DreamBound: the dreamer arc.

Vaxis woke up in his cluttered bedroom, sunlight slicing through gaps in the heavy curtains. The light illuminated the stacks of books and crumpled notes scattered across the floor, remnants of something he’d been working on—or trying to remember. His head felt heavy, thoughts clouded, as if he’d woken up from a dream that was slipping away with each second.

He threw on his jacket, made his way downstairs, and stepped out into the street. He was almost at the tracks when he heard Averis’s voice calling to him from across the way.

“Hey! Vaxis!” Averis waved, a smile stretching across his face. “We’ll meet you at the clock tower!”

“Yeah… meet you there!” Vaxis called back, voice trailing off as he watched his friend disappear into the crowd.

The tracks were empty, yet Vaxis instinctively looked both ways before crossing. The streets were familiar, but something about them felt off, like he was seeing them from behind a pane of glass. As he walked, questions began creeping into his mind, growing louder with each step.

“Avery… Who is he? And that hooded man… Why do Averis and Valos do the same thing every single day? It’s like we’re stuck on repeat.“ He looked around, half-expecting to see a clue in the streets, in the familiar faces passing by.

“Vaxis! Over here!” Valos’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts, snapping his attention back to the present.

“There you are!” Valos said, grinning as he walked up.

“Did you remember to grab our ice creams?” Averis asked, appearing by Valos’s side with an expectant look.

Vaxis blinked, his friends’ faces oddly clear but strange, like a half-remembered dream. “Ice cream…?”

Averis laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. “You always forget, buddy. The ice cream from the shop—does that ring a bell?”

Vaxis nodded slowly, still processing the repetition of it all. “Yeah… I guess.”

“Let’s go grab some now, then!” Averis said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Vaxis hesitated. “You guys go ahead… I think I’ll catch up later. I just need some air.”

Neither of them seemed to hear him. They walked on, laughing about something he couldn’t catch, their voices fading as they moved away. Vaxis lingered, his thoughts churning with questions that felt more pressing with every second.

“Why do we do this every single day? None of it makes sense… His gaze drifted over the familiar streets, feeling less like home and more like a shadow of it. Is this a dream?”

His hands clenched at his sides. “Am… Am I real?”

Suddenly, a sharp, splitting pain seared through his mind. “Augh!” he groaned, clutching his head as he sank to the ground. Fragments of images tore through his vision—a face he didn’t know but somehow recognized, a place that felt like home yet was distant and blurred, like a photograph left out in the sun.

The flashes came faster and faster, jumbled memories that weren’t his, overlapping with ones he couldn’t place. He saw glimpses of his friends—but they looked different, their faces shadowed by time, a place where they weren’t just the same figures every day.

The last image lingered longer: a dark figure, familiar but distant, whose face he couldn’t quite make out. As his vision faded to black, the question echoed in his mind—“Avery… who are you?”

And with that, Vaxis lost consciousness, slipping deeper into the unknown.

Vaxis jolted awake, his heart pounding, the memory of a nightmare slipping through his mind like sand through his fingers. A name hung on his lips, lingering with a sense of urgency. “Avery… he needs me.”

Without a second thought, he threw on his jacket and bolted down the stairs, his movements fueled by a clarity that hadn’t been there before. Bursting out into the street, he ignored the usual bustle and familiar faces.

“Hey, Vaxis! We’ll meet you at the clock tower!” Valos’s voice rang out from across the tracks, just like every other day.

But today, Vaxis didn’t answer. He knew the truth now, a truth that made the repetition of their days feel hollow and strange. They weren’t real—none of this was. He didn’t bother looking both ways before crossing the tracks; he wasn’t here to follow the script anymore.

“Xernus!” Vaxis called, his voice echoing off the buildings around him. “I know you’re here! I remember who I am, and I’m ready. Take me to him.”

