"-Aaaah!"
Cassie fell straight to the ground, finally surprised and terrified, as an old owl swerved straight towards her.
"Hoo! I'm sorry if I scared you, little one.
-A-A talking owl... ? How is that possible!? "replied Cassie, shocked, getting up slowly.
"Please, call me Owl.
-Well, Owl... »
Owl continued to twirl around her, very happy.
"It's been a long time since a Visitor had pointed the tip of his nose! I guess this is your first time in the Night Dimension!
-The Night Dimension? »
The owl hulled with joy at the young girl's incomprehension. She frowned, feeling lost and disorientated.
"When you are immersed in the arms of Morpheus, have your dreams never seemed more real than life? For you, were they more than just dreams? »
Cassie gave serious thought to the matter. As real as nature? She assumed so. After all, wasn't the current situation ultimately a scenario invented out of thin air by her overflowing imagination? Probably yes, even though it seemed far too real to be a dream. She crossed her arms, her gaze fixed on the dazzling fountain in front of her.
"Well...I guess so? This dream is a good example of that. I can't believe I'm dreaming right now... »
Owl hulled again.
"Hoo-hoo! What your fellow men call "dream" is actually the world you are in!
-A world...of dreams?
-Exactly! The Night Dimension is a place where all sleeping people go!
-So I'm going to meet other people here, right?
-No my dear, it's much more complicated than that.
-I think I'm beginning to understand... »
Cassie scratched her head, judiciously classifying in her head all the information gathered since the beginning of her conversation with this strange bird. Everything was strange, so strange for her. It was the first time she had ever felt fully conscious in a dream. It was almost as if she could control it at will.
"The place we are in is called Dream Gate.
-Dream Gate? It looks like a big place... »
She began to move slowly towards the large fountain, in order to have a better angle of observation.
"-It's beautiful...
-Indeed! However, I must tell you...
-What is it?
-It is not because this world is called "World of Dreams" that it does not exist !
-It's a real world !? Like my world to me ?
-Hoo...It's more complicated than that...You're a little too young to understand that, no doubt.
-Hey I'm not a baby anymore ! »
She turned her head, a little offended at the words of the dreamlike guide.
"Don't be offended, I had guessed it, hoo-hoo!
-Hmm... »
She sighed and pulled herself together. She had a crucial question on her mind.
"-But tell me Owl...Why am I here? I mean, I've never heard of such a place. My dreams are pretty...Boring in general.
-That's because your heart feels the need!
-My heart... ? But it's fine!
-That's what you think my dear. »
Cassie fell silent and remembered her nightmare. She suddenly raised her head, having had a revelation.
"Owl!
-What's the matter?
-Could it have something to do with those... »
She didn't have time to finish her sentence when a kind of purple tornado headed straight towards her.
"-IDEYAS! »
The girl screamed in fear, putting her arms in front of her head and closed her eyes, trying to protect herself. Owl instinctively stepped in, trying to protect the Visitor. The lightning stopped abruptly, revealing a purple jester ready to attack.
"-You again! " shout Owl.
"Spare us your admonitions old owl, we have better things to do! "Returned the unwanted guest.
Cassie opened her eyes again, trying to calm down and uttered a slight cry of surprise.
"Come on NiGHTS, you scared the poor little lamb. "added a voice a little further back.
"-Oh Reala, that was the point, come on! »
The Visitor walked slowly towards NiGHTS, both intrigued and trembling.
"Ideyas...
-Huh?"
NiGHTS put his fists to his hips, looking bored.
"-You mentioned Ideyas, how...
-Step aside, those two are Nightmarens!
-Nightmarens? »
NiGHTS and Reala giggled and made a small reverence.
"Finally he knows how to introduce us.
-I won't let you steal her Ideyas from her !
-And what are you going to do about it? Peck us? "Reala answered sarcastically.
Cassie didn't say anything, her grey cells were working. Nightmarens? It sounded like something bad. The opposite of dreams no doubt...Nightmares.
"You come from the world of Nightmares, right?
-The little chick is perceptive, I see. "mocked the red jester, having fun circling around the little visitor, which was intended to annoy the latter.
"-I am not a chick!
-Boring.
-NiGHTS, I couldn't have said it better.
-You know what I do to annoying Visitors? »
NiGHTS stared at the little one straight in the eyes, with a big, almost unhealthy smile. Owl wanted to intervene at all costs, but Reala had silenced him. Cassie didn't move an inch, which annoyed NiGHTS.
