Yarin's POV:
I opened my eyes, gazing at the brilliant blue sky, feeling slightly disoriented.
"Are you awake?" Heller was sitting next to me, weaving a flower crown. "You sure can sleep. It's almost time to head back."
I sat up, and the rush of blood to my head caused a strong dizzy sensation. The world around me started darkening as if faint, multicolored patches flashed intermittently.
"My head is spinning. Do you have any candy? I think I might have low blood sugar," I said, holding my forehead in pain.
Heller didn't have any, so he ran off to find Eden. Eden had candies from Autumn.
Eden and Autumn joined him, and I had a piece of candy. Eden asked with concern, "Are you alright? Otherwise, should we tell the teachers we're heading back early and take you to see a doctor?"
I shook my head. "No need. I'm just a bit dizzy and weak. A bit of sugar will help."
At this moment, Rica and Thirussis each flew over with a flower in their hands.
"We got some honey from the bees. It's delicious. Do you want to try some?"
I took the budding flower and tasted the honey with pollen on it.
It was indeed very sweet and refreshing.
"We infused it with a touch of natural blessing," Thirussis said. "There's something malevolent entwined within you that's causing nightmares. The natural blessing should protect you from its intrusion."
Fairies are a race sensitive to magical energies; they probably sensed the dark force within
me.
"Thank you." I thanked them sincerely.
I was looking forward to the spring outing but wasn't in the mood due to this inexplicable dream. The day passed haphazardly.
The moths appeared in the dream again. They were symbols of Azazel, the fallen angel. Could it be that the seal of the goddess was weakening? Or had the 'crack' expanded?
I decided to investigate and went to the Sorcery Research Association.
Master Mary wasn't there, so Master Hayley received me. She informed my parents and Aunt Dorothy about my situation and then asked Aunt Dorothy to come.
I lay down on the bed, and they applied a spiritually charged herbal ointment to me. Then, they drew familiar symbols on my forehead, just like before.
"How long have you been having these nightmares? Why did you only come for a check-up now?" Aunt Dorothy asked.
I answered in a low voice, "There wasn't an issue before. It suddenly happened this afternoon, and I couldn't afford to delay, so I came as soon as possible."
She smiled. "At least you're alert."
"Using the same methods as before probably won't yield any results. So this time, we've decided to conduct a more thorough examination. You'll enter your own mental world and dream. Master Hayley and I will hide within your dream to observe.
"Since it's your dream, we won't interfere at all. We've left a switch within the dream. If anything goes wrong, you can end it, alright? Don't worry; since it's a dream, everything is a product of imagination and won't harm your mental world."
I nodded, closed my eyes, and as the fragrant scent of the ointment enveloped me, I gradually drifted into sleep.
Drip-drop.
Drip-drop.
Drip-drop.
I was awakened by a few cold water droplets. I opened my eyes and found myself in a desolate, crumbling pavilion. The patterns carved on the pavilion looked somewhat familiar, and the faded paint and decayed decor - wasn't this the Moon Palace's courtyard?
It seemed I had entered a dream with a mental world as its backdrop. But why was everything so desolate here? I looked around; all I could see were withered branches, fallen leaves, and dilapidated walls. The eternal vitality and splendor of the Moon Palace's courtyard were nowhere to be found.
Even the sky was dim and overcast, shrouded in dark clouds. I couldn't see the moon, not even a single star. From the distance, a few mournful bird cries occasionally sounded like the dying wails of crows caught by hounds.
I cautiously stepped out of the pavilion, and a gust of cold wind made goosebumps erupt all over my body.
The air was permeated with the smell of burnt earth, the coarse and broken walls bore marks of scorched blackness, and in the bushes, I could see pale, delicate bones, resembling those of birds and small animals.
I tried to call out the names of Aunt Dorothy and Master Hayley but received no response. Of course, they couldn't do anything within my dream. Maybe they couldn't even speak.
A shiver-inducing crow's caw reached my ears. I turned my head abruptly and saw a swift black shadow passing through the branches.
Upon closer examination, I realized that the tree wasn't adorned with withered leaves but was filled with crows. Their feathers seemed scorched, and when they gathered on the tree, they looked like a crown of charred blackness.
One crow gazed at me.
Then a second.
A third.
A fourth, fifth...
All the crows opened their eyes one by one, fixating their gaze on me. Their crimson pupils emitted a cold, inorganic gleam, sending a chill down my spine. I knew instinctively that these beings were not friendly.
Without hesitation, I turned and ran.
I had already tried using my will to control the dream, but this bizarre dream seemed unwilling to be manipulated by me. That meant these crows intended to attack me.
Although being hurt within the dream wouldn't manifest in reality or affect my psyche, my gut told me that now was definitely not a good time to be involved with this group of crows. It was better to escape quickly.