It felt like an eternity had passed.

In reality, or simulated dream-reality as his [Psychic Realm] really was, it had only been ten minutes. It had taken time for Joy to paint an elaborate image—based on Jordan’s instructions—but once she’d finished, he’d focused a stream of Oneiromantic Essence on it to change the scene.

Now, the group waited anxiously in the middle of a grove. A meadow at the end of a wide open path that twisted and double-backed through a mist-covered forest. A maze that Kioko had told them any dream denizen would have navigated through in an instant—thanks to the natural tendency in dreams for space to become meaningless once a journey began. In the same way they’d traveled the width and breadth of the USA in a few minutes, any nightmare would have reached them here and now in a matter of moments.

But that wasn’t the case for the Slasher.

The Slasher of Dreams tore through the trees, leaving a trail of destruction. The mist that surrounded it swirled in response, but also gave its frequent roars an eerie quality as it howled in frustration. Charging forward, it splintered another batch of trees, only to find nothing. Yet it continued, undaunted, in its quest to find them.

But it never would.

Even from their distance, in the heart of the twisted valley, they could see the bright colors of the Slasher shining like the dawn on the horizon. Yet it truly was…lost.

“I thought those stories were made up,” Kioko whispered, “or exaggerated. But a maze? That’s all?”

Jordan didn’t think her shock was uncalled for—the dumb creature didn’t even think to just fly up! “Yeah, I remember my mother telling me about how the Slasher was tricked by a child. So, ah, good job Joy.”

His pink-haired clone flashed a thumbs up. “I love puzzles! Thanks for letting me draw this one. It was SO much fun!” She giggled, a bit too loudly and the group shushed her.

In the silence that followed, they waited anxiously for Awe and Fear to return. While Joy had volunteered to shout to them, everyone had vetoed that plan. They had to trust that those two would figure out what to do. And after waiting long enough, they were rewarded.

Trotting into the meadow, the pair returned. Awe was back to her usual glamorous self, and it appeared that the moment she’d dropped her disguise, the Slasher had ignored her in its demented drive to find Jordan. While they looked worse for wear, they had returned whole.

“Hey guys!” Awe whisper-shouted as she dismounted, excited to rejoin them but wise enough to read the atmosphere. “Great idea on the maze, that guy’s running back and forth like a wild bull!” She covered her mouth as she tittered, trying not to make excess noise.

Meanwhile, her ‘steed’ went through another horrifying transformation, and the regular purple-haired copy of Aureliana was back. She trudged forward, and fell face-first onto the ground, exhausted.

“Excellent work.” Vigilance said. “You all did a fine job.”

“Yeah, yeah. How long do we have to hide here?” Disgust ‘helpfully’ added to the conversation. She’d sadly returned after the last scene change.

Still, she’d made a good point—so Jordan turned towards Kioko. His Governess met his gaze, but shook her head.

“I’m…not sure,” she admitted. “Honestly, if you hadn’t told me about the Slasher being the Soul of the Maou, I’d have never believed this would’ve worked. Everyone thought it was a dream denizen, like a Nightmare. Not a lost Soul.”

Jordan nodded—she’d explained her theory on how such an anti-climactic defense would work when they’d arrived a few minutes ago. Jordan had only been going off of what he could remember Mercia telling him on his carriage ride to his trial, after all. Even still—it felt like a lifetime ago.

“Regardless,” she added, “even if it sticks around, we can have Rahm set up a deprivation Ritual. They can suppress even permanent Skills for a few moments, at least. That should kick it out of your head while your [Psychic Realm] is down. Then you just need to not attract its attention again.”

“Me? Attract attention? Pffft.” Jordan waved at her. His Governess glared at him, and he added, “That was a joke.”

“What? No.” Her glare intensified, and he shrank back. She was touchy, but that wasn’t exactly surprising given the circumstances.

