by J. Clarice
“Is there anything else I need to know about being a Dreammare? Any more painful experiences I can prepare myself for and actually be aware of?”
Cain faced Scarlett and straightened his suit. “Aside from the pain, you’ll be feeling during your training. This is all.”
Scarlett huffed and threw her hands up. “That’s great to know, thanks.” Her sarcasm didn’t go unnoticed.
“Scar, as difficult as this is right now, it’s not a big worry. You’ll be fine.”
Scarlett shut up and bit the inside of her cheek. Her cheeks burned and she fisted her hands. Her mother turned her attention to Jayden who beat her to the catch.
“I’ll be leading in Scarlett’s training, Mrs. Blackdall.”
“Excellent, I’ll have this room cleared and restored. For now, I have other things to attend to.” Cher left the room without another word, leaving the three alone.
Cain walked past the two girls. “After your classes, you are to meet with Jayden and she will guide you to the Refuge. Go clean yourselves up and take the rest of this night off. We start tomorrow.”
Before he left, Cain glanced back at Scarlett. She seemed like she could barely hold herself together. The girl was tired of it all. If only she knew that the worst hadn’t even begun.
Fifteen
The five Officials sat anxiously as they awaited the Blackdalls arrival. Something was coming for them all and they had yet to tell their people. With their already precarious situation, they didn’t want to stir up any more unrest when there might not be any need to.
The glass doors to their meeting hall flew open as Roger Blackdall walked through. They were swiftly shut behind him and the room quickly quieted.
Roger approached the head of the round table and stood as he looked over the files laid out for him. His Officials straightened as they observed their leader and waited for him to commence. His dark green armor was adorned with golden metal and a red cloth that flowed from between his shoulders; marking him the current ruler of Ever Realm.
Unlike the Dark Realm, the need for royal titles wasn’t necessary and therefore weren’t used.
“Cher will not be timely with this meeting, so we will begin.” He nodded his head and swept his sight across his people.
The Official closest to Roger cleared his throat. “Sir, the activity of the nightmares remains the same, but their movement is changing at a rapid pace. They seem to be grouping together, yet continuing with their normal objectives.”
“Official Samsus, while their movements are out of the normal system, they have been following the set guidelines and not broken any rules. At the moment, there is still no need to alert the people.”
Official Alich, who sat on the other end of the table, lifted her hand. “If I may speak, sir.”
Roger waved her on.
“As little as the change of the nightmares may be, the people deserve and have the right to know. They may still be weakened and shaken up, but it’d be better for them to be prepared for a worst-case scenario.”
“And plunge them into another depressive state? We need to continue increasing our numbers. It’s been seven years and we’re not even a quarter of where the population is supposed to be. Adding unnecessary stress to a fragile situation will result in something we cannot afford to risk.”
Roger’s voice rose as he stared Official Alich down. She lowered her eyes and pursed her lips. The air thickened and left everybody on edge. Roger inhaled through his nose and slowly let it out. He couldn’t take his frustration out on those closest to him. Not when they needed him most.
“I understand where your concern is coming from Official Alich, however, I will not allow another chance for our demise. Official Samsus, I want you to oversee that our security measures are reinforced and increased. Training for the Youth Dreamers will be upped and lengthened. Add another month to their schedules and I don’t want them out on the fields until they are personally seen fit by me.” Roger glanced at Official Alich who kept her head lowered but her eyes shone with understanding. “There are other things we could do to make sure our people are safe than by unloading more bad news into their lives. At the rate it’s been coming, it’ll be a miracle if we make it another year. We will not lose another Dreamer.”
The meeting was dismissed and the Officials left. Roger slumped into his seat, surrounded by six empty chairs. The files before him held the progress of the new Dreamers, reports from the other Realms, and most of all, the information on his daughter.
Scarlett Blackdall.
