With a slight sigh, I lowered my gaze for a moment, then lifted it and said in a trembling voice:
—I'm going to tell you everything… but I just hope you'll still stay with me after hearing what I have to say.
Everyone nodded seriously. Their faces showed understanding, and there was no judgment in their eyes. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes for a moment, and began:
—While I was asleep, I woke up in what seemed to be a park… but it wasn't just any park. It was unique, beautiful, like something out of a dream. Yet something about it felt off. There was a strange, unsettling silence. I walked along empty paths, and the further I went, the more I felt like something was wrong. I felt like… like I was losing my mind.
I paused for a second, and everyone was still paying close attention. Then I continued:
—In the middle of the park, I saw a figure sitting, staring into the horizon. I approached him, not knowing why. I just… did. And I said, "Hey, are you lost too? Heh…"
Everyone looked at me in confusion. Suddenly, I started to stutter as I recalled that moment:
—And then… he stood up. He turned to look at me. And he was… he was…
—What, Leo? —they all said in unison, holding their breath.
Kaori, seeing that I was struggling to continue, gently took my hand. Her warm touch helped me regain control. I took another deep breath and went on:
—It wasn't a person… No. That thing… it was the devil himself… or something worse. I don't have enough words to describe it. Its face was grotesque… its skin peeling off like it was rotting, its lifeless crimson eyes void of emotion. Its hands were pale and bony, with long, bloody nails… and it was at least two meters tall, maybe more. And it had wings made of… of nerves and veins from a body.
I paused, and as I looked around, I noticed everyone holding their breath. Their previously curious faces were now pale and tense. Still, they urged me to go on. I nodded and continued firmly:
—The moment it sensed my presence, that thing lunged at me. It was incredibly fast and strong. Even though I tried to use my power… I couldn't stand a chance. I had no hope.
My friends' faces showed real fear. No one dared to speak.
—I can say with certainty —I said, my voice low but steady— that thing was stronger than the Herald himself… even stronger than Ziz.
Silence grew even heavier after those words.
—That thing threw me through the air. I landed on my back, on the grass, and as I tried to come up with a plan, it came at me again. This time, my strategy worked… just once. When I tried to repeat it, I failed. It grabbed me by the ankle and started smashing me into the ground… again and again.
I saw Kaori cover her mouth, and Masha turned her face away. Even so, they needed to hear it all.
—I felt my back tearing open… each blow left a mark. The blood… my blood… spread across the grass. My mouth and nose were bleeding, and I could barely see. My whole body was covered in red. But the worst… the worst part was feeling something opening in my back, as if… as if I were being cut from the inside.
Everyone began to tremble. The old man fell completely silent, his gaze lost—just like everyone else's. But I continued, because I had already started.
—That thing came closer, grabbed my head… and I thought it was going to kill me. But it didn't. Instead, it placed its hand on my back. I felt unbearable pain, like I was burning from the inside. Like it was branding my soul. Then it removed its hand… and just before everything went black, it gave me one last kick to the face and said: "Wake up."
I took a long pause. No one spoke. No one moved.
—And then… I woke up —I finally said.
I looked at them all. Their faces were marked with fear, confusion, and worry. The old man stared at a spot on the floor, as if trying to make sense of everything he'd just heard. Tom clenched his fists, Sakura looked on the verge of tears, and Ren was breathing heavily. Kaori, still holding my hand, only murmured:
—That… that wasn't just a dream.
I replied seriously, trying to hide the tremble in my voice:
—I know it wasn't just a dream… not some random nightmare either. I have no idea what it could mean, but… I know it wasn't normal.
Everything felt confusing. The words barely came out, but the silence that had taken over the room was even stronger. I lifted my head and finally noticed everyone's expressions. They weren't just listening… they were processing something that seemed beyond their comprehension.
Tom was hunched over, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles had turned white. His tense jaw revealed his frustration—or maybe the helplessness of not being able to do anything. Ren, although maintaining his usual calm, had a completely blank stare, as if his thoughts were drifting into dimensions we couldn't see. Masha held her teacup with both hands, but she hadn't taken a sip; her eyes were fixed on the liquid, though her mind was far away. Sakura had a few tears silently running down her cheeks and was sweating profusely; her breathing had become irregular, and like the others, her gaze seemed locked onto some invisible point.
And the old man… that wise, calm man whose voice always radiated certainty, now had a furrowed brow. He seemed to be analyzing every word I had spoken, searching for meaning in something that even his vast experience couldn't explain.