Nearby, Rage moaned as she kicked a bed of flowers petulantly. “Kill…”

Sorrow walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. The psychotic Eidolon sighed loudly, pouting before she flopped to the ground in a huff.

“It was a good choice,” Sorrow said, turning to face Jordan. “Some fights are beyond us. It is better to hide and survive.”

“Your Eidolon is right,” Kioko added. “Far more powerful people than you died fighting against the Slasher. He did commit near genocide on the Slothborn.”

“Why is that, anyway?” Jordan turned towards her and asked. “Did he just not like them specifically or something?”

“Oh, that’s simple actually. They were, and technically still are, the greatest dream seers and Astral combatants in the world. As such, they were ready targets when he first showed up. Their kind do spend most of the day sleeping after all.”

Jordan blinked at her in surprise. He hadn’t quite expected the ‘sloth’ Demonkin to be so…appropriately named.

“What begs a question, however,” she said, “was how the Soul of the Demon King got out in the first place. Everyone knows he was imprisoned after his Pattern was split by the Devas and Immortals who beat him.”

“Maybe it's something that Westhell Demetria girl did?” Jordan responded.

Kioko shook her head. “She’s too recent. He escaped a century ago, remember? Unless he was re-captured and then re-released by Demetria later on. Even still, there should’ve been reports of the Slasher’s reappearance after her failed apotheosis. Shouldn’t there?”

Jordan shrugged. He had enough on his plate—something like the deep mysteries of the Demon King were a tad above his pay grade, and he knew it. Honestly, if he could just get the thing to leave him alone—he’d be more than happy.

But that red line of Fate still connected them. He had a sneaking suspicion that even if he dodged a bullet this time…it wasn’t likely to be the last he’d see of the Slasher. It was a sobering thought.

“If it does return, we’ll hold it off.” Vigilance said. “You have my word.” The armored Aureliana clicked her metal heels together and gave a salute. After a beat, Joy threw in her own, sloppier salute. Disgust scoffed at them both.

“Yes, that was…impressive, actually.” Kioko muttered, turning to regard Vigilance.

“What was?” Jordan asked.

His Governess looked between him and his Eidolons. After a moment, she sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

“I suppose there’s no harm in letting you know. You remember me telling you that your Eidolons were unusual, right?”

Jordan nodded.

“Well,” she continued, “think back to how your Mother’s Eidolon fared against those Nightmares in the beginning. That is the average strength of an Eidolon. In theory, yours shouldn’t have lasted a second against the Aberration, let alone the Slasher.”

“We live to serve.” Vigilance announced proudly.

“Happy to help!” Awe threw in.

“We’re not worthless in a fight like you, ‘Oneiromantic master.’” Disgust mocked Kioko, and Jordan winced. His Governess shot a glare at the green-haired beauty, but Disgust met it with unyielding contempt. Eventually, Kioko turned away.

“Anyway,” Kioko continued, “my theory is…well, there’s no easy way to say this, but…I believe that you, or more accurately Aureliana, may have stumbled upon an Immortal’s technique.”

“An Immortal’s technique?” Jordan repeated.

Kioko nodded. “Such things are forbidden to be shared under the Pax, of course, but we saw glimpses of the Mandala structure of your [Psychic Realm]. The fact it looked as complex as Rahm’s isn’t a coincidence, I feel. And the strength of your Eidolons, even without being Passions seems to be on par with what I’d expect a casual Immortal’s mental defenses to be.”

“Casual?”

She shrugged. “Most Immortals who invested in Oneiromancy would have entire secondary Realms that defended their minds, so in that regard there’s no comparison. But I could see an Immortal who hadn’t specialized in such techniques to likely have Eidolons about the strength of your Rage, for example.”

“Kill?” Rage perked up.

“No dear, they’re just talking.” Love soothed.

“Kill…” The redhead sighed.

“That’s crazy,” Jordan said, and Fear twitched on the ground oddly. “You really think Aureliana just stumbled onto something like that? What, did an Immortal leave their ancient diary lying around and no one noticed she had it?”

