“I breathe. I’ve been doing this for a very long time, so I’m able to switch over after a few minutes.”
Taryn shifted his head to look at her, his expression in disbelief. “You can cross into the dreamworld at will?”
“At will,” Airess confirmed. “And eventually you can too if you just focus on… well,notfocusing.”
Taryn shifted and tried it again. “This is quite nice. I think I’ll fall asleep soon.”
Airess chuckled. “Me too. Goodnight, Taryn.”
Taryn looked at her with a softness, his mouth curved into a subtle smile.
“Goodnight, Haeleth.”
She saw Taryn falling through space alongside her, his silver dream form a beacon in the vast expanse. Airess shut her eyes as they shifted into the Dreamworld, the uncomfortable feeling passing as she suddenly found herself standing inside a grand corridor–and one that she knew well. They stood there together, grabbing their bearings and taking in their surroundings.
“That was unpleasant,” Taryn remarked from her side. She couldn’t help but stare at him, his brown curls now silver tendrils, as if touched by moonlight. He raised his arm and inspected the ghostly version of himself.
“It usually is,” she said numbly, taking in the familiar hallways of the castle in Luciena. Marble tiling lined the floors, the walls a stark white with intricate crown molding. There were many paintings along the walls, including a portrait of the royal family. It was an older painting, depicting the family when the king consort was still alive before he died of a terminal illness. Arzhel and Morana were younger, mere children, yet she could still depict the cruelty in Arzhel’s eyes through the image.
“Are we in the castle?” Taryn asked, sidestepping so that a servant could walk by.
“Yes,” Airess chuckled, and stepped in front of another servant. The servant passed through her dreamform, her translucent body flickering at the motion. Taryn’s brows rose in surprise, mouth parted open in shock. “You’re practically a ghost here. Don’t worry about them walking through you. Now, come on, let’s go.”
She turned and walked down the halls, a place she had never dreamwalked before even though she had lived here for a decade. How strange it was to be back here unnoticed. Her heart filled with dread at what they may see – whatTarynmight see.
“Where are we going?” he asked her as he fell in stride next to her. Even here, he towered over her by an entire foot. He was so tall, and his dream form was beautiful. Why was he so beautiful? She shook her head, dispelling the thought. She had to stop thinking about how attractive he was.
“Following the pull. Do you feel it–the tug urging us to move forward? The dreamworld is trying to show us something. It is wise to follow it.” Airess was familiar with the invisible pull that originated from her chest, that tugged her forward, almost as if it was a subtle push. She hadn’t stopped to consider that Taryn might not know what that meant–or what it was.
Taryn stopped walking, causing her to pause. He looked forward to the stairwell, his lips pursing in thought. “I do feel it, like it wants us to go upstairs.”
Airess grinned, and elbowed him even though he couldn’t feel it, “You’re catching on.”
“How is that possible? Is the dreamworld sentient?”
“From what I know, yes. It’s not so much a person, but more of an entity.”
He shook his head in surprise, his stare on her penetrating. She tried her best not to squirm under it and wondered if he knew how powerful he looked. “That’s just… that’s absolutely fascinating. I wish I had a pen right now.”
She laughed, “A pen?”
“You know, to write things down. This would make for some wonderful research.”
They began their ascent up the stairs. “Research? What for?”
“Why not?” He countered. “Being as I’ve never heard the concept of dreamwalking means there has to be little record of it. Perhaps the world could benefit from such information.”
This surprised her. She had never expected him to care about research, of all things.
“What are you, some kind of academic?”
He glanced at her, a shadow overcoming his expression. “At best, I am a well-read male. We didn’t exactly have time for learning at the Guild.”
She felt the rawness in his words, the yearning in his tone. It was as if he wanted something he couldn’t have, and for some odd reason, it made her sad for him.
“You like to research?” She asked honestly, intrigue driving her question.
“Absolutely,” He answered confidently. “The world can only benefit from evolution, and that comes from learning. Researching. Recording. There is still so much we do not know, from the ocean below to the heavens above. Knowledge is power. It’s everything.”