Kaori, silently sitting next to me, still held my hand. Despite her calm expression, her body trembled slightly, and her palm was sweaty. Still, she didn't let go. That simple gesture gave me strength.
I was about to say something to break the heavy tension when the old man suddenly stood up, as if an important decision had been made inside him.
—Attention! —he said firmly—. Tom, Ren, Sakura, Masha, Kaori... what we've just heard must not be shared with anyone. Absolutely no one.
Everyone looked up at the same time. The gravity in their faces deepened instantly.
I, a little confused by his order, turned to him and asked:
—Sorry, old man, but… why can't we tell anyone? Shouldn't we look for answers?
The old man crossed his arms. His eyes, for the first time since I'd known him, showed something I'd never seen before: genuine concern.
—What you told us, Leo… is not something we can clearly understand. Not yet. I've seen incredible things in my life—people with supernatural abilities, spirits, phenomena that defy logic… but what you saw… that wasn't a dream.
His words hit like a bucket of cold water. Silence returned, heavier than ever.
—And the worst part —the old man continued, never taking his eyes off me— is that I can't tell you for certain what that was. I'll only say this: what you saw wasn't a message, or a simple illusion. It was a sign. A warning that something… something immense and hidden within you is beginning to awaken.
Hearing that, a chill ran down my spine. I lowered my gaze for a moment. That thing… that grotesque creature… the way it had attacked me, the pain so real… it had all been far too vivid to be just a nightmare.
What did it mean? What was that "something" hidden inside me? A force? A power? A curse? My mind filled with questions, but no answers came.
Squeezing Kaori's hand gently, I closed my eyes for a moment and thought: Whatever it is… I'm ready to face it. But I don't want to do it alone.
After that intense conversation, time passed and the mood gradually began to calm. No one said another word, but everyone seemed to find a bit of peace in the silence. The tension eased just enough for us to have dinner in peace. It wasn't a cheerful meal, but it was a necessary one. We shared food in a calm silence, as if, subconsciously, we were trying to heal together.
When dinner ended, one by one began heading to their rooms as night fell. Though still a bit nervous, their faces showed signs of calm. I also intended to sleep, but I felt a restlessness inside me. I wanted—no, needed—a moment alone.
I approached the old man and softly said:
—I'm going out to the garden for a while… I need to clear my mind.
He looked at me calmly and nodded in understanding.
—Of course, Leo. Take as much time as you need.
I gave him a slight nod and headed toward the garden.
The night air was cool and crisp. The breeze gently brushed my face, and the night sky looked like a canvas full of shimmering stars. The moon shone brightly, bathing everything in a silvery light that gave the garden an ethereal atmosphere. I sat on the grass, took a deep breath, and closed my eyes for a few seconds.
The peace of the place was perfect. Everything felt calm… at least on the outside. Inside me, though, a storm still raged.
I began to meditate, seeking clarity, focus. I needed to connect with myself, understand what I had dreamed, what the old man had told me. I needed to train… even if only in my mind.
So I decided to try: a mental training, a simulation inside my own consciousness, a battle with myself.
To my surprise, it worked.
In that mental space, I faced a version of myself identical in every way. Every movement, every decision, every reaction was like watching a mirror… in combat. It was a challenging, exhausting experience, but incredibly useful. I could analyze my mistakes, improve my defense, test new strategies. That silent battle within me was one more step toward my own strength.
After a while, I slowly opened my eyes and stood up. I brushed off the grass stuck to my clothes and, taking a deep breath, returned to the house.
Upon entering my room, the first thing I noticed was Kaori already asleep on her futon. She was resting peacefully, breathing softly, as if the weight of the day had finally lifted from her. Not wanting to make noise, I carefully slid in, gently removing my shoes and socks. Then I got under the covers of my own futon, feeling for the first time that day a true sense of rest.
Everything was quiet. The silence in the room was comforting, and my eyelids started to grow heavy. That mental training had worn me out more than I'd realized. It didn't take long before I closed my eyes… and soon, everything turned to darkness.
But it was a different kind of darkness.
In the midst of that void, I felt something begin to shift. My eyelids twitched slightly, as if responding to a distant light. I slowly opened my left eye… and saw the soft glow of dawn filtering through the window. Then, with some effort, I opened the right one, which burned a little, perhaps from the exhaustion of the night before. Still, I smiled faintly.
I had finally rested.
And a new day had begun.