Kiyora woke up in bed and found the morning light drifting through the window. Brushing her hair out of her face, she looked around and at her arms. No white sheets like in a hospital, no crisp white walls, no suicide-proof windows. Just her normal books and videos. "And no IVs. That's good."

Dressing, she made her way downstairs. Mom was cooking breakfast, as always. "Good morning, Mom."

"Oh, good morning Kiyora," said Mom. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I had some really crazy adventures, actually," said Kiyora. "Mind control, scheming, and stuff. I kind of expected to wake up in the hospital or something."

"Well, I'm happy to say it is only the morning afterward. You've more than your share of adventures for a lifetime," said Mom. She used the pink spatula Dad bought to separate mushrooms from finely sliced onions. "I heard from your father, by the way. He should be back by tomorrow."

"Oh, that's great," said Kiyora. "Um, about my question?"

"You wanting to sign up to become a Dream Sage, you mean?" said Mom.

"Yeah. Um, I mean, I'm already involved in all these things," said Kiyora. "So, I figure some training wouldn't hurt."

"I know," said Mom with a sigh. "What happened a few days ago made it clear that you are risking your life no matter what happens. I suppose you must have some training. But I've made arrangements."

"What kind of arrangements?" asked Kiyora, curious.

"I hired some Dream Sages to set up wards on this house," said Mom. "If any more spider demons make a go at my home, they'll have a nasty surprise waiting for them."

"Thanks, Mom," said Kiyora.

After breakfast, Kiyora printed out a resume for the Department of Spiritual Defense. Then she went into the living room by a window to start filling it out. And Alchara above was it dull. Every moment was an absolute slog, and it was all she could do to keep writing. She set forth the full power of her will, wrestling with the wall of sheer boredom set against her.

Long did she strive with it. Yet though all her power was set against it, it held against her. At last, Kiyora despaired. She rolled onto her back and into the air was thrown her pen to land on the floor as she let loose a groan of sheer apathy.

"Alchara above, filling out a resume is boring," said Kiyora. "Dad must be glad he doesn't have to do it. Ugh..."

Then she heard a tapping noise on the window. She glanced up and saw Laurus standing there, tapping. "Laurus?" she stood up. "Why are you tapping on my window? Knock the front door like an adult!"

Laurus disappeared. A few moments later, there was a knock at the door, and Kiyora opened it to see Laurus on the other side. He looked apologetic. There was a bruise on his face. How did he keep getting those? "Sorry, I figured I'd surprise you," he said. "So, was I interrupting something?"

"No, I'm just working on my resume to apply for a position as a Dream Sage," said Kiyora. "How did you get that bruise?"

"I uh, I fell," said Laurus.

It was a lie. And Kiyora had heard it before. That was it; she was going to call him out on it. Something was happening to him to give him those injuries.

"Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to go out and get coffee together?"

Kiyora froze. Her heart fluttered. "You mean with the others?"

"I was actually thinking just us," admitted Laurus.

"Are you asking me on a date, Laurus?" asked Kiyora, smiling.

"Yeah, we can call it that," said Laurus, looking away.

Kiyora considered it. Laurus was pretty nice-looking, come to think of it. It wasn't sheer raw sex appeal like Arraxia and her sister, and he wasn't a conquering hero like William. But he was pretty cool and had set a spider demon on fire. "...Sure, but you can't smoke while we're doing it."

"I don't smoke in restaurants!" said Laurus defensively.

"Sure, you don't," said Kiyora.

"Oh, come on, give me some credit," said Laurus. "Did you see what I did in that mall with a cigarette?"

"You mean setting Rioletta on fire?" asked Kiyora. "Yeah, that was pretty cool. Tricking her into falling off the balcony was a nice move too. You want to go now?"

Laurus stuttered. "Yeah, sure."

They made their way out of the house and along the sidewalk. As they walked, Kiyora considered things. When Tenius had first appeared, Laurus had approached him. Laurus wasn't ordinarily that friendly. "Hey, Laurus."

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Why did you go up to Tenius anyway?" asked Kiyora. "I thought you hated the guy."

"I don't hate Tenius. I never did. I just liked mocking him for being completely out of control of his own life," said Laurus. "What could be more pathetic than a life where you get everything you ever wanted without even having to ask?"

"A lot of things," mused Kiyora. "But I don't think you're giving him due credit. I mean, he practices sword combat, doesn't he?" She'd seen him do it through William's eyes.

"I guess," said Laurus. "But what good is sword combat in this day and age? Guns are where it's at. I mean, remember back in that elevator?"

"I'm pretty sure that people with proper training can make guns irrelevant," said Kiyora. "William just didn't have it."

"Look, I don't care how good your training is," said Laurus. "If you are faced with enough guns firing at you all at once, you are going to die."

"Not spirits, though," said Kiyora. "I mean, I read that spirits and demons and angels are much less affected by guns. Something about them being an impersonal weapon. That's why they have Dream Sages in the first place."

"It's because of spirit," said Laurus.