“I…” Kioko said, before pausing as she chewed her lip. “I’ll talk to Rahm about it. He might have some clues. I also want to find out if he knows what you are.”

“What I am?” Jordan narrowed his eyes at his Governess, who immediately went wide-eyed.

“I, ah, didn’t mean that. Just forget I said anything, okay?”

“Forget? What the hell did you mean what I am? I’m human, okay? Is that a problem?”

“Human? Wha—um, no. I…fuck.”

“Did you mean…something else?” Jordan looked at her in worry. Was she implying something? Had he…missed something? His mind began to race.

Kioko glanced around desperately, as the Eidolons looked suddenly agitated by Jordan’s influx of emotion. With a bit of wetness forming her eyes, she finally stammered out…

“P-pay it…pay it no mind.”

And Jordan forgot what he was upset about, as Love walked up and brought him into a side hug. He returned the gesture, grateful for a bit of his Mother’s love even in a place as weird as his [Psychic Realm].

Speaking of which, Jordan thought. “So a possible Immortal technique, eh? What kind of stuff do you think that could allow me to do?”

He really did hope he hadn’t wasted seven experience on a useless skill. If it turned out his crappy time-out ability could be a hidden cheat power then he could at least convince himself it was an ‘accidental’ investment. He could justify it as the price of discovery.

“I…don’t know.” Kioko answered, but she seemed eager to talk about this new subject. “In theory, it shouldn’t allow you to do anything someone with an Astral Realm couldn’t do, but it may allow many subsequent Skills to be stronger, or, well, stranger. Do you remember that Skill Book you were bitc—ehem, complaining about? The one that created splashes of water Essence alongside the attack?”

Jordan paused to recall, but then nodded.

“Well, think about how Sorcery or Ritualism needs specific Essence types. Customized, or altered Skills can allow unique approaches to various situations. Imagine a Sorcerer who could cast a spell alongside their close combat attacks. That Skill would supplement that strategy.”

Jordan’s eyes widened.

“While I can’t really guess what all would be available,” Kioko continued, almost seeming to be rambling,“at a casual glance I can tell you that any emotional Essence you channel will probably be boosted thanks to your Eidolons. You’ll probably find other opportunities later on if you explore.”

“Okay. That’s…something actually useful, isn’t it? I have something actually cool and useful. Finally!”

Jordan thrust his arms in the air, feeling victorious at last. He had a hidden cheat power after all!

Kioko looked at him disbelievingly, before sighing loudly. “You actually have a lot of things going for you. Just…don’t forget the importance of strengthening your mind.”

“Huh?”

“Channeling Eidolons is a common strategy for Oneiromancers to boost themselves in regular combat, but they can also be used to resist social influences. If someone targets an underlying Belief of yours, or manipulates your mind, you could literally shield yourself with their help. Or…discover aspects of yourself that may not be what you thought they were. There’s only a few Skills you’d need to get started.”

“Right.” Jordan nodded. People had been stressing that to him, and he was pretty sure he remembered worrying about it himself. Though, then again, did he really have to worry that much about people trying to mess with him?

Unbidden, his gaze fell to Fear’s back. His purple-haired Eidolon turned her head and met his gaze.

It…is important. He wasn’t entirely sure why, but his brain kept feeling fuzzy when he focused on that. But, in the end—that just meant his Governess was right, didn’t it?

It was terrifying, but if something was wrong with his mind—what were the odds that he’d be aware of it? Then again, I’d hope that the people I trust and rely on would just tell me.

They would, wouldn’t they?

Of course they would. He decided adamantly. Besides, I’ve got a cheat power now—I’ll be fine! He was smiling like an idiot before…he paused.

I’m…doing it again, aren’t I? He thought. Childishly grasping onto an assumption. Running in circles in my thoughts. Why does this keep happening?

