Not long after Mr. Mason hurried out of the room, Cole, still semi-conscious staggered out of room towards the wash room. Eventually, he found himself in the garden, clad in his basic garden attire, grabbing the watering can to tend the flowers. This garden was no ordinary garden. It was rectangular oasis carved from the vast portion of the forest, adorned with a conservatory and sunshade, and it's very air carried the faint scent of burnt apples. A charming water fountain graced the center of the terrace, surrounded by lush orchards and trees. But the most striking feature was a towering golden statue of a female figure. Cross-legged, bedecked, with bronze and silver coloured beads, clad in elegant furs and a flowing robe. She emanated an air of mystery and wisdom. The garden was boasted with a wooden fence, nursery beds and abundance grains, all adding to it's enchanting allure.
As Cole immersed himself in his gardening duties, his tranquility was interrupted by Lenora sudden presence. "Hey, Morning Cole" She greeted cheerfully.
Startled, Cole stammered. "Fine... Er
.... Sorry, morning"
Surprised, she quipped with a playful smile, bending down to grab a watering can
"There is no need for that..... Am done" Cole hastily replied, trying to mask his surprise.
Placing down her watering can gently, Lenora matched Cole's actions and they both headed to the garage. There, Cole laid eyes on a lawnmower.
"What's wrong, Cole? Still thinking about the dream?" Lenora inquired, noticing his trembling hands.
"No.... It's just a nightmare, right?"
Cole attempted to brush off his unease
"Yeah, but Dad says it's more that just a nightmare" Lenora confided
"Really?..." Cole asked, his tension escalating. "Er.... Yeah, and I think he mentioned something about staying—"
"Still scared?" She teased, catching him off guard.
"No" Cole replied hastily, attempting to appear composed
"Why does he thinks it's more than just a nightmare?" He asked, inquisitively
"Do I know those guys....?" Cole hesitated but Lenora interjected
"No. I know you don't"
"I have never had a dream like that before" Cole cautiously admitted, choosing his words carefully.
"So, he told all of that?" Lenora continued, curious
"Wanna know more?" She asked, intriguingly
"I.... Er...." Cole hesitated but before he could finish his thought, Lenora interrupted. "Come. There're some things I'd like you to see"
Both of them was about leaving the garden when Kevin's voice echoed from far behind them.
"Hey, guys!.... Where are you two going?" Kevin's voice caught up with them
"None of your business" Lenora retorted, hastening her steps.
"Have you been eavesdropping?" Cole asked, raising an eyebrow
"Can't help it. My ears seems to have a mind of their own" Kevin smirked
"Anyway, what are you guys up to?"
"Going to check on something" Cole said, vaguely
"Am coming with you guys then..... Hold on!" Kevin exclaimed, but Lenora continued without waiting
"Don't you think we should wait for Kevin?" Cole asked, glancing back
"Let's go. When he gets here, he will start talking...."
"Didn't want me to come along, right?" Kevin chimed in, catching up with them breathlessly.
The trio headed past the main facility in the middle of the compound, making their way to the back of the property where the woodlands enclosed the area . Front of them, was an old block of flats, with cracky walls and creeping insects. They walked inside and began to check on some stuffs they saw.
"Yo.... What do you guys wanna check out in this kind of place?" Kevin asked, whispering.
"Why'd you ask?"
"Well, this ain't a nice place to be at all"
Suddenly, they heard a sound.
"Woof... Woof!!" They all jumped in shock.
Whirling their heads back, was a short black Rottweiler, with orange eyes but it wasn't facing them, it was staring at something.
"What's that, boy?" Cole patted jax's hea, as the dog barked again.
"Hey, guys..... Check this out" Cole suddenly exclaimed, bending down with Jax by his side
Kevin and Lenora tuned their attention to a small rock that Jax seemed to be fixated on. Cole leaned in, but there didn't seem to be anything extraordinary about the rock. "Woof, woof!" Jax barked again.
"Hey. What's your problem, Jax?" Cole chuckled, looking straight into the dog eyes and then, it happened.
Cole could see a red illusion spreading in the eyes of the dog. Puzzled, he looked at the rock again. This time, he noticed strange words etched on it's surface in a mysterious language:
Rex mortis
Vineet Tibi per viam
The words puzzled him and he couldn't help but wonder about their meaning. His mind was racing curiosity, but before he could unravel the mystery, Jax barks brought him back to reality.
"Cole!.... Are you coming?" Lenora's voice echoed from a distance
"Yeah, coming!" Cole hurriedly replied, leaving Jax behind.
The trio has already reached the woodland. Suddenly, Cole began to feel an unusual pain taking over his head.
"Is anything wrong?" Lenora asked Cole, with concern
"Er.... No..." Cole tried to brush off the pain, but it only intensified. Memories started flashing through his brain, both experienced and un-experienced ones — A jungle of images and sensations.
"Cole, what's happening?" Kevin exclaimed, attempting to reach out for him.
Cole began to run. He ran and ran with Kevin and Lenora chasing after him. Their voices started echoing in his head. It felt like an over load of information was been forced into his mind and he could hardly resist it. Scenes of a woman in a white robe, a man in a suit holding massive books, a baby, people running helter-shelter into a trapdoor — All these whirled around his thoughts. Finally, they found themselves front of the terraced house, but the pain grew unbearable for Cole. His consciousness began to wane. He collapsed, paralyzed and suddenly he saw the words through Jax's eyes. He could see what Jax saw clearly. A jet of red light was gathering around the rock and a jet of blue light met in midair of deep silver. The Rock seems to transform into a mystical screen. And that was the last thing he remembered as his eyes stayed open, seemingly looking into the void, lost in a mysterious realm beyond comprehension.
Time seemed to have stopped as the world around him faded into oblivion. Cole felt himself floating in a surreal void — A realm where reality and dreams merged into one. The images with the woman in a white robe, the suited man with enormous books and the chaotic ruch of people became ethereal spectacles, drifting around him like forgotten whispers. He was no longer confined by limitations of his physical form. Instead, he sensed a connection to the cosmic forces surrounding him, as if he could touch the very essense of the universe. Visions of ancient civilizations, prophecies and forgotten knowledge flashed back his mind's eye, leaving an indelible impression on his consciousness.