I had a dream.
A dream where I was wandering alone. No, I was not wandering alone. I was flying around the darkness of the sea.
In this dream, I felt an overwhelming sense of tranquility. The vast, dark ocean below me was calm and serene, its gentle waves lulling me into a state of profound peace.
It felt as if I were exactly where I needed to be, floating effortlessly in this tranquil abyss. The sensation was comforting, almost as if the darkness itself was cradling me in its embrace.
As I drifted, a sense of sleepiness overcame me. My eyelids grew heavy, and I allowed myself to sink deeper into the dream’s soothing embrace.
Time seemed to lose its meaning, and all that existed was the gentle rhythm of the waves and the quiet hum of the sea.
But then, something began to change. A new presence made itself known, a light that pierced through the darkness. It was blinding, sudden, and intense.
I squinted, trying to shield my eyes from the brilliance that seemed determined to wake me from my peaceful slumber.
I closed my eyes tightly, the light too much to bear. It felt like the stars themselves had come to life, each one shining with a fierce, unyielding light.
Slowly, as the intensity began to wane, I dared to open my eyes once more, peeking through my lashes.
The countless stars that had filled the sky were gone. The darkness had reclaimed its dominion, but one star remained. A single, solitary star hung in the vast expanse above me.
It was black.
Unlike the other stars, which had been dazzling and bright, this star was an enigma. Its darkness was profound, deeper than the sea below and the night sky above.
Yet, it did not feel ominous. There was a strange allure to it, a sense of mystery that beckoned me closer.
‘What is it? What is it that draws me to this star?’
It was not the first time that I had seen this dream. In fact, I saw this star countless times after becoming an Awakened.
Something deep inside me always told me that this star was something that I had something with.
I found myself drawn to this black star, its presence compelling.
It stood alone, a beacon in the vast emptiness, and I couldn’t help but feel that it held some significance. It was as if this star was meant for me, a guide in the endless night.
“Lucavion.”
And then it was this voice.
The voice that I did not know whom it belonged to.
And then, the dream ended, just like before.
*******
I woke with a start, gasping for breath. The familiar sight of the forest canopy greeted me, but something felt different.
I pushed myself up, wincing in anticipation of the pain from my earlier injuries. To my surprise, there was none.
I glanced down, expecting to see my clothes drenched in blood, my body marred with wounds. Instead, I found only dried stains, the blood crusted and brown against the fabric.
Tentatively, I touched my chest, feeling smooth, unbroken skin beneath my fingers. The injuries I had sustained were gone as if they had never been there.
‘How is this possible?’ I wondered, my mind racing to understand what had happened. I scanned my surroundings, searching for any clue, any sign of what might have healed me.
The forest was still and quiet; the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze. The faint lines of energy I had seen before were no longer visible, but I could still feel a residual hum in the air.
‘The Mana Vein is no longer here?’
Did something happen when I was asleep?
Now that I had woken up completely, my mind started working normally.
‘For how long I was asleep?’
I looked up at the sky, noting the position of the stars and the faint remnants of twilight. The sun was long gone, but the night sky offered clues. I recalled a technique I had learned from Elias during one of our late-night training sessions. We had often watched the stars while sitting by a campfire, and Elias had taught me how to read the sky to tell time.
“The stars move across the sky at a predictable pace,” Elias had explained. “By knowing their positions, you can estimate the time even without a clock.”
I focused on the constellations above, searching for familiar patterns. The North Star, Polaris, was a constant guide, always pointing true north.
From there, I traced the line of the Big Dipper, its handle and bowl forming a distinct shape. I followed the arc to Arcturus and then to Spica, marking the passage of time with their positions.
‘The Big Dipper is low on the horizon,’ I noted, calculating the time elapsed. ‘It must be around midnight, perhaps a bit later.’
‘For at least four hours,’ I surmised.
‘Thank you, Elias,’ I thought, feeling a surge of gratitude. ‘Your wisdom continues to guide me, even in your absence.’
But then I remembered the state I was in. Why was I in this condition? In the four hours that I was in this place, did someone come here? If that was the case, things would have been different.
‘Who sees a person in a bloody state and heals them without reminding?’
If there was one thing that I learned on the battlefield, that would be the fact that people here were very selective about the people they trust, and as long as it was not about the people they were close to, they would not move a muscle for other people.
‘Not that you are different, Lucavion.’
That is the rule of the world, and I could not obey.
‘Sigh….It bugs me that I can’t find the answer, but there is not much I can do.’
I had already spent 4 hours here. It took a lot longer than I initially thought it would. Breaking through the third stage was a crucial aspect, and that was why I had prepared myself for that.
‘Now, there is one thing I need to do.’
Slowly, I stood up, feeling the residual hum of energy within me. I closed my eyes, taking a moment to center myself and visualize the path ahead.
There was no time to waste; I had to move quickly and decisively.
‘Escape,’ I reminded myself. ‘This is my time to leave the battlefield and find a new path.’
Opening my eyes, I turned deeper into the forest. The darkness was thick, but I knew my vision would adapt.
I waited patiently, letting my eyes adjust to the dim light. After awakening, one’s strength would soar thanks to mana, but it seemed that these functions needed different types of training and techniques.
The ones I knew did not provide an enchantment of eyes for now.
Gradually, the shapes of the trees became clearer, their silhouettes stark against the night sky.
I took a deep breath, calming my racing thoughts. Each step forward was deliberate, and my senses heightened.
The forest had always been a place of solace for me, a sanctuary where I could think and plan without interruption. Tonight, it would serve as my escape route.
As I walked, I began counting the trees, using them as markers to guide my way. Each one was a familiar landmark, a part of the mental map I had created over countless walks and wandering.
The rhythm of my steps and the counting helped me focus, keeping my mind sharp and alert.
‘One, two, three…’ I counted silently, my eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. The forest was eerily quiet; the only sound was the crunch of leaves underfoot and the occasional rustle of a nocturnal creature.
I reached the tenth tree and paused, looking around to ensure I was on the right path. The forest seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction, but I knew exactly where I was going.
The hiding spot was not far now.
‘Eleven, twelve, thirteen…’ The trees passed by in a blur, their trunks like silent sentinels watching over my journey. The air was cool and crisp, the scent of pine and earth grounding me in the present moment.
At the twentieth tree, I stopped again, crouching low to the ground. I brushed away the fallen leaves, revealing a small, concealed hollow at the base of the tree. Inside, there was a small pouch bag.
Though it looked small, the space inside was actually bigger than inside.
It was a space pouch. As for how I got that, I found it from a soldier.
It had been during a skirmish with an enemy camp, a brief but intense clash that left the battlefield strewn with bodies and broken weapons. As I searched through the remains, my eyes caught sight of the pouch clutched in the hand of a fallen soldier. Something about it had called to me an instinctual feeling that it was more than it seemed.
Well, it was not instinctual. That soldier was throwing daggers one by one constantly, and he did not even hold them around his body.
At that time, I realized that it was because of this artifact that he had such high supplies.
I quickly stowed it away, hiding it in my armor without reporting it to my superiors. Normally, any artifact with mana attributes was to be reported immediately to the army.
Hiding such an item was considered a serious offense, a crime that could result in severe punishment. But I needed this since it was necessary for my plan.
‘Now, let’s get ready.’
Now, the hardest part would start.
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