Case: 001
Type: Dreammare with the Mark
Hostile or friendly: Unknown
Abnormal strength in training
Growing outbursts in temper
State: Unstable
Roger dropped the file on the table and rubbed his face. The door opened and he lifted his head to see his wife close the door behind her. Her eyes sported the same as his. They both felt the weight that laid on their shoulders; the lives of the remaining Dreamers, and their daughters.
Cher walked towards Roger and her armor was adorned with golden metal similar to his. It disappeared with each step she took and fell back into place in her armor. No more fancy metals covered her magenta bodysuit.
Roger moved his chair back as his wife moved between his legs. She put her hands on the side of his face and embraced him.
“We’ll figure this out… we always do.”
Roger sighed and moved his face back as Cher sat on his leg. “How is she doing?”
“She’s fully a Dreammare now and still clueless about her situation,” Cher whispered.
“Good, we need to keep her that way until we figure something out.”
Cher got off Roger and leaned against the edge of the table. “It doesn’t feel right, Rog. You should’ve seen her today, I didn’t want to walk away.”
“It’s for her good, we’re doing the best we can. Until we figure out exactly what Edgar’s words meant and what the Dark Realm is brewing, I – we can’t risk her.” Roger grabbed ahold of Cher’s hand and looked up at her. As much as it hurt them both to see her the way she was, they needed to tread carefully.
Scarlett was becoming something unpredictable and it deep down terrified them all.
‘I won’t let anything happen to my girls.’ The thought rolled through Roger’s head on constant repeat. They were true, until his last dying breath, he’d make sure they were safe.
Yet alongside this thought, Edgar’s last spoken words haunted him from the second he saw Scarlett at Cain’s side.
“The One with the mark will be the one to end it all.” He’d bitterly laughed. “Sadly, I just won’t be around to see it.”
Scarlett’s the only one that has had any impurity on her armor without having gone to battle. They had no other reason to not believe… that Scarlett was The One.
Sixteen
Jayden hesitantly stepped towards Scarlett whose hands were fisted at her sides. She lightly touched Scarlett’s shaking shoulders and wrapped an arm around them.
“Scarlett… let’s get you home okay.”
Scarlett hardly registered Jayden’s words and licked her cracked lips. “Uh... Yeah.”
Jayden shook her head and looked up at the white spotless ceiling. ‘This was absolute shit.’
She led Scarlett to the window and unlocked the hatch. They wouldn’t be able to go through the front without attracting eyes, therefore, the window was their best and quickest option. Jayden hopped out first and helped Scarlett through. They were only on the second floor, not that it mattered as they were going to fly. It was faster than walking and Jayden didn’t think Scarlett wanted to walk. She grabbed Scarlett’s hand and flew high above the bustle below towards Jenna’s home.
The star came into view and morphed into the yellow dome.
“How did you know where my sister’s house was?”
Jayden suppressed the urge to tense and brushed it off. “With as few of us there are now,
it’s necessary to be aware of all homes.”
Scarlett nodded and let it go. Jayden released a silent breath.
While that may be true, the main reason she knew was because of Cain. He had her on guarding duty and wanted to know of Scarlett’s whereabouts. She may seem like a regular Dreammare from afar, but she was far from it and the only one that didn’t know… was her.
Scarlett led the way into the home and the living room was empty. She was about to make her way to the room when a rustling caught her attention. Someone was inside the hallway beside the kitchen.
“Jenna?”
Scarlett called out but got no response. Jayden opened her palms and lightly pulled on the strings of her power. The two eased their way to the edge of the hall. They looked at each other and stepped around the wall with their palms open.
Jayden quickly closed her hands and held them behind her back while Scarlett let hers go limp at her side. Jenna twisted around and quickly walked towards the girls.
“Oh, hey! What are you doing back so early?” Jenna wrung her hands and lightly patted her hair.
“We got dismissed early today.”
Jayden zoned out their words and observed behind Jenna. The curtain that covered the floor to ceiling window was crumpled and still flowed as if hastily closed.
