Two sharp, blood red eyes swiftly scanned their surroundings.

“I killed them! I did it! Yes!”

It’s dark. It’s so dark.

“Hah… Hahaha! Now the rest of the world will know my wrath!”

Why does this place make me feel so alone?

“Is the fight not over?…Show yourselves! Where are you?!”

The being looked around, only to be met with an unresponsive void.

I can’t see anything. Am I dead?

It shook its head and kicked its feet.

“I can’t feel the floor. I can’t see my hands, or anything else...”

I’m all alone again.

It’s eyes slowly sealed themselves as it simply floated along in the abyss.

This place makes me tired. Just for a short while I’ll just rest… and then I fight.

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

Months passed by as the being entered a deep sleep.

Out of nowhere, a rumble and crash vibrated through its body!

It’s eyes shot wide open. Only to be met with an apocalypse of fierce gales and raging lightning that struck down onto a barren wasteland.

When did I end up sleeping on this floor? When did I return to my original size?

The being picked itself up and watched as a man slowly made his way out of the thundering chaos.

As soon as it caught a glimpse of the man’s features, a dark jagged crack spread across its face into a wide and eerie smile. It cried out erratically and its body swelled with energy.

“It’s you! You’re not dead?!! FINALLY! I’ve been waiting for this. I’ve been waiting to unleash hell! Come! Feel pain! Meet death-“

The crash of lightning snapped through the air. Before the being could speak another word, it found itself bound to the dry, desolate ground by thick chains of crackling lightning.

What is this? How have I become so weak?

The man stepped closer. Despite his powerful arrival, his appearance was anything but that. His hair was disheveled and his eyes had lost their luster.

“Yes, you won.”

He spoke with fatigue and took measured steps toward the shadowy figure. The flames that engulfed the being surged viciously as it tried to free itself.

“What is this?! I will devour your entire world! These chains cannot hold me!”

The being snarled and struggled to no avail.

“Is this the depths that you’ve lost yourself to?”

The man squatted down in front of the writhing mass of black flames.

“Such that you don’t even recognize your favorite humans?”

The figure shrieked wildly as its face distorted. It’s mouth widened like a black hole while it’s legs and arms elongated and shortened erratically.

You’re… don’t leave!

“AAHAHA! Only death awaits humanity! I am the end that will consume your reality! I will-!”

One final chain of lightning found its way around the being’s mouth, restricting its speech entirely.

“I had hoped you were still in there, Anasrava.”

The man only received a muffled roar of fury in return.

“Mia misses you. Mia always talked about you. Mia… my wife.”

The being went quiet at the mention of the name Mia. Its body twitched briefly.

“We had three chances to kill you. Do you know that? You lost a lot of strength when you demonized.”

The man covered his face with his right hand as his face scrunched up. Tears welled at the corners of his eyes and threatened to decorate his cheeks.

“We couldn’t do it. She couldn’t do it. She insisted that we seal you in this pocket dimension to be cleansed. She couldn’t bear to lose you! Don’t you see?! Are you even listening?!”

The man wiped his tears and slowly stood up. His wore a cold expression as he looked down at the chained being with reddened eyes.

“No you’re not.”

I am! Don’t go!

“Mia said that it would take at least five years for you to be purified enough to think and control yourself. That would be almost fifty years alone inside this place. I hoped she was wrong. I hoped that my friend was still in there. Only then could she possibly be saved…”

Tyras Einstoldt paused for a moment.

“Did you know that she was pregnant when you tried disintegrating our soul cores? You always talked about wanting to meet our future child.”

Why does everything hurt?

The being shook and roared once more as if it were experiencing the trials of a thousand hells, but it wasn’t the chains of lightning that were painful.

Instead, it was something deep within its essence that cried in agony.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“I thought… No. I hoped that you were still in there. I prayed that you could save them, but once more Mia is right, just as she always is.”

Tyras began walking away from the being.

“Perhaps you can’t hear me, but I wanted to talk to you one last time. Mia will likely die in a couple of months, and I never intend to return here again. Be well, Anasrava.”

With his last words, a flurry of wind and lightning engulfed him as he disappeared from the wasteland.

Gone…

The chains of lightning evaporated the moment Tyras left.

“Hah. Ahahaha! I won! I won! They’re dying! Will be Dead?! DEAD! I won…?”

Alone again, perhaps forever this time? What have I done.

The figure slumped to the ground and closed its crimson, rage filled eyes as an indescribable wave of exhaustion swept over.

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

Many years crept by inside the sealed dimension.

During this time, a day and night cycle was established. The once barren wasteland now flourished with grasslands and colorful flowers that decorated the hillsides.

In the middle of this paradise rested the same being.

It’s shadowy figure was no longer on fire, and instead it hid itself within the depths of an oversized cloak that had dark charcoal and grey color tones. The only visible features were its demonic red eyes burning within its hood.

The being stared at the clear night sky that was littered with sparkling diamonds. Motionless and soundless, from a distance it would appear dead to any spectator, but it was far from it.

I can sense the corruption within me fading just enough. I can feel it. Almost…

Minutes passed by, which slowly turned into an hour. It even seemed as if this entire dimension was holding its breath, until finally…

“Haaaaah…”

A sigh of relief sounded out from deep within the dark hood.

“Am I me? Yes.”

The figure closed its eyes and when it reopened them, its right eye turned from the dreadful crimson color to a serene blue that seemed to capture the very stars in the sky.

I’m me, but I’m not quite me. My thoughts, my feelings; they are not what they once were. It’s as if every negative emotion is heightened.

“I can feel it calling to me, waiting for me to lapse.”

“Sniff… hic”

And now I’m crying… wait, that’s not me?