His smile morphed into a frown. There was no such thing as free power, not in Ænerith. Not one that he’d ever seen anyway—there was always a cost. As he looked around, his eyes fell onto Sorrow and Rage once more.

More powerful Eidolons…could also mean more difficult to control. That didn’t include the fact that the basic draw technique he’d learned had led to the mess he was in now. Given that—he was guaranteed to find himself struggling to learn more advanced Oneiromancy skills.

Which means all this psychic nonsense really does for me is give me opportunities others might not have. Opportunity for good things…but also for harm. If I’m not careful—the next time I blunder my way through this kind of mess, it could cost me my life.

He knew that in the end, he’d have to be smart about things. Which, granted, wasn’t a strength of his, but he’d caught himself this time. It wasn’t much, but…it was progress. In the future, he’d have to spend some time to get to know his Eidolons, to try and figure out how they could help him in the real world, but also how to control them if they went rogue. He’d also need to go over the Mandala in his [Psychic Realm] top to bottom. He needed to become an expert in whatever it was Aureliana had been doing.

And somewhere in all that, he’d need to take Sorrow’s advice. He needed to find something about himself that could be useful. Because he wasn’t Aureliana. And a part of him…really wanted to have something about himself that he could be proud of.

He wanted to be more than a substitute for Freyhell Aureliana.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

But that would have to wait until tomorrow. For now, his adventure was over.

“Alright, if you’re ready,” Kioko finally said, “we should get going. I want to get you in a deprivation Ritual as soon as possible, so stay awake until we cleanse you, okay?”

Jordan nodded, and then recoiled as several of his Eidolons bounded over to him to say goodbye. Joy, Awe, and Love seemed to be very emotional about him leaving, whereas Sorrow, Rage, and Fear kept a distance. Vigilance shook his hand, and Disgust just, well…

She just flipped him off and didn’t stop until he finally left his [Psychic Realm]. He really didn’t care for that Eidolon.

But as he was leaving, he was struck by an odd feeling. Like a premonition, almost.

He couldn’t help but wonder…he hadn’t forgotten anything. Had he?

----------------------------------------

The Aberration made its escape.

It was incredibly difficult to hide from the Orange one. She was ALWAYS watching. But the thing was distracted by watching the DESTROYER. While at first, the Aberration had FEARED, for the first time in its existence, that it wouldn’t be able to find a way out…there was a door.

And it opened when the one on the other side fell asleep. A bridge to another mind.

PERFECT.

The Aberration oozed through the tunnel. Too much of its strength was lost. The defenders of its Master’s prison were strong. Stronger than any had expected.

It tried to council itself, to make the gibbering FEAR relent, but it wasn’t designed to backtalk itself in productive ways. It was…FRUSTRATED.

But now, it had a better target. Something weaker, but something close to the prison. A viable HOST to hollow out and multiply within.

A young, unformed mind that wouldn’t last long, even against its diminished power.

The Aberration pushed open a door in the dream of the youth, entering into a garden.

It was BRIGHT and it HATED it, but it moved forward nonetheless. Its target was playing with the backdrop. One of which was a naturally formed Eidolon, a fish-like creature that spotted the Aberration.

The thing saw. It flopped a warning at the youth who looked toward the Aberration’s divine pustule-filled flesh and screamed delightfully.

But it was too late. It was time to feast.

The Aberration undulated an elated song, and lanced its tendrils towards its prey.

----------------------------------------

Kioko entered the ritual chamber as Aureliana, or Jordan as she’d learned he was truly called, waited outside. The child needed a stamina potion to remain awake given how late it was, but Kioko knew it wouldn’t take Rahm long to set up a low level ritual of the type they needed.

But what she really wanted…were answers. She was still shaking from her recent experiences.

She found Rahm on the opposite side of the chambers, standing at a work table covered in alchemical equipment. He was in the process of Sublimating a mixture, and Kioko’s Familiar was waiting patiently next to him after delivering her message.