“Well, uh I’ve got somewhere to be so I’ll leave you two.” Jenna gave a grin and kissed Scarlett on the head as she passed. Jayden narrowed her eyes at Jenna’s back as Scarlett lightly rested against the wall.
“Weird.” Scarlett muttered under her breath. “Anyway, let’s go. I’ll get you something else to change into if you’d like.”
Jayden nodded, pushing aside the thoughts of Jenna and what she could’ve been doing. For now, she’d focus on Scarlett. She could tell she didn’t want to be alone.
Sometimes someone else is needed to help make everything feel alright.
They changed out of their armor and Scarlett handed Jayden one of the long dresses Jenna had in her closet.
“What the hell is this?” Jayden scrunched her nose in disgust at the white cloth Scarlett handed her.
Scarlett stared and busted out laughing. “Honestly, I don’t even know myself. They’re my sister’s and she’s been known to have weird taste, hence the yellow domed house. As hideous as these may be, they’re freeing.”
Jayden shivered at the ugly fabric and reluctantly slid it on. Scarlett laid on her back on the bed and her head hung off the edge, giving her an upside-down view of Ever Realm. Jayden climbed up and settled beside her.
Silence fell over them and Jayden kept her eyes trained on the stars. She’d never done this before; stopped for a second to watch Ever Realm and have someone beside her. Specifically, a female. The other Dreammares sometimes were bigger bitches than her and she didn’t feel like wasting energy on them. She mainly hung with Trevor, her brother, and Liam. Occasionally Cain, when he was free to join.
“Thank you, Jayden.”
Scarlett’s words broke through Jayden’s train of thought. She slightly turned her head towards Scarlett who kept her eyes on the view.
Jayden didn’t have to ask what for, she knew exactly what.
She didn’t have any other female to bond with. Her mother passed and her father’s a deadbeat. On the system he was a parental figure, to Jayden and Jasper he was nothing more than a signature on their birth certificate. They were raised by nannies that were constantly fired.
As much as she tried to fight it, a hint of a smile formed on Jayden’s lips. She reached for Scarlett’s hand which hesitantly clasped around hers. Jayden felt something inside give and the need to cry pushed the back of her eyes.
This comfort was something they both longed for. In a way, both of them needed this moment of peace and pause. They silently knew they’d have each other’s back because, in this world, it couldn’t be done alone.
Their clasped hands tightened.
Seventeen
“Before we begin, I have an announcement to make.” The professor swept his gaze across the room as he waited for the students to quiet. Scarlett straightened in her seat as she made eye contact with the professor. His eyes lingered an extra second before they moved onto Jasper who occupied the seat next to her.
“Your Dreamer training is being extended another month. Those who were going to end in the coming week are included. At the end of these next three months, a personal evaluation by the Blackdalls will be made.”
A hand went up and the professor tipped his head. “Sir, why is this being enforced now?”
That’s the question everyone was thinking.
“Since our numbers are still low, to ensure your safety, extra training is being required for all newcomers before duty is applied.”
Scarlett glanced around and caught sight of Jayden. Her purple streaked hair was thrown in a bun and her hands were fisted on her lap. She was pissed.
Dreamer training was two months while Dreamer lessons lasted three weeks. Jasper and Jayden still attended lessons even though they didn’t need to. They were going to graduate from all training and get their roles in Ever Realm next week. Scarlett was at the beginning of her training and even she felt the weight of the added time.
“Well, it looks like you’re stuck with me for another month,” Jasper whispered as he winked at Scarlett. She scoffed and hid the small smile that formed.
The professor began the lesson and continued as usual. Scarlett wondered if the added time had anything to do with the cryptic conversations her parents had been having. It most likely did, she’d have to find out what they were.
“As you may know by now, Dreamers do not get to rest. Our duty requires it. While the world sleeps, we keep the nightmares at bay. Making sure they only interfere with the human’s dream state of mind. While nightmares could be rid of altogether, they are necessary for the balance of the Realms.”
