Will broke into a run, pushing himself as fast as he could to get away from the gaggle of monstrous creatures who were currently out for his blood. What a great direction for his dream to take, with all the added stress from rehearsals with his dad and their upcoming performance. Perhaps, that's why it had shifted into a nightmare. The dream had started out pleasant, Will was practicing violin with his father like usual, but had to quit in the middle to meet up with his friends, as he had promised. The trio walked on the sidewalk that stretched side by side with the busy streets of the large city. That was, until they passed by an instrumental store and Will had paused to observe the beautiful violin that was held in the glass window. That was when things went horrid. Now, here he was, determined to not give into the nightmares tormenting him.
Darkness devoured everything, like a ravaging beast hungry for it's kill. He didn't know how long he had been running for, but he knew he couldn't stop now. Why? That was unknown. A part of him just knew something terrible would happen if he gave in. Suddenly, a bright, blinding light shone ahead.
Will booked it. He didn't know why, but somehow, he knew it would take him away from this place. He knew he would be safe from the nightmares. Perhaps, he was dead. Was this the bright light everyone mentioned? Or was he still dreaming? How time seemed to pass so slow yet so quick in the swirling void he was trapped in. Yet, now, he could be free. Opening his arms out wide, Will allowed it to engulf him. . .
As soon as the light faded, the blond found himself in a small clearing, with the center being decorated with an elaborate fountain. Silver lined the edges, the stone slabs that held in the tinted water carved elegantly and carefully with tiny designs. Surrounding it were small stone pathways and various doorways, which seemed to lead to nowhere. The clearing was enclosed by enormous trees, which seemed to stretch up and dip into the dark blue sky, branches twisted together in such unique patterns unseen in the Waking World. Will observed the area with curiosity and caution. He was still dreaming, right? This had to be a dream, right? It didn't seem like some kind of Heaven or Nirvana. . . Despite it's divine look. Before he could comprehend what was going on, a small brown barn owl adorned with a red jacket and tiny dual spectacles approached. "Oh ho hoo! We have a guest," he noted, flying down to eye-level. Will wondered how he still stayed in the air with how slow he flew. "Is this your first time here, Monsieur?"
When Will didn't reply, the creature continued. "Allow me to explain. You are now standing at the entrance to what your people would call the World of Dreams."
A small smile graced the young boy's lips, so he was still dreaming. . . "The World of Dreams. . ." He tested the name out, taking a step towards the owl. "Hoo! Listen well, young man." He continued flapping his wings at an alarmingly slow pace. He silently noted the way he moved his beak didn't seem to match up with his words. It was. . . Odd, to say the least. "Don't be fooled by that name: 'The World Of Dreams'. Now, I don't mean imply that the world itself doesn't exist. It is simply. . . Oh, how should I put it?" The old bird pondered, trying to find the proper way to explain the land. Will stared at him, intrigued by the information.
"It is another world, one that you are able to visit only while you are fast asleep. We ourselves refer to it as… the Night Dimension." Will tilted his head curiously, trying to understand all of what this place was. Another dimension, infinite possibilities. . . This is where dreams take place? How exactly does he come here every night? If he was dreaming, would he remember this place when he awoke? The owl continued as Will pondered on, landing softly on a rock below him. "And people who come to the Night Dimension from your world are known as Visitors."
Once the bird finished his explanation, he noticed how spaced out the Brit seemed to be. "Oh, pardon me!" He said, snapping the boy out of his thoughts, "I do tend to rattle on. You may call me Owl, Visitor." Owl smiled as best he could, waiting for the blond to respond. Will noticed how dull his talons seemed to be, as they dug into the rock below.
It was then something red darted between the two, knocking Will off his feet. "Ugh," the violinist groaned, once in contact with the ground. "Hoo! What's that? What's that?" Owl panicked, completely thrown off guard. Golden sparkles littered the young boy's vision as he attempted to sit up.
The culprit floated in mid-air, arms and legs crossed, a satisfied smirk on their face. It was a being like Will had never seen. With piercing blue eyes, snow-white skin, dark makeup, and a very muscular build, they were almost human in appearance. Almost. The being was adorned in a black and red vest, with a similar jester hat and boots to match. Was it even a hat? Will had no idea. They also noted a glinted blue jewel that seemed to be engraved in their chest, followed by similar tattoos trailing down. . .
"Dearest me, you gave me quite a fright!" Owl scolded the being, as Will could only stare in amazement. "You, of all people, should know better than to startle your elders in such a matter!"
The jester simply ignored the bird, and instead watched Will. "New visitor?" Their voice was deep and rough as they spoke, "I'm surprised you managed to survive this old bird's lecture. He tends to squawk on and on."
"Excuse me! I was simply trying to welcome this Visitor—. . .!" Will slowly stood up, observing the other with amazement and curiosity. "Who are you?" He asked, as the jester started doing loops in the sky. It was an incredible sight to the young boy, golden sparks reflected off what little light was provided, as they showered down onto the stone fountain below before vanishing.
"The name's Reala. I'm sure you'd have a better time flying with me than staying here with this old bird, hmm?" They halted their display, as a loud 'pop' resounded through the area. "Reala! No paralooping in the Dream Gate!" Owl's chest puffed up as he scolded the jester, his feathers ruffling.
Reala rolled their eyes, flying down closer to the two. "Well, how about it? Want to dualize with me? We can see if you're good at flying or not." They held out a hand towards Will, their other arm bent behind their back. A warm smile graced its way to their black lips.
"Dualize. . . Flying?" Will's eyes glimmered with excitement, as he hesitantly held a hand up to his chest. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Thankfully, Owl swooped on to save the day.
"Reala here has the ability to 'dualize' with Visitors. The process allows your bodies to assimilate with one another." The bird lectured, as if he had rehearsed this phrase several times over. Reala retracted their hand, crossing their arms again as Owl continued on. The bird caught the confused look on Will's face, "Ah. It's probably much easier to understand if you just try it." He ruffled his feathers, figuring there was no other way to explain it. "Go over and touch Reala. You'll see what I mean."
His eyes hazily glanced over to Reala's widened expression. The old owl quickly caught himself, adding an "if you're interest in that sort of thing, of course." Will cast a cautious look towards the two. 'Perhaps, I should let myself out of my shell. . .' The young boy thought, slowly reaching his hand out. The jester did the same, as a blinding light engulfed Will's vision once they made contact.