"What? Aren't you screaming, helpless as you are?
-I'd scream if I was scared, I'm not. »
Obviously she was lying, she was trembling with all her being. But she wanted to be brave. After all, she was not afraid of anything, it was still a dream, wasn't it?
NiGHTS, for his part, was more and more ticked.
"I don't scare you?!
-Not at all.
-You're a liar!
-No! You're not scary.
-I'm terrifying you must be terrified! »
Cassie pointed to Reala.
"-I'd be more terrified of your friend. But you don't scare me.
-You little... »
NiGHTS, ego-stricken, prepared to attack her, which caused her victim to take a step backwards.
"NiGHTS, leave the girl alone. »
Everybody turned to the origin of that sweet voice that echoed throughout Dream Gate.
"Hoo! My God Fallen, you've come at the right time...
-Nice to see you Owl. »
NiGHTS mumbled with rage, while Reala breathed an annoying sigh, unhappy that her superior was there. Cassie relaxed a little more, this Nightmaren there seemed more soothing.
"Master Wizeman was right, these Visitors are hateful!
-Come on NiGHTS, relax." Murmured Fallen, putting one of her hands on the shoulder of her fellow.
The right-hand man then walked towards Cassie with a reassuring look on her face. It was the first time she had ever seen the little one up close. She didn't move an inch, not seeing the Nightmaren attacking her.
"What's your name, my beautiful? »
The questioned girl frowned defensively.
"My mom told me not to tell anyone about my life.
-Haha, I understand. But you know, you're going to have to get used to seeing us for a while.
-For a while? »
Reala, impatient, broke this sweet little moment:
"And yet Fallen, I bet you know her little name, if it isn't already.
-Reala...
-Well what? Isn't divination part of your abilities? »
Fallen closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. Reala had the gift of being tactless. Cassie was embarrassed to be so much in the center of attention, so she preferred to cut it short:
"My name is Cassie.
-Nice to meet you, Cassie.
-Cassie, Cassie...Stupid Visitor, yes !" NiGHTS grumbled.
Their superior bit her lip, on the verge of annoyance, which was rare, coming from her. She snapped her finger and revealed a portal leading straight to Nightmare. The girl was surprised to see magic with her own eyes.
"The Master would like to see you urgently. I will join you.
-At your orders, Madam. "Retorqued Reala sarcastically.
And the two Adelphs left, leaving Owl, Cassie and Fallen alone at Dream Gate.
" -Please excuse me... These two are quite...
-Annoying? Hoo! Keep them on a leash next time!
-Are you a Nightmaren too? You want to take these...Ideyas from me, right? »
Fallen was overcome with a certain guilt. She landed at the top of this large water fountain and scraped her throat.
"Yes, I am indeed a Nightmaren, and yes again.
-What exactly are you? "She dared to ask, little reassured.
"We are nightmarish creatures, servants devoted to our beloved Master, Wizeman, Lord of Nightmares. Our goal is to steal the energy of the Visitors, the Ideyas.
-Ideyas...I heard this term in my Nightmare...
-There are five of them. Green for growth, blue for intelligence, white for purity, yellow for hope and finally the most powerful, the red of courage.
-Are you going to steal them from me? »
Cassie was beginning to feel a certain uneasiness, Fallen must have been the cause.
"Unfortunately for you, they are already in the hands of some of my fellow men. But they are unusable.
-Unusable !? "Owl was indignant.
"But why steal them?
-That I cannot reveal it to you small one. »
Fallen bent herself slowly.
"-I must leave you, I am expected. I was delighted to see you both. »
And she disappeared in a snap.
"-She doesn't look hostile for a Nightmaren either... " whispered Cassie, a little lost.
"Fallen must be the most lucid Nightmaren I have ever met. It is the only one I actually tolerate here.
-Owl what should I do now? ?
-Well, you'll have to find your Ideyas and thus fight your Nightmares.
-All alone... ?
-I'll be there to guide you, but yes it's something you have to do alone. »
Cassie shivered. How was a little girl going to overcome her worst nightmares all by herself? She had to think of some kind of plan.
"I...I think I'll think about it later. I should go back to my world, finally...Wake up!
-It was an emotional night for you, so yes, it was a wise decision.
-So I'll say goodbye and thank you for your help Owl... »
The Visitor walked away, ready to wake up. Owl could see a faint dewy glow emanating from her. Courage?
"-What did Fallen mean about her unusable Ideyas? »