Seeing her, Charlie happily chirped and bounded over. Kioko bent down to scritch at his ears, but then sent a silent command for him to watch over her ward. The tiny Carbuncle nodded dutifully and exited the room.

“So, how’d it go?” Rahm said, still facing his potions.

“Can we cut to the heart of the matter, Master?” Kioko said as she approached him. “Did you know this would happen?”

Rahm shrugged. “Who’s to say what would or wouldn’t happen? I’m not all knowing.” He chuckled.

“Did you know the truth to her [Psychic Realm]? Did you know that this would happen?” Kioko pressed.

Rahm sighed, shaking his head as his hair banged noisily. But he remained silent—which was all but an admission in Kioko’s opinion.

She hissed in frustration as she began to pace. This is just typical of him! She thought.

“Would it really have been a violation for you to show even a modicum of concern for your granddaughter?” Kioko spat. “What’s even the point of you continuing to pretend to be a part of the Freyhell family if you won’t do anything to help them when they need you?”

Rahm let loose a bark of a laugh. “Oh, is that so? Tell me girl what ritual you’re standing next to.”

Kioko blinked and looked down at the Mandala in the middle of the room. She growled when she realized it was a deprivation ritual. He already prepared it? Gah…

“I suppose, however,” he sighed out, “you are correct about one thing. I did know about her [Psychic Realm]. I’ve been aware of it since before her accident, in fact. But just like back then, I chose to do nothing.”

Kioko paused in her pacing to stare at him. Had he just given her a straight answer? He never did that. “What did you say? You…but why? Why would you do that?”

Rahm set a beaker down, and turned to face her. “There is a difference between helping and coddling.”

“She could have been killed!” Kioko spat.

“And that would have been a tragedy.” He said, leaning against the table as he folded his arms twice over. “But if she doesn’t struggle, doesn’t learn, then she’s doomed to death already.”

“Doomed? I don’t—”

“Did you see it?”

Kioko paled. She’d…taken a glance, but had needed to flare several of her defensive Skills to protect herself.

“I…don’t know what I saw.” She admitted. “Not really. I had to scrub my mind of the memories, and I’m not sure why.”

“It’s because you’re a smart girl.” Rahm said, smiling. “Do you know what rests in my granddaughter’s mind?”

Kioko paused. “Some kind of…Aberration? I couldn’t analyze it, but I saw that you left your Outline-Blade within her mind.”

Rahm nodded. “Indeed. I did what I could to buy her time, but the damage was too severe to—”

“That’s bullshit!” Kioko interrupted. “You’re an Immortal, you’re really going to tell me you couldn’t cure her?”

Rahm scratched at his chin in thought. “Even if I violated the Pax to interfere, the only technique I’d have available to me would be to rip out her brain and grow her a new one.”

Kioko recoiled. “S-seriously?”

Rahm nodded. “Her psyche is corrupted. It would be possible to remove it and make a new one, but she’d have lost everything about herself and would be starting over. Even so, tell me something, Kioko. If I were to take a broken ship and replace it piece by piece until none of its original parts remained…would it still be the same ship?”

“I…”

“I’ll save you the trouble. Metaphysically speaking, it wouldn’t be. The second version of something is just that—the second version. The original Aureliana is doomed.”

“What…could possibly do that to her?” Kioko whispered.

“There are many types of Aberrations, just as there are Spirits. But there is a reason you chose to scrub your mind, even if you don’t remember why.”

Kioko shivered. It was one thing to activate her mental defenses, but it was another…to not even remember why she’d done it. Did he really know the answer? Unless…

“It’s some sort of entity that feeds on knowledge of itself, isn’t it?” She guessed.