The professor’s voice dragged Scarlett out of her thoughts and she decided to pay attention. She’s got to make the most of the next three months' lessons if she’s going to figure anything out.
∞
Scarlett exited the showers and was approached by Jasper. “A few friends of mine are going to hang at the center here, want to come?”
Scarlett threw her hair in a bun and caught sight of Jayden at the entrance of the Activities gym. She gestured for her to hurry.
Returning her attention to Jasper, she sheepishly smiled. “I can’t today, I’ve got something to do with my parents.”
She couldn’t tell him the truth.
“No worries, it’s cool. See you tomorrow Scar.”
Jasper smiled and waved bye as he headed towards a group of guys. They left the gym, leaving Scarlett with the straggling few that stayed. She ran out of the gym door and, Bam!
“Fuck! Seriously watch where you’re going, dude. We’ve got to go or else we’re going to be late.”
“Sorry.” Scarlett winced and shook out her hands.
Jayden shook her head. “Let’s go.”
They walked through Ever Realm when gradually the stars lessened. Scarlett hadn’t been paying attention when she first wandered here. How could she have not seen the darkening edge of Ever Realm? Space before them became pitch black with no stars in the sight. Scarlett stopped in her steps.
The Dark Realm.
Jayden took notice. “Come on, we’re going to… well, I don’t even know what else to call it honestly. Refuge kind of sucks… Dreammare Refuge?” Jayden lifted her shoulders and hands as she tried to explain what to call her second home. She let out a huff when Scarlett didn’t move.
Scarlett didn’t want to go in there. “Do we have to?”
“It’s the only place you can freely use your powers without the possibility of Dreamers seeing you. If they saw, you’d most likely be thrown to the nightmares, who, by the way, don’t like us either. Hence the name ‘Dreammare Refuge.’ We aren’t welcome anywhere else Scar.” Jayden sighed. The situation sucked but there was nothin
g else that’d be able to be done. They had to live with it for the time being.
Scarlett swallowed the small lump of fear growing in her throat. She didn’t want to go back there. She needed to but didn’t want to.
‘I have to do this.’
Scarlett inhaled and stepped towards the Dark Realm. Jayden grabbed a hold of her hand and intertwined their fingers. As they entered the Dark Realm, Jayden let her power flow from her palm into a circle that surrounded their feet. The darkness swallowed them whole. No one out could see in and no one in could see out.
Scarlett stayed on edge. She kept thinking a nightmare would pop up and her hold on Jayden’s hand tightened. Jayden looked at Scarlett out of the corner of her eyes.
“You’re the first real friend I’ve had you know.”
Scarlett raised a brow. “So, we’re officially friends now?”
Jayden laughed and soon Scarlett joined her. It was working.
“You’re my first too. I wasn’t much of a social butterfly like my sister was. I mainly kept to myself and only knew people on the surface.”
“I was too busy watching over Jasper to care about anyone else. Our dad was nonexistent and our mother passed not long after our birth. I guess, having twins took a big toll on her body. She was the Dreamer and our father didn’t say shit about it. He didn’t care.”
Scarlett took in Jayden’s words and observed her as she spoke. There was more to her than a cold bitchy attitude. It’s how she’s learned to be upon first impressions.
“Anyway, since you’re going to be around more, I should warn, the Dreammare girls are worse than I am.”
“Oh, that’s great.” Scarlett sarcastically threw back.
“Plus, they’re addicted to Cain like drugs, so I’d watch out if I were you.”
Scarlett’s face flamed. “What? Nothing is going on there.”
“Mhm, sure. Deny all you want. There’s something there.”
Scarlett rolled her eyes. “Shut up. Speaking of things that are there, what’s going on between you and…? What’s his name again?” She pretended to think. “Right! Liam. Hmm?”