Friday Morning, August 3rd, 2028, Ludenberg Elite High School
The morning dawned bright, fresh air enveloping the school grounds, which slowly buzzed with the hurried footsteps of students rushing to their respective classes. But for Cedric, this morning felt different. He arrived earlier than usual, walking calmly beneath the soft morning sunlight, letting his thoughts drift to a long-awaited promise—meeting Eryna in the secluded and hidden back garden of the school.
His steps led him towards the garden, passing through lush corridors and blooming flowers whose gentle fragrance was carried by the morning breeze. The scent of dew-kissed leaves mingled with the faint aroma of jasmine. Amidst the tranquility, a magnificent old tree stood, its branches cascading like green curtains protecting the world's secrets. Sunlight pierced through the gaps in the leaves, creating dancing patterns of light and shadow on the grassy ground. Beneath the tree, a weathered wooden bench awaited, its surface cool to the touch, the usual spot where Eryna would sit.
Cedric arrived just as Eryna was already waiting. She appeared serene in her neat school uniform, her brown hair falling softly over her shoulders, a few strands dancing with the morning breeze. Her soft violet eyes, full of secrets, gazed distantly at the morning sky, as if holding many untold stories, hidden behind a captivating calmness.
"Good morning, Cedric," she greeted softly, her voice like a soothing melody, her smile warm as if concealing something deep, yet radiating clear sincerity.
"Morning, Eryna," Cedric replied, sitting beside her. The wooden bench felt cold, but Eryna's presence beside him seemed to bring a faint warmth. A long-dormant curiosity now tickled his mind, stronger than ever before. "You mentioned yesterday about dreams... I'm still curious, what exactly do those terms you mentioned mean?"
Eryna gazed into the distance, her eyes seemingly reaching for shadows from a distant memory, perhaps a world only she could see. "Dreams are not just vague shadows or meaningless images, Cedric. There's another world hidden behind the curtain of our consciousness, a dimension where thoughts and memories meet. For instance, Phantos—dreams that originate from hidden memories within us, often ones we've even forgotten experiencing, buried deep in our subconscious."
Cedric frowned, trying to digest her words, his mind busy processing every nuance. "So, like a hidden flashback in the mind?"
"Yes, but deeper than that," Eryna said, nodding slowly, her movements graceful and cautious. "There's also Vespera—dreams that show glimpses of the future, possibilities that aren't certain but could become real, like faint whispers of destiny. And Lucidum... that's the most unique. A lucid dream, where we know we are dreaming, and can even control the dream's narrative, as if we are the directors of our own subconscious."
A new world unfolded in Cedric's mind. He looked at Eryna with eyes full of contemplation. This information, though delivered gently, felt like a puzzle piece that had just fallen into place, yet simultaneously opened another Pandora's Box. His thoughts immediately raced, trying to connect all this to the concepts of Deviants, Neva, and even his own anomaly.
Phantos, Vespera, Lucidum... he repeated the terms to himself, each word resonating with new speculations. If dreams could recall hidden memories (Phantos) or even show the future (Vespera), could this be a manifestation of Neva working outside the Deviant core? Or perhaps there were Deviants with a special affinity for the dream world, an ability never explained before? He recalled Arash's explanation of a much more complex world, one that surpassed ordinary Deviant understanding. These questions flashed rapidly through his mind, forming intertwining branches of hypotheses, searching for hidden patterns and connections, but he did not show the turmoil of his thoughts, keeping his expression calm and interested. He felt a faint sensation in his chest again, like a gentle resonance, as if an invisible thread connected his thoughts to Eryna's presence.
"I've felt it before... dreams so real, I struggled to distinguish them from reality. What about you? Have you ever had a dream so vivid it felt more real than daily life?" Cedric asked, hiding his complex analysis behind a calm tone, his eyes gazing deeply into Eryna's violet ones.
Eryna took a long breath, then looked at Cedric with a different gaze, a fragile glint appearing in them. "I once dreamt about you, Cedric. The dream was so clear, like a perfectly recorded film in my mind, every detail so real it felt impossible to be merely a fleeting dream."
