Awakening

by Hayden Pearton

  *

  In a surprising concurrence, Alza was also experiencing a dream, though in this case, 'nightmare' is rather more apt.

  The world is dark. For as far as I can see, there is nothing but darkness. The nothingness takes away the light and the heat, leaving me cold and blind. I can feel a presence, somewhere out there in the void. I let the feeling pull me closer, towards heat. Towards life.

  I can see a multitude of swirling spheres, nestled in the darkness. As the orbs glide closer I can see that they shimmer and shine with an iridescent light. Inside, I can see movement and glorious sound. Two of the spheres detach from the rest. One is a pale gold, with silver streaks, whilst the others is two tone: half is sapphire, half is emerald. In the golden sphere I see a man in a building. He is not meant to be there. In his future, I can see carnage and bloodshed, and he marches towards it with grim determination.

  The other sphere calls to me, in a voice so melodic, so pure, it is impossible to resist. Within, I catch glimpses of a broken city, filled with unfulfilled dreams and fractured hopes. There is a man at the centre of the sphere, cradling a black blade which whispers to him of violence and rage. Behind him, a red-eyed beast waits in eager anticipation, as it's unaware prey continues to bicker with the contorting sword. I reach out to the conflicted man, feeling a bond form between us.

  A violet, pulsing thread appears from within my chest, and weaves its way into the entrancing sphere. As it touches the man, both the sword and the beast disappear. He slumps to his feet, breathing a sigh of relief. Slowly, as if it were nothing more than a transient illusion, the sphere fades away. I turn towards the golden sphere, and find that it too has vanished. Once more, I am alone in the darkness. I close my eyes and envision the spheres, picturing them in my mind. Slowly, I feel the power within me begin to awaken, as it slowly rises to the surface of my sub-conscious.

  It fills me with the light and warmth that I have been so desperately searching for. I open my eyes, and stare in amazement. Around me, given form by the power dwelling within, is a sphere of purest violet. Within the florescent orb, images begin to appear, which become more real as I embrace them.

  SLUMBER.

  I am in a forest, not of trees but of light. Soft, amethyst light which sings to me and resonates with my core. The darkness is gone, as if it had never been. Before me lies a crystal, taller than two men and half as wide. From within its depths, a light pulses in erratic beats, as if it is uncertain of its existence. Around me, more crystals appear, encircling me in a cathedral of light. The air is cold, unnaturally so, but my chest feels warm. I can see a shadow of my reflection on the crystal's clear-cut surface: a slender girl with flowing white hair and piercing magenta eyes which speak of mystery and magic.

  I reach out with an ivory-white hand to the strange figure, who perfectly copies my motion. At the boundary of her crystal prison, our mirrored hands become one. As my fingers touch the pulsating glass, a ripple spreads outwards from the impact point. It radiates and rebounds, each action producing a clear, loud note of purest audio-logical delight. From within the beautiful shard, a new shape is forming.

  My shadowed reflection begins to twist and turn, it's ivory hair absorbing the surrounding darkness until it returns as an auburn haired goddess. Her figure is still slender, but slightly more plump in some areas, and less so in others. I watch as her shining violet eyes dim and are replaced by a wise amber, which, upon closer inspection, are dotted with blue flecks. She is alien to me, but at the same time, she feels like a long forgotten sister.

  With effort, she steps out of the confining crystal, her reality replacing mine with every step. Around me, the forest of shards dissolves, leaving me in a chaotic swirl of thoughts and emotions. Fear, happiness, loss, and love deliver glancing blows to my breaking psyche, each imparting a moment of feeling. I cry whenever loss touches my cheek, and howl with laughter when happiness brushes my lips. Fear sends me reeling backwards, an anger creates a rictus which distorts my features.

  But love... love is the hardest to bear. A love that was never realised. A love that was unreturned. A love that ended with loss. A love that will never be again. A love that breaks my heart. And a love that rebuilds it. These foreign emotions continue to bombard me, despite my desperate pleas for mercy. The amber-eyed girl is standing before me, watching the assault with a sad smile on her face.

  With a weary voice, she says, “Alza, it is not yet time for you to remember me. I hope that you will come back when you are stronger. I hope you find what you are looking for.” The strange girl vanishes into the darkness, along with the attacking emotions. With her gone, I feel an unusual sense of loss, but I am cheered by the fact that I will meet her again. To the encroaching darkness I say, “I will return one day. I will find what I'm looking for.”