The night blanketed the central temple grounds in velvet stillness. A crescent moon hovered in the sky, casting gentle light over the quiet training fields. Vaelion lay beneath a tree, his arms behind his head, eyes closed—but rest eluded him. His breathing slowed, and soon, he slipped into the uneasy world of dreams.
A voice—deep, calm, ancient—echoed in his mind.
"You seek truth, Vaelion. Then ask yourself—who owns the dreamscape you wander every night?"
Vaelion frowned within the dream.
"I thought it was just...my own subconscious?"
A low, amused chuckle answered him.
"Foolish. That space belongs to a goddess. Would you like to meet the one who takes your place when you close your eyes?"
The air around him shimmered. The fog of memory gave way to a glowing, lucid void. A soft breeze carried the scent of night-blooming lilies, and a soothing aura descended over the scene.
Then she appeared.
A woman stepped forth from the mist, her presence ethereal. Her golden hair faded into twilight lilac tips, her eyes shimmered like stardust, and her dress glowed with woven constellations. Every step she took felt like it rewrote the dream around her.
"You've been trespassing in my garden of dreams, Vaelion," she said, her voice smooth as silk.
Vaelion stared, heart racing. "Who... are you?"
She smiled, a mix of mischief and majesty.
"You don't know my name, and yet I've watched you every night."
He swallowed hard. "You're the woman from my dreams..."
She leaned in just slightly, a glint of curiosity in her violet eyes. "Do you want to know the name of the man who takes your place in those dreams?"
Vaelion hesitated. "...Yes."
Her fingertip tapped gently against his forehead. A soft, rippling pulse ran through him.
"Lucius."
Suddenly, the dream shattered and twisted. Vaelion fell through scenes of chaos—worlds without him. Cities ablaze. Thrones vacant. A version of himself dying on a battlefield, bloodied and broken. In the center stood a man with his shadow, his eyes, his face... but colder. Crueler.
Lucius.
"Let me show you what happens when you're not there," Lucius whispered. "Let me merge with you. Let me fix what you cannot."
The pain was unbearable. Vaelion screamed.
Then—nothing.
He awoke, drenched in sweat.
And his head was resting on something warm.
Soft.
His eyes flew open. He shot up with a gasp, face burning red.
"W-What the hell?!"
Mai sat there, calm and graceful, cradling his head in her lap. Her expression was unreadable, but the corner of her mouth curled up ever so slightly.
"You collapsed. I caught you," she said simply.
He scrambled away, utterly flustered. "T-Thanks, I guess..."
Mai tilted her head, violet eyes gleaming with amusement. "Now then. A deal. I can help you reach Lucius again."
Vaelion narrowed his gaze. "What's the price?"
She smiled, teasing yet deadly serious.
"Make me your wife."
He choked. "WHAT?!"
Later, inside the temple...
Vaelion stood awkwardly in front of his mother, recounting everything. She listened, then slowly sipped her tea.
"So, a dream goddess wants to marry you in exchange for divine secrets?"
He nodded, eyes pleading for advice.
His mother grinned. "Well... you could do a lot worse than a goddess with thighs like those."
"M-Mother!!"
Outside, under the moonlight, Mai watched with a knowing smile.
The game had just begun.
To be continued...