Cedric fell silent, his heart beating faster, a strange yet captivating rhythm. His feelings were a mix of surprise, curiosity, and a faint warmth he couldn't explain. "A dream about me?" His voice was a little softer than usual.
"Yes," Eryna replied in an almost whisper, her tone now filled with deference and hesitation, as if afraid Cedric would think her mad. "I saw myself carrying a box full of books to the library—exactly like when we first met. It was so strange; at that time, I didn't even know you at all. But the dream was so vivid, like something destined, a scenario already written long before it happened."
Cedric looked at her with a mix of feelings: curiosity, confusion, and a hint of disbelief, yet a part of him sensed the truth in Eryna's words. "How is that possible?"
Eryna smiled faintly, hiding something behind it. She lowered her gaze slightly, fiddling with the edge of her uniform with her slender fingers. "I didn't tell you this yesterday because I was afraid you'd think I was strange or perhaps crazy. But after that dream, the event really did happen, exactly as I saw it, every detail. As if the dream wasn't just an ordinary sleep fantasy, but a premonition, a prediction."
Cedric took a deep breath, trying to grasp the common thread in everything. The concept of Vespera she mentioned, and now her personal experience. "So... this is more than a coincidence. This is like... Destiny?"
Eryna didn't answer directly; she just looked at Cedric with deep violet eyes, as if seeking understanding, or perhaps validation. The silence that followed seemed to acknowledge what was unspoken.
To shift the increasingly heavy atmosphere, Cedric changed the topic. He wanted to understand more about Eryna, but also didn't want to pressure her. "By the way, do you really like reading history books?"
Eryna nodded with genuine enthusiasm, her face brightening again. "I love it. History holds many secrets, stories buried by time. Sometimes I feel history is like a map guiding us to answers that have never been revealed, as if on every page there's a whisper from the past waiting to be heard."
Cedric smiled, feeling the calm that came from Eryna's enthusiasm. He asked cautiously, "How about Aurevian Astravale? Ever heard of it?"
Eryna frowned, trying to remember. She shook her head slowly. "I know it's the name of a famous ancient monument, often mentioned in basic history lessons. But I've never read deeply about its history, let alone the myths behind it."
"I've been there," Cedric whispered, his voice slightly lower, recalling an unusual experience. "I also saw its image in a dream. There's something strange and mysterious about that place, something hard to explain, as if the monument itself holds ancient, unrevealed secrets."
Then Cedric mentioned a term he had only heard from old books, "Rhovalyre... I found it in a very ancient note, its paper yellowed and almost fragile. The writing within was very faint, like an almost forgotten language, full of unfamiliar symbols. I feel this is important, as if there's a correlation between that monument and something larger than ordinary history. Do you know what it is?"
Eryna shook her head, her eyes radiating deep curiosity, and a hint of anxiety. "No, I've never heard that term at all. It sounds... unfamiliar and mysterious. But if you feel it's so important, I want to know more too. What makes that note feel so different, Cedric? As if it's not just an ordinary note?"
Cedric looked at the now bright blue sky, its rays falling on Eryna's face, making her eyes shimmer like illuminated crystals. "I feel all this is connected: the dream you experienced—that Vespera, the mysterious Aurevian Astravale monument, and that strange term Rhovalyre. It's like there's something far greater than we understand, a thread of destiny binding us all to one great secret."
Eryna nodded slowly, her expression serious. "I feel the same way. There's something inexplicable, a strong pull towards the truth. I want us to find out together, Cedric. I feel... we can find the answers if we work together. Even if the path is full of riddles and uncertainty, I believe we must delve into this secret." Her eyes looked at Cedric with full conviction, an unspoken promise woven between them.
They both paused for a moment, feeling the vibrations of mystery binding between dreams, history, and reality. A silent agreement was forged, marking the beginning of their enigmatic journey. As the school bell rang loudly, calling them back to reality, they parted ways. Each carrying both curiosity and hope, ready to face whatever lay ahead on that journey to find answers, together.