At a distance, The Godmother rode her winged horse, launching arrows towards the giant spider. Meanwhile, an additional horde of skeleton warriors, equipped with shields and swords, streamed out of the temple. Jonah and Ashley continued their struggle against the growing swarm of skeletons, each finding themselves besieged by a number of them.

"Aren't these skeletons just figments of Jonah's imagination? Why can't he simply will them out of existence?" Ashley asked.

"He's lost control over them. We have to take them down before their numbers become too much for us to handle."

The Godmother maneuvered in the sky, her arrows finding their mark on the giant spider, compelling it to retreat from advancing towards our position.

"Well, at least she had that one under control."

Abruptly, the skeleton warriors ceased their unyielding assault and started to form ranks in front of the temple entrance.

"They're stopping," Ashley said. "But why?"

Then, the figure of an enormous skeleton emerged before us. Its skull was crowned with a diadem sparkling with numerous gems, and it wielded a sword with bolts of lightning coursing along the blade. The colossal skeleton advanced ahead of its legion, lifting its sword to signal the lesser skeleton warriors to commence their assault on us.

"It's coming! What do we do?" Ashley asked.

Determined to confront the menace head-on, I rushed at the skeletons; however, my strikes failed to land. "What's happening? They appear stronger than before."

The skeletons had become more formidable and nimbler, effortlessly evading our attempts to strike them down. Glancing back, I noticed Jonah seated on the ground, his head shielded by his arms. The skeleton warriors intensified their assault, compelling us to seek refuge behind nearby rocks.

"You are powerless! His mind is under my control!" the skeleton king said.

"Jonah! Hiding won't solve this; we must defeat the skeleton king, or you'll forever lose control over your own mind."

Jonah lifted his gaze, his face etched with terror. "Have you seen the size of that monster? It's invincible; we don't have what's necessary to bring it down."

"Ashley and I won't be able to land a blow on it, but you have the power to do so. I'll draw some of the skeletons' attention, and Ashley will handle others. You need to charge directly at the skeleton king – you're the only one who can defeat him."

Jonah stood up; his eyes filled with resolve as he looked at me. "I'll do my best."

"But trying isn't enough, Jonah. You must have faith in you, we, have faith in you. Believe in your own strength, because, after all, you're the master of this nightmare."

Immediately, Ashley and I charged at the skeleton army, creating a diversion that isolated the skeleton king.

Jonah seized the opportunity, sprinting through the gap with his stave on his hand, his eyes determined to end the conflict once and for all.

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"This is your end, skeleton king. This dream belongs to me. I am your creator, and I will retrieve what rightfully belongs to me from the start!"

With each collision of their weapons, lightning sparked from the skeleton king's sword. Jonah landed a blow to the skeleton king's skull, but then, the visage of the skeleton king morphed into a clear image of his father, William. Jonah halted his assault, startled by the transformation.

"What's the matter, buddy? Don't recognize me?"

Jonah, fueled with anger, didn't hesitate to continue the attack. With a fierce determination in his eyes, he pressed forward against the image of his father, taking control of the battle.

"You are not my real father! You take advantage of my mother! You deserve to disappear!"

As he spoke, his stave transformed, extending and branching out into roots that ensnared the skeleton king. These roots sharpened like spikes, bursting from the ground and vanquishing the remaining skeletons. Jonah advanced slowly, halting before the image of his father.

"Jonah, buddy, let me go. Don't do this to your own father."

Jonah's stave morphed into a spear, and with unflinching resolve, he drove it through the chest of the skeleton king, causing the entity to vanish. As the skeleton king dissipated, the surroundings began to transform anew; the tempestuous weather gave way to tranquility, and lush green pastures sprouted around us.

"Yeah!" I shouted, reveling in our success against the skeleton army.

The environment around us brightened, signaling the storm's departure. The giant spider lay defeated by The Godmother, who now rode her winged horse through the clearing skies towards us. Landing gracefully, she dismounted with a smile, positioning herself before Jonah.

"Who would've thought you had this strength within you all along," The Godmother said.

Jonah held The Godmother in an embrace, gazing up at her with appreciation. "Thank you. I couldn't have done it without you."

"I merely distracted a giant spider; it was your friends who had the courage to rush to your aid. You must realize you can see me because they are sharing this dream with you. Once we return to the real world, I'll become invisible to you once again."

"Why?" Jonah asked. "I want to play with you too."

"You are meant to live a long life, Jonah. I want you to understand that just because you can't see me, it doesn't mean I am not there next to you. Now, I will snap my fingers and we will return to the village."

In an instant, we found ourselves back in our room. As I opened my eyes, I saw the doctor and two nurses attending to Jonah. Ashley stirred awake beside me, with our beds already moved apart, each returned to its original position. Nurse Angela caught sight of us regaining consciousness and offered a comforting smile.

"You guys were asleep for quite a while. I'm glad to see you back in the land of the living."

"How is Jonah?" I asked.

"He will be fine. Although, we can't figure out what happened to him."

Ashley let out a sigh and started walking towards her cubicle. "I'm heading to my bed. I've had my fill of giant spiders and skeletons for one night."

"Ashley," I whispered, soft enough so only she could hear. "Thank you. You're the best."

Pausing briefly, Ashley turned with a smile before continuing to her bed. After the doctor and nurses exited our room, the quiet hum of Jonah's monitoring equipment filled the space, leaving me wide awake. Then, The Godmother materialized, observing Jonah as he breathed calmly in his sleep. She made her way over to me and sat on the bed.

"I still can't understand why his thoughts were so turbulent. I was under the impression that we could govern our own minds' visions. I truly wish to avoid going through anything like that again."

"Every mind is its own universe. Throughout my time of service, I've seen the extent to which a mind can wreak havoc on its host. Many consider the mind a mystery in itself. The moment you realize you are the master of your thoughts; you unlock the potential to become anything you envision."

Watching Jonah, thoughts of my own mortality crossed my mind. "I wish I knew when my time will end."

The Godmother looked at me, curious. "And why super Samuel will want to know that?"

"I just wanted to know for how long I am able to enjoy the company of my friends."

"Then I suggest you cherish every moment you spend with them. Live out the rest of your days in the presence of those who bring you joy."

I smiled at her comment. "Thanks for keeping me company."

"You're welcome, young Samuel. Now is time to get some rest."