A silence settled over the street, the usual noise of the town seeming to dull around him. Then, a figure emerged from the shadows, cloaked and familiar, his face hidden beneath a dark hood. Xernus’s voice was smooth and low, carrying a note of approval. “So… you finally remember who you truly are.”

Vaxis turned to face him, meeting the shadowed gaze of the figure who had haunted his fragmented memories. “Yes. I remember… and I know what I need to do.”

Xernus extended his hand, his voice almost gentle. “Then take my hand, and I’ll guide you to him.”

Without hesitation, Vaxis reached out and clasped Xernus’s hand. The world around them shifted instantly, fading into darkness as the familiar streets of the town dissolved. They stood in a pitch-black room, a faint blue glow illuminating the space around them.

In the center of the room lay Avery, motionless yet surrounded by an aura of calm, as though he were simply waiting to wake. Vaxis felt a wave of emotion he couldn’t fully explain—relief, longing, and a sense of purpose that felt like destiny.

“Avery…” Vaxis whispered, stepping forward. He knew what had to happen, a truth he had sensed since the moment he’d started questioning this reality. “You’re lucky, you know,” he murmured, half to himself. “You have people who need you… people you still need to protect.”

He took a deep breath, feeling his essence begin to fade, drawn toward Avery like a missing piece of a puzzle. His form began to dissolve, light particles drifting from him as his soul prepared to merge with Avery’s once more.

“Protect them for me,” Vaxis whispered, his final words filling the room before he disappeared entirely, leaving only silence—and Avery, who stirred slightly, as if hearing the parting words of his other half.

Avery slowly opened his eyes, feeling both well-rested and oddly exhausted, as though he’d drifted through a dream that left him with a lingering sense of purpose.

He looked around. The throne beneath him was made of glass, cool to the touch, and faintly gleaming in the dim light. His sword lay beside him, and his scarf was carefully draped around the armrest—a familiar reminder in a place that was anything but.

“Where… am I?” he murmured, rising to his feet.

He wrapped his scarf around his neck, feeling the weight of its fabric as he took in his surroundings. The throne room was empty and silent, like a place left undisturbed for ages.

There was only one way forward—a massive door, slightly ajar, with a soft line of light streaming through. The sight tugged at him, as if calling him forward.

Avery pushed open the door, squinting as bright light flooded his vision, forcing him to shield his eyes.

As he stepped outside, he found himself in an unfamiliar landscape, a vast expanse stretching before him, wrapped in a hazy twilight.

“Averis! Valos!” he called, his voice echoing.

The silence swallowed his words, deepening the sense of isolation.

“What happened to them? Why was I asleep? Where did they go?”

Memories felt fragmented, like pieces of a puzzle just out of reach, and unease tightened his chest.

He walked forward, his mind racing, when a tall figure appeared ahead, cloaked in shadows.

The figure’s hood obscured his face, yet there was a familiarity in his stance, as though he’d been waiting for Avery’s arrival.

“A lot has changed since your awakening, Avery,” the figure said, his voice calm but laced with something unspoken.

Avery’s hand instinctively moved to his sword.

“Where are my friends? What happened to them?”

The figure paused, his gaze inscrutable.

“They walk paths entwined with yours, yet hidden from your sight. To find them, you must look beyond what is familiar, to the places forgotten by waking minds.”

Avery frowned, frustration bubbling under his confusion.

“You’re not telling me anything. If they need my help, I need to know where to look!”

The figure tilted his head slightly, as if amused.

“Seek what feels like home, but beware—truths are veiled, and illusions mimic memories.”

He took a step back, his form beginning to fade.

“May your heart be your guide, Avery. Not all that glitters in memory is real.”

With those words, he disappeared, leaving Avery alone once more.

Avery took a full step out of the sanctuary, glancing back over his shoulder to find that it had vanished entirely, as if it had never existed.

“That’s… odd,” he muttered, refocusing on the winding path ahead. Avery pushed forward, uncertainty lingering in his chest, but his purpose was clear: he would find his friends.