"Hmm?" asked Kiyora.

"When you are swinging a sword at someone, you are focusing your will through it," explained Laurus. "Acts of will damage spirits, not physical things. When you fire a gun, though, it's a lot harder to put yourself into the bullets. I read about a couple of people who could do it, though."

"You've read up on it?" asked Kiyora.

"Yeah," said Laurus. "When I was possessed by Laughing Wraith, I was driven to study the techniques of Dream Sages. Well, what I could find was common knowledge. It wasn't much. Can we talk about something else?"

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Sure," said Kiyora, feeling awkward. "Um... you start."

Laurus bit his lip. "Had any good dreams lately?"

"Well, I got possessed by an evil demon. Sort of," said Kiyora. "It's more like our wills are influencing, and we are engaged in a sort of battle for control. The problem is we're kind of cooperating at the same time. We have some mutual interests."

"Knitting?" guessed Laurus with a smirk.

"Shut up," said Kiyora. "I mean realpolitik stuff okay. Like uh, see, we're both allies with this Duke called Vanion Gabriel. And he's kind of manipulating everyone in this power play. Well, actually, everyone is manipulating everyone.

"I'm really not sure who is pulling the strings at this point."

"I kind of know the feeling," said Laurus. "I'd break off your connection with her. Now. I'm not kidding."

"What's the big deal?" asked Kiyora.

"When Wraith possessed me, I could blend in perfectly. I went about my daily routine, hardly noticing him sometimes," said Laurus. "And then one day I'd find myself doing some innocent little thing. I didn't know or care that it was part of a scheme to cause all kinds of misery.

"You don't notice when they are affecting you. You just act as they want you to."

"Oh, come on. I can handle it," said Kiyora.

"When was the last time you went to Seathorius?" asked Laurus.

"Seathorius?" asked Kiyora.

"Yeah, the land you rule," said Laurus.

"I uh, well, it's actually been a while in dream terms," mused Kiyora.

"Go there," said Laurus. "See what is happening."

"Why?" asked Kiyora. "Why is it important to you?"

"Kiyora, I sometimes remember things. Things which I got from Laughing Wraith," said Laurus with a shrug. "I know that he hated you a lot. He hated you because you were one of his enemies in Seathorius. Your very presence there screwed with him.

"If someone else is screwing with you, it could be affecting the land itself."

"...Right, I remember," said Kiyora. "William told me something about that. I'll go check it out." And she almost turned around before Laurus caught her by the shoulder.

"Not now," said Laurus. "We're on a date, remember?"

"Oh, right," said Kiyora. "Yeah. Sorry."

Another awkward silence.

"Hey Laurus!" came a call. "Kiyora!"

She looked up and saw the last person she wanted to see. It was Tenius approaching them. The boy was clad in a martial artist's uniform as if he had just finished practice. It looked good on him. Why was Kiyora's heart skipping a beat? She didn't even like him, and Laurus had a much better personality.

Kiyora was now certain of foul play on Alchara's part.

"Oh, hello, Tenius," said Laurus in an irritated tone. "How are you?"

"Pretty good," said Tenius. "I uh, had some of the weirdest dreams a few nights ago. Hey, Kiyora."

Kiyora pointedly refused to blush. There was an impulse to do so, but it was not entirely her own. She fought it back and rejected it. "Hey."

Tenius remained silent for a moment. What was it like? Being on the Black Star?"

"Unpleasant. Very unpleasant," said Kiyora. "The poor thing was begging for death. While I was trapped, I could hear the silent screams of all those trapped within Rioletta's webs. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I just have this weird feeling that I... uh, I feel like I was there," said Tenius. "Do you think you could-"

"We're kind of on a date, Tenius," said Kiyora.

"Oh, right, I uh, I'll just see you at school," Tenius looked like a kicked puppy.

"Could he be more annoying?" muttered Kiyora as they walked toward the coffee shop.

"Tenius is sheltered," said Laurus. "I talked to him. Before he came here, he was living somewhere on a mountain. Everyone he knew was either an older male relative or an attractive female trying to bang him. He hasn't really lived in the real world until now.

"Apparently, he went to another school before this one. It didn't end well for him."

"You don't know the half of it," muttered Kiyora as they entered the shop.

"What do you mean?" asked Laurus.

"I'll tell you in a minute," said Kiyora. And she suddenly thought she knew more about what had happened than she thought. Odd. "Let's order our coffee first."

Kiyora did not tell him for a minute. She changed the subject to anything except Tenius. They ordered their coffee and talked about minor things. When they finished their coffee, they went to see many other things, a museum and a fair. It was fun, and at the end of it, Laurus walked her back home.

The sun was setting by that point.

And to Kiyora's surprise, Dad was painting on the front porch. Kiyora and Laurus halted here, and she looked to him. "This was fun, Laurus. Thank you." She considered kissing him on the cheek. But she hesitated, and before she could decide the moment was lost. "We should do this again sometime."