“Full marks.” Rahm said, though he didn’t flash his typical thumbs up. He was acting serious. In a way Kioko could scarcely recall in the decades she’d spent under his tutelage. “It’s a type of Aberration known as a Memetic Disease. In other words, it’s a radical concept that gained sentience. It thrives on infesting minds and consuming them, like a virus. To know it, is to be known to it. To be known to it, is to become a part of it. To be a part of it…is to be it.”

“So if I hadn’t scrubbed my brain…?”

“We wouldn’t be having this conversation. We wouldn’t be having any conversation ever again, in fact.”

“You wouldn’t have tried to help me?” Kioko couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was this really her same Master?

Rahm rubbed at his temple solemnly. “Let me be very clear about something. The fact that Aureliana is still even remotely intact is due to the very thing that put her at risk. You do not have those same protections. And I do not view a second version of a person as the same person. You would be gone. I would be talking to the replacement Kioko I made. Nothing more.”

Kioko’s tail was shaking as it tightly wrapped around her legs. She’d come so terribly close to death and she hadn’t even known it. But he had mentioned something, and if she could find out…she needed to know.

“What in Heaven’s name did she get into? How did she infect herself with something like…like…that. How is she even still alive with it inside her?”

“Well, you know that there are certain things I can’t talk about.” Rahm said, waving twice over. Kioko gritted her teeth. She was used to the brush off.

So she was very surprised…when he kept going.

“But, this is technically considered Mortal knowledge. Have you ever heard of the Book of Ways?”

Her ears twitched. “Isn’t that…just a fairy tale? A creepy story told to children?”

Rahm chuckled darkly. “Yes…and no. It does exist, and somehow a copy found its way into Aureliana’s hands.”

Kioko’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you gave—”

“Don’t finish that sentence.” Rahm said quietly. Kioko froze, her mouth slamming shut. “I would never do that to a family member. Or to anyone, for that matter.”

“But you knew? You knew and didn’t do anything?”

“What would I have done? That Book has protections designed to thwart Gods. You think our plane of Existence is the only one it’s made an appearance in? Hah.”

“But…”

“No, Kioko. I couldn’t find the damn thing, though I will admit to looking. I saw the signs on her. I watched her descend into madness.”

Kioko stared at him. He really had just stood by and watched it happen.

“I know what you’re thinking, girl. How could I just stand by and watch?” He scoffed. “Tell me, what should I have done?”

“Lock her up for her own damn good!” Kioko threw at him. “She’s a child and she needed someone to save her!”

“She was going to die whether I helped her or not!” Rahm screamed before slamming a hand into the table besides him. The wood splintered in an instant, beakers and jars spilling onto the ground, shattering. The caustic liquids mixed, sizzling on the floor.

“She was going…to die, Kioko. I tried to help, but you know how the Pax constrain me. She was going to die on March 17th of next year no matter what I did. That was her Fate. And all I could do was watch.”

“But she did die, Master. All you did was let it be worse for her…”

“She isn’t dead yet, Kioko. There’s still a chance to save her.”

Kioko’s eyes widened again. “Don’t tell me this is all some absurd plan to save her?”

“Actually, it was her plan.”

“Hers? As in Aureliana?”

Rahm nodded. “The kid was bright. Brighter than you might think. She left herself a safety net. A way to come back if things went wrong.”

Kioko let out a strained laugh. “Well things went pretty fucking wrong. How the hell is she supposed to recover from this?”

“She set it up so that in the event of a failure, her consciousness would be dispersed into her Eidolons. They carry the pieces of who she was.”

“So what, you’re hoping that they’ll unite and bring her back? How will that work with that thing still in her mind?”

“They’ll have to exorcise it from her mind. Scrub it, not unlike you yourself did. Then the pieces reunite, and…she’ll be back.”

Kioko shook her head disbelievingly. “That’s a far-fetched hope, Master. None of them even know there’s something wrong. If they did, they’d just fall to the corruption in her mind just like she did. How is she supposed to save herself from something she isn’t even aware of?”

Rahm shrugged. “I don’t know if she’ll succeed. All I know is it’s the only chance she’s got.”