He walked through familiar places, though something about them felt strange and distant, as if they were caught in a dream or lost to time. Golden leaves fell softly, drifting on the gentle afternoon breeze that swept them toward Avery, reminding him of simpler days. He remembered playing here as a kid, running through these very woods over and over, without a care in the world. But that was then, and now his friends needed him. There was no time to linger.

He remembered another place from those days—a lake, calm and peaceful, where he felt all the darkness in the world could be washed away. When he finally reached it, however, something had changed. Instead of comfort, he felt an unexpected heaviness press against him.

“This is the way,” the hooded figure said, appearing silently beside Avery.

“What do you mean?” Avery asked, turning to look at the figure, but his gaze kept drifting toward the lake’s center, where a faint light shimmered just beneath the surface.

“You’ll find out… but only if you choose to go,” the figure said, his voice fading as faint stars began to flicker and drift through the air around them, like embers in a dying fire.

Avery took a deep breath and straightened, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. “I’m ready.”

The figure gave a nod, raising his arm. “As you wish.”

A wave rose out of nowhere, crashing over Avery and pulling him under with its powerful current. He sank deeper and deeper, the coldness of the water pressing against him as memories began to echo around him like whispers. Fleeting images from his past flashed by—a field under a night sky, laughter shared with friends, and places he had thought he’d left behind.

The sunlight from above faded, swallowed by the depths, and soon he was surrounded by pitch-black silence. His heartbeat was all he could hear, a steady reminder of his own presence in the vast darkness.

Moments passed, each one stretching out longer than the last, until finally, Avery’s eyes caught a glimmer. A bright, blinding light emerged, piercing the darkness. He shielded his eyes, feeling himself being pulled toward it as his senses returned, sharper than before.

As his vision cleared, he found himself in a new place entirely—a quiet, misty realm filled with towering ancient trees and soft patches of grass that glowed faintly underfoot. In the distance, Avery could see the outlines of figures, blurred but unmistakably familiar. He took a step forward, and the mist parted slightly, revealing a path lined with wisps of light.

“Averis? Valos?” he called, his voice echoing.

But there was no response. Only silence.

Undeterred, Avery walked on, following the trail of light through the misty forest. Each step felt heavy, as if unseen hands were pulling at his feet. The path twisted and turned, leading him deeper into the forest.

It grew darker and darker, but this forest gave him the same feeling he had when he and his friends delivered the sword to the king. Before this incident happened he was happy, they all

were. but right now Avery didn’t know what to feel…dread? Hatred? Sadness? All his emotions felt mixed, like somebody was tinkering with them…he was scared, the same swordsman who defeated the corrupted king and saved the day was scared, though he didn’t show it, deep down he knew he was, after all  he’s just Avery, nothing more nothing less.

Before he could get deeper into his thoughts, he was met with a large stone door, reminiscent of the castle gates, he put his hands on it, and pushed with all his force as it slowly opened, revealing his…hometown? Except it wasn’t His, everything was familiar but different, all the lively colors were faded, leaving nothing but a grey world, he looked up to see a clocktower, he’s seen it before but can’t recall when, he looked around more, it was just him, alone in a place that was once thriving with people. He could still hear the laughter from him and his friends, they were far but still lingering. He grasped what little bravery he had left and continued walking the only way he could, forward.

Avery continued walking down the road, he couldn't help but notice that everything looked all lifeless, like it was never meant to actually exist. He dwelled into this theory for a few seconds but suddenly heard a slight chuckle from  behind him.

“Awwww a new visitor!” Avery heard, quickly turning around and looking up to see someone wearing a red suit with circle shades.

“Who…are you?” Avery asked, looking directly at the suited figure.

“Hmph.” they muttered as they leaped down from the balcony, adjusting their shades and their collar. “I’m Lynx!” he said, holding his hand out.

“A-Avery…” Avery stuttered as he reluctantly shook his hand not sure to be confused or relieved.

