A chamber smelled of iron and perfume.
A crimson veil swayed gently at the center of the vast room, the dim flame of black candles trembling as if aware of the presence they served.
"Speak" a woman's voice echoed, smooth as silk yet heavy as sin.
A demon knelt before her throne-- half-human in shape, but his spine rippled with dark spikes and smoke bled from his eyes. He bowed so low his horns scraped the obsidian floor.
" Your Grace" he rasped, " I could not retrieve the shard realms rune" the air immediately grew heavy
" What did you say.."
" My queen, there's a very good reason... I discovered something" the tension in the air slowly faded but traces of it still remained
" Which is?..."
" While at the realm, I felt ... something. A pulse. Faint, but familiar. The void-- It breathes again"
For a moment, the woman said nothing. Her long nails traced the edge of her throne, drawing tiny sparks of red light from the stone. She leaned forward, her lips curving into a faint, cruel smile.
"The void?" She repeated softly, almost as if amused. " Of all the excuses you could come up with..."
" This is not an excuse, your grace. I really felt the..."
" It's impossible Liam. It was destroyed eons ago. Nothing survives that collapse"
"I am certain, my queen" the demon raised his head, trembling. "I felt it's essence-- the same resonance that once bowed our armies. The emperor's presence, however faint"
Her amusement faltered. A subtle tremor ran through the air as she stood, the movement fluid and deadly. The red light from her eyes flickered . Once, twice. And then burned brighter.
"... Show me."
She spread her hand, and the room darkened. "Send three of the fallen. Tell them to go to The Line, between the upper realms and the lower realms. If the void truly awakens, sure they would know"
The demon Liam, didn't hesitate. "Yes your grace" He stood and left
"Sweetie, are you really alive .." she said as she stared at the horizon from a huge window in her chamber.
....
Dream opened his eyes.
For a brief moment, he didn't remember where he was, the air was softer, the silence calmer. Then he saw the faint red glow leaking through the window, the ever- present crimson moon hanging above the horizon like an open wound.
His first thought wasn't of danger, or power ... But if something much simpler. It's been a while since I've slept.
He stretched slow, as he stood up from the bed he was laying on. His muscles sore yet alive. The wooden floor creaked beneath his bare feet. This house-- small, quiet, real, was the first place in the void that felt comforting. No longer the hallow but of before, it had space, bed, a toilet, anything one would need in a home.
He smiled as he looked around but then the system screen flickered into existence before his eyes.
[ System Calculations Complete]
[ Analyzing sleep circle...]
[ Energy, HP, and Mind have been fully restored]
[ Quest available]
" Already?" Dream muttered, rubbing his eyes. The translucent panels shifted into readable text.
[ Main Objective: Increase Void Portal Proficiency to 100%]
[ Requirements: Obtain dimensional runes from realms or worlds to stabilize dimensional bridges]
[ Last void Upgrade has : increased the void stability,
increase portal proficiency,
created a barrier around the void( barrier still weak),
upgraded host base,
created new location]
[Main Objective: Reach level 25 to Evolve]
[ Reward: Stat boost, system upgrade]
He stared at it quietly, expression unreadable. "So that's how it, it's obvious what my next move should be"
The last time he evolved, everything changed-- not just his strength, but his connection to the void.
" Level 25..." He muttered. "Alright then"
He stepped towards the door, ready to begin another 'day', when something strange hit his nose.
A smell.
Soft, warm...food?
He frowned and followed the scent into the kitchen..
There she was ... Nyra.
Her red hair glowed faintly in the dim light, and her back was turned as she moved with quiet grace. A faint hum escaped her lips, something hauntingly old.
" You're awake," she said without turning.
Dream crossed his arms. " You cook..?"
She smiled slightly. " I was bored. Besides ..." She lifted a ladle, tasting her work. " I wanted you remember what warmth feels like"
" Warmth"
" You're still part human, and humans like to eat, don't they?" She said.
" I guess so" he said as he chuckled faintly.
When she finally turned, dream's breath was literally taken away. He knew she was very pretty, inhumanly so but something about her now made him wonder if it was even possible to be this beautiful. Her crimson eyes caught the moonlight, gleaming like glass soaked in blood. The sight was beautiful -- and dangerous.
They sat at the small wooden table, the steam from the meal rising between them. The silence wasn't awkward; it was comforting.
" This food is really nice, what's it called" dream asked
"Doesn't have a name, I just make soup and fill it with a lot of beast meat" she simply said
" Really?..., it's actually really good "
She said nothing but deep inside she was blushing so hard.
" So where do you keep going?" Dream asked, "you vanish and then show up out of nowhere"
" I have places to be, the void isn't a small village you know. There are certain region here that needs special attention "
" I see.. would you tell me what or where these regions are"
" If I did that, where's the fun in that?. If I were to tell you everything I know currently it would be of no use to you"
He sighed, giving up. For all the mystery, there was something reassuring about her presence.
After a while, his tone shifted. "Nyra," he said slowly, "you keep calling me Emperor... but I don't feel like one"
Her playful expression faded. She placed the spoon down gently. "You don't feel like one because you don't remember"
Dream's eyes narrowed. " Then tell me, what kind of emperor was I?