“Well, I’m sorry to have to tell you it’s a pretty fucked chance. Do you know what her dominant personality is?”

Rahm raised an eyebrow above his sunglasses.

“What,” Kioko said, “don’t tell me you don’t know about him? That personality inside your granddaughter. It’s a man.”

“Ah, that. Yes I’m aware of it. What of it?”

“What of it?” Kioko repeated, voice cracking. “It's an alien from another world! Something called a, a human.

“Bah. Humans are not important or impressive. They’re just a type of Animal. Core-less beasts that propagate the Expanses across the series of Universes. Hardly worth fussing over.”

“I’m not so sure about that. How do you know that it isn’t another Aberration?”

Rahm reached up and removed his sunglasses. He then narrowed his golden eyes at her, and Kioko’s body involuntarily shuddered.

“Girl, I would have expected better from you. I thought you knew something of Oneiromancy. You really think he’s an Aberration now?”

She met his gaze as she activated Discipline Skills to steady herself. “So you do know what he is.”

“Oho, well color me impressed. Was that a bit of subterfuge to goad me?” Rahm laughed. “Fine. I know that he’s an Eidolon of Aureliana’s that became a Passion after bonding with that human. The question is, are you aware of what her Eidolon was before? Did you get a look while you were inside her head?”

Kioko paused, before whispering. “Hope.”

“Correct. That human bonded with her Hope. And without it—she doesn’t stand a chance. Yet if he can unite her Eidolons and cleanse her mind, he can save her. He is her final hope to survive.”

“But he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He fumbles with everything he attempts, and barely shows any initiative outside of the most basic drives. He doesn’t even act the age he is!”

Rahm laughed again. “And why would he? He’s primarily the Mind of that human not the Soul. He’s still an adult man being driven by the urges and desires of a child. You shouldn’t expect him to act any different.”

“But he’s going to fail.” Kioko said through gritted teeth. She quickly wiped away the tears of frustration falling down her face. “He can’t save her.”

“Maybe not. I saw the kind of person he is, and I can agree that he doesn’t show much promise. But when push comes to shove he’s shown at least one trait I can get behind. He’s stubborn. Whether he knows it or not, he’s on the path to saving Aureliana. He just has to do it before it’s too late.”

“How…much time does she have in there?”

Rahm shrugged. “Time table for her hasn’t changed much, to be honest. I’d hoped breaking her Fate would alter that, but…”

Kioko shook her head. “Is there really nothing we can do?”

“Me? No. There isn’t. But you? You’ve already been doing exactly what you need to, my Apprentice.”

Kioko’s ears perked up in confusion. “I have? Oh, of course—” she scoffed. “To scrub her Mind she’ll need more Oneiromancy. You need me to help train her so she can fight that thing.”

Rahm nodded, hair banging as small sparks ran the lengths of his white stalks. “Yes. That [Psychic Realm] is her prison, but it’s also her salvation. Help him learn and grow, and steer him towards saving my granddaughter.”

Kioko chewed on her lip. “But…what will happen to him when this is done?”

Rahm paused, before sighing. He then turned around and started picking up the pieces of his Alchemy set.

His refusal to answer told Kioko everything she needed to know.

He’s putting all his trust in a stranger from another world. A scapegoat that will be sacrificed in the end to save someone his granddaughter. She couldn’t tell what was more tragic in their fates.

But one thing was clear to her. She wasn’t sure if the poor fool who had been dragged into Aureliana’s mess…would succeed. A part of her truly believed that when they needed him most…

He would let them all down. She really hoped she was wrong about that.

----------------------------------------

The tendril shot out, smashing into the Eidolon. The fish-like creature squealed in pain, before the Aberration tore it apart.

The young girl tried to flee, crying to her spawning progenitors for salvation. But it made the Aberration's victory all the more satisfying. The tendrils reached forward to grab onto the girl and…

It smacked into an invisible wall. On it, the image of…a star appeared?