“You seem a little lost.” Lynx said, closing his fingers a bit. “Follow me! I’ll guide you around this place.” He added.

Avery nodded his head as they proceeded to continue walking down the road, Avery noticed Lynx was spinning some kind of dagger.

“What’s that?” Avery asked, taking slight interest in the weapon.

“This? It’s called the inverted spear of heaven, a tool that can nullify another person's ability.” Lynx replied, as he stored the weapon back in the sheath on  his waist.

“How did you get it?” Avery asked again.

Lynx side eye’d Avery, then looked to the left. “It was a gift.” he answered.

Avery stayed quiet, seeing that Lynx was obviously uncomfortable  about the question, they walked for a bit more until Avery realised where they ended up, they were on the walkway to the castle, he looked in the distance and saw the castle except it looked greyed out, all the hope and magic it had were gone without a trace, the place that Avery and his friends felt safe was nothing more then a blank canvas.

Lynx noticed that Avery was in distress and grabbed his shoulder. “There’s some people in the castle if you're willing to meet them!” lynx stated, as he took the lead and guided Avery closer to the castle.

Avery smiled a bit, he has a companion now so now  he won’t feel fully alone, but the thought of losing his friends for good stuck with him, deep down Avery was losing his positivity, he was always good at connecting with other people, but right now he can’t seem to connect to himself, feeling like another part of him was ripped away.

Before he could start catching up to Lynx some strange text on the ground next to the fences. He walked to it to take a closer look but it vanished, the moment it got into reading distance, it felt like something was trying to stop him from discovering what this place truly is. He decided to not worry about it too much for now, he quickly walked towards Lynx who was getting closer to the castle.

As they arrived at the castle door, Avery felt a wave of nostalgia upon him, the same feeling he had when entering for the first time, he opened the doors, and headed inside, everything looked the same, but it didn’t feel that way, he walked towards the throne that the prince used to sit on.

This is also the exact place where he and his friends struck down the curse that was corrupting the king, a tear shed from his eye as he quickly wiped it, he missed his friends and he’ll do anything to find them.

Before Avery could think more about his friends, the main door slammed shut behind him. A sudden darkness filled the room, only to be broken by the flickering glow of eight torches lining the walls. Avery’s breath hitched as he turned around, his instincts warning him that something was wrong.

Then he heard footsteps. Fast and deliberate, rushing straight toward him.

Avery barely had time to react before Lynx’s blade came swinging for his head. He threw himself backward, narrowly dodging the strike, the blade slicing through the air where he had just been standing. His heart pounded as he quickly unsheathed his sword, eyes locked on Lynx.

“What are you doing!?” Avery demanded, stepping back cautiously.

Lynx exhaled through his nose, adjusting his grip on his weapon. “Sorry, Avery… but I can’t let you stop the merge.”

A split second later, they clashed. Sparks erupted as their blades met, ringing through the chamber like a battle bell. Lynx’s movements were sharp, relentless, and precise. He lunged forward, aiming to stab Avery, but Avery deflected the strike with a well-timed parry. Their weapons screeched against each other, both refusing to give an inch.

Then, Lynx smirked. He had been waiting for this moment.

Avery barely noticed the shift before Lynx suddenly pulled back and swung with full force. Avery lifted his sword to block—but the impact was too much. His blade cracked, then shattered.

A split second of shock. That’s all Lynx needed.

Before Avery could even react, Lynx dashed behind him. Avery whirled around, but it was too late—the Inverted Spear of Heaven was already hurtling toward him. The tip of the blade pierced straight through his throat.

Avery’s eyes widened. He gasped, but no sound came out.

Lynx twisted the blade and ripped it free, the bloodied weapon gleaming in the torchlight. Then, without hesitation, he drove it into Avery’s chest.

A final, brutal kick sent Avery sprawling to the ground. The torches flickered. The room felt cold, as the light in Avery’s eyes slowly disappeared.