Kiyora and Laurus made their way up to Dad. His paintbrush was wet and in his hand. However, his canvass was blank. His eyes narrowed, and he did not notice her as he bit his lip.

She tapped him on the shoulder. He started and looked up to see her. "Oh, hello, Kiyora!"

"Dad, what are you doing back so early?" asked Kiyora.

"Well, I felt I ought to return as quickly as possible," said Dad. "So, I ended things earlier and came back. Laurus, how are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine," said Laurus. "Kiyora, I have to head back."

"Right, see you later," said Kiyora.

Laurus looked like he wanted to say more. But he just smiled. "Right."

Kiyora watched him go then looked at Dad. "So, how is the painting going?"

"Awful, if I must be honest," said Dad. "This canvass is resisting me."

"Resisting you?" asked Kiyora. "What do you mean?"

"Well, sometimes, when you are making art, you find yourself facing a blank page. No matter what you do, you simply can't get it to become anything else," said Dad. "It is perhaps the greatest foe any artist can face."

"So how do you beat it?" asked Kiyora.

"You use it. Hardship is the source of all great stories," said Dad. "A story where nothing goes wrong is not at all interesting. You must take the troubles you face and learn from them. Without a struggle, nothing is worth having."

"So how are you going to fix this?" asked Kiyora.

"I have no idea. I've been staring at this wall for an hour," said Dad with a smile. "I haven't been able to climb it or break it down. The people beyond it are most unpleasant and won't open the gates. I suppose I could focus on the outside of the wall, but that would still leave a great blank spot."

"Wall?" asked Kiyora.

"Oh, you see, I'm thinking of making a sequel to a previous piece I made," said Dad. "Look over there. What do you think?" He motioned to a canvass he had set aside. Kiyora looked at it.

What she saw was the Iron Kingdom. More specifically, the Iron City. It stood tall and proud and forlorn beneath the gaze of a figure clad in steel armor who stood atop a high tower. In his hand was a great broadsword. "It's... very nice. What is it?"

"A formidable city at the center of a broken kingdom," said Dad. "It holds dominion over all who surround it and keep them in an iron grip. They have many enemies. Yet their fortifications are high enough that they can withstand them all.

"Cheer and goodwill are shut out by these columns. So long as the city stands, this Kingdom will remain as it is, slowly decaying but never dying. Existing but never living, It simply fades, little by little, as the world around it moves on."

"So what are you going to do?" asked Kiyora.

"...Well, I can't think of a natural way to bring down the city, so I'm just going to paint a dragon burning it down," admitted Dad.

"That seems a bit random," mused Kiyora. "You've never painted dragons before."

"Well, I feel dragons are overused," admitted Dad. "But making one a mindless and bloodthirsty monster intent on destruction? That sounds rather original to me."

"It'll be a bit hard on the people who live in the city," mused Kiyora.

"Well, of course, the city won't be completely destroyed," said Dad. "Its walls will be torn down and its fortifications ruined. But a destined hero could appear and defeat the creature. Then the hero forces the Kingdom into the world."

"Isn't there a way to do that without burning down the city?" asked Kiyora.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. I sometimes wonder if demons and monsters and all those truly defy the gods," said Dad. "Or if they merely carry out their will indirectly."

"What do you mean?" asked Kiyora.

"Well, suffering is very unpleasant while it lasts," said Dad. "But sometimes a bit of pain can spur one into changing for the better. If you never lose anything, you wouldn't appreciate anything you had."

"Dad, that doesn't make sense at all," said Kiyora. "There are a lot of people who suffer and don't come out better for it."

"Perhaps. I'm merely thinking out loud," said Dad. "Now, how shall I make this dragon? It should be like a snake, almost cobralike. With eyes like fire. Tormented eyes filled with pain. Its breath should be death, its teeth, and claws like swords. The beating of its wings should create whirlwinds.

"Yes, that will be very impressive."

"How is anyone supposed to kill something like that?" asked Kiyora.

"Well, obviously, by wielding the very powers that this city has suppressed until now," said Dad. "The dragon is a sort of reckoning, a representation of the people's sins. The hero is salvation, offered freely by the powers they forsake."

"You mean the powers which sent the dragon attacking them in the first place?" asked Kiyora. "Sounds to me like they had a good reason for forsaking them."

"You are overthinking this a bit, Kiyora. There isn't a storyline to these paintings," said Dad. "Anyone who looks at them may draw whatever conclusion they want about them."

"Right. I'm going to read for a bit, okay," said Kiyora.

"Of course," said Dad, "have fun." Then he paused. "Oh, before you go, there is one other painting I'd like to show you. I made it on the trip here." He stood and drew out another canvass and showed it to her. "What do you think?"

Kiyora stared and saw a picture of Felix. The boy was standing before that same Iron Figure, a box in his hands. The Iron Figure must have been a giant, for his thigh was taller than Felix was. Massacre was lying on the ground, bleeding from the side, her head limp. All the world was utterly bleak, and the blade of the Iron King was falling to strike down Felix.

"...Oh damn," said Kiyora.