The Aberration growled in frustration, confused at the sudden denial. Its tendrils shot to the sides, hoping to flank the strange wall, but…

It hit more.

In a moment of TERRIBLE clarity, the Aberration recognized the shields. It turned just in time to see…

HIM.

“Get away from my sister.”

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Catella watched as the Monster’s long arms hit a picture of the Sun. She didn’t know what was happening, or why. The Nightmares could be so bad, but they’d never been like this. Never!

But then more walls appeared. The Monster looked confused and even angry as all its eyes and mouths blinked or yelled. Then, Catella heard the most wonderful thing she’d ever heard in her life.

Her sister’s voice.

“Get away from my sister.” Aureliana said.

Looking to the side, Catella could see her. She had a gash on her forehead, where she had hurt herself after the ritual, and she was holding out her hands as the see-through shields popped up. The Monster became trapped as they closed in, and then Aureliana created a chain of words out of thin air! She threw them at the Monster, wrapping it in a cage. A bright orange light shined behind her, and the Monster was dragged away, through the Door.

That terrible Door that had taken her sister away. That stole her from Catella night after night. That she pounded on, and scratched at, and screamed at. The Door she begged to just let her sister go.

Aureliana walked through that Door, and shut it behind her as the Monster disappeared. Her sister walked up, and knelt besides her.

“I’m sorry I was late, I had to blend—er, I mean I was waking up.” She said.

“You…you’re okay?” Catella reached out. Her sister had been so hurt. There was so much…blood.

And she’d been so still.

But then she smiled. That perfect, wonderful smile that Catella wanted to see every day forever. Catella broke into tears instantly, and grabbed onto her sobbing.

“I w-was s-so s-scared, B-big S-sis.”

“Shhh, it’s okay. It’s alright Cat. I’m here.”

“B-but y-you were hurt? I t-thought y-you were…y-you” Catella couldn’t finish her sentence. She just sobbed quietly as she held her hero.

“I know. But, ah…hey, look at me.” Aureliana pulled away. Catella looked up and met her eyes. She was crying too.

“You saved me, you know? Catella…you saved my life. You protected me.”

Catella’s eyes widened. She’d…but…

No. She wiped her eyes, and gave her Big Sister the biggest smile she could.

“I-I told you d-didn’t I? I’ll p-protect you!”

Aureliana nodded with a laugh. “You did. Thank you, Cat. Thank you for saving me. I’m sorry I was so dumb.”

Catella hugged her again. “It’s okay, I…I love you Aureliana.”

Her sister’s hug tightened.

“I love you too.”

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The dream faded shortly after.

Catella fell into a dreamless slumber as Jordan returned to his [Psychic Realm]. He’d asked Vigilance to watch the gate—just in case, and he was very grateful he’d remembered, even if it was last second. He’d almost been too late when he’d stopped to disguise himself as his sister’s version of Aureliana. The…body had been lying on the floor when he walked through, unmoving and cold.

He hoped now that her nightmares would end. That she would believe she’d saved Aureliana. To that purpose, with the help of his Eidolons, he’d managed to close the bridge between their dreams. He figured there was no use putting the kid at risk with whatever shenanigans he got up to in the future, after all.

And after a brief, and very uncomfortable moment in the ‘deprivation’ ritual, Jordan was certified Slasher free.

Which was good—he was tired. It was well and truly late, and he had training and preparation to do the next day. He had adventures to go on, dungeons to dive, a tournament to partake in, and even a damn war to fight! All just to get into an Academy to avoid marriage.

And yet...he still felt like there was more. Like he was still forgetting something. But that feeling never seemed to truly go away. It was one of those things he was learning to live with. One of those things that he hoped he could one day deal with.

There was a lot riding on him, but…he wasn’t alone. The people around him could help him. He could trust them.

He just hoped he wouldn’t let everyone down.

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