorities, Dominions, and Sovereigns, but I only know of a few true Divinities.”

Selene’s eyes widened.

“Divinity?” she exclaimed, standing. “Like a God? There are Gods, capital G?”

“Yes, there are,” Meelara said quietly. “Do take care not to cross them, although… I think you’ll struggle with the God of Life… You’re kind of the opposite… That is if you have that potential, which is impossible to say, as far as I know. The disciples of Life tend to hunt down any wielders of Death, so keep that in mind. I’ll have to speed up some of my plans. You need to learn how to shield your Spirituality. As you are, anyone with a smidgen of ability in reading auras will know what you are the moment you start channelling.”

“Alright,” Selene nodded, trying to remain calm. “Teach me, please.”

“In time,” Meelara started moving around, putting out the fire, and packing the few things she’d left around. “For now, we should keep going. You should have recovered enough.”

Hearing Meelara’s words, Selene’s eyes widened.

“I stood up so fast,” she realised, looking down at herself. “Without feeling any discomfort, or anything. My wounds have almost healed completely, but it’s only been a few days since the Unbear… This is miraculous! My clothes are still torn to shreds though…”

Her mood plummeted when she saw the state of her clothes, and she looked at Meelara pitifully. Meelara noticed, and guffawed.

“Baha, right! Here!”

She threw a piece of cloth at Selene. When she unfolded it, she saw it was a large, black cloak.

“It’s not much,” Meelara shrugged. “But, it’ll cover you up, at least. It’s all I have to spare, I’m afraid.”

Selene wrapped the cloak around her shoulders and saw it did indeed cover her entirely. She remade the strips of cloth she’d used as belts and straps and made a harness from which she hung the sword.

Selene helped Meelara pack up. They wrapped the meat in something that looked like leather, or something and started walking.

They followed the same path Selene had walked, following the slope diagonally, intending to walk around the mountain.

The sun had risen above the horizon by the time they started walking, and Selene took in the view, suddenly feeling that it all looked so much brighter than before.