The figure swiftly shot to its feet and looked around.

“Hic…”

That way.

It gently floated into the night sky, following the sound of stifled tears. After crossing over a hill, it soon came upon an interesting sight.

A small boy could be seen within a circle of vibrant flora, his head buried between his knees as he sat in the fetal position.

How did he get in here? Was he sent here by someone? Or is he perhaps…

An air of melancholy slowly permeated from the being as certain memories floated to the surface. Memories of a friendship long destroyed. Memories that held the urge to kill.

He said she was pregnant… could it be? But he never came back. They’re probably dead. I killed them. I killed my only friends. I’m all alone.

The figure shook its head and floated down toward the boy. Its loose cloak fluttered in the wind as it landed close by.

“Why are you crying?”

The boy sucked in a quick breath of air and scurried away on his hands and knees. After securing a respectable distance, he turned back and called out in a shaky voice.

“W-who are you? Are you supposed to be a dream fairy?”

A… dream fairy?

If the boy were able to see the being’s mouth, he would have seen an obvious smirk to this question.

“Mm.”

The cloaked head nodded and spoke in a neutral tone.

“That’s me, a dream fairy.”

The boy stared back in a deadpan manner. In no way was he expecting the reply to be so straightforward, and besides that; what kind of dream fairy looked like a creepy stranger dressed in grey robes?!

“W-well, prove it!”

The figure tilted its head, and after a moment of silence, its discolored eyes flashed from within the hood. It replied once more.

“Okay.”

I’ll just show off a bit. A naïve kid like this won’t know the difference.

After kneeling down, it placed its hands down onto the grassy plain. The boy stared in both confusion and anticipation. Could this figure truly be a dream fairy?

After waiting only a few seconds, the boy was soon overcome with shock.

Young trees sprouted from the ground in a circle around them. As if they were going through the cycle of life, they soon aged quickly into maturity as they took root and developed elegant branches.

Soft, pink petals soon blossomed from the vast array of trees that now towered over them. Despite the boy’s suspicions, it did seem as if they were currently in a dream world.

The trees gave a gentle shake, causing a flurry of tiny pink petals to swirl within the moonlight.

“Well?”

The figure stood back up and inspected its handiwork.

I always liked these trees, they were Mia’s favorite.

The boy stood up and rotated in place with a bewildered look.

“How did you do that??”

He called out without even looking in the figure’s direction.

“Because I’m a dream fairy?”

“…”

It was met with silence.

Was this not enough proof for you? Even though I’m not actually a dream fairy or whatever…

“What?”

“I still don’t believe you, but the trees are pretty.”

The boy sat cross legged on the ground. He pulled at the grass by his feet to keep his hands busy while his eyes feasted on the scenery.

I forget how tedious children can be.

“Tsk.”

The being made a sound as if it were clicking its tongue—if it even had one within the recesses of its hood.

This child may be the only company I’ll get for a very long time. I’ll keep playing along for now.

“What can I do for you to believe me?”

The boy stared at the being with an incredulous look accompanied by a raised eyebrow.

“There’s no way a dream fairy would wear clothes like that, and what’s with your eyes? One of your eyes is pretty, but your other eye is scary.”

The shadows within the figure’s hood distorted ever so slightly.

This brat!

It folded its arms and thought once more to itself. The next minute seemed to drag for eternity as the boy and figure met each other’s gaze.

Ah, I see the problem. I forgot how prejudice and fickle humans are on instinct. That’s something I’ll have to fix in this child.

“Then how about this?”

It raised its formless and shadowy hand towards the sky before a crisp snap echoed into the night.

A blinding flash of white light shocked the surroundings, causing the boy to flinch reflexively and cover his eyes.

After the light disappeared, the boy hurriedly looked back, and for the second time his mouth hung loosely in shock.

He murmured under breath.

“You really are a fairy…”

He received a simple reply.

“Hmpf!”

A precious sound of irritation echoed from the direction of where the figure once stood. In its place was now a small girl, whose age seemed to perfectly match that of the boy’s.

The boy simply stared dumbstruck at the small girl standing alone.

Her flowing white hair gave off a purple luster as it gently brushed against her pale white shoulders. A simple black dress draped down her delicate body, reaching just above her ankles.

The boy became mesmerized no matter where he looked.

The girl seemed to draw the gaze of nature itself as if she were designed by perfection incarnate. From her picturesque feet to her dainty hands, everything about her almost seemed inhuman.

Of course, the most notable feature that separated her from humanity was her discolored eyes.

One of which looked almost normal, except for the fact that it held the entire galaxy within itself. While the other eye dripped with blood like a crimson bauble of hatred.

Humans are distrusting toward things they cannot understand, very superficial creatures. Is it a survival instinct perhaps?

The little girl tilted her head to the side in thought.

Who cares. As long as I fix this brat’s mentality then it won’t be an issue. The universe is too large to be so narrow minded.

“Brother said dream fairies aren’t real, but now I know they’re real! I have a dream fairy!”

The boy’s eyes lit up in excitement as he slowly crawled closer to the girl on his hands and knees, completely forgetting he could stand up and walk.

“Tsk. If you tell anyone about this dream fairy then I’ll disappear forever.”

The girl placed her hands on her hips and shifted her weight towards one leg. She glared down at the boy who didn’t even seem to realize how much distance he had closed.

The boy froze in place; he just remembered a crucial fact about dreams.

”We normally forget everything in our dreams. Don’t tell me…?”

Will she really disappear forever after I wake up?

“No. Your dream is special. You won’t forget the dreams we share like normal ones.”

Because these aren’t really dreams…

The girl smirked at the boy’s naivety. Before he had time to process this information, she smoothly asked another question.

“So, tell me. Why were you crying?”