We meet in one of the inn rooms. With all of us together, it's a bit crowded in here. Tyron looks even bigger than usual. Nobody wants to sit on the bed, so we all stand. Shadow uses some sort of magic to stop sound from coming in and out of the room. The resulting quiet is so pervasive that I can hear my breath and heartbeat, as well as the breaths of others. Except for Shadow.
Somehow I fear it, this absolute silence. The guilt of my invasion of Amanda's dreams is just as audible to everyone around me as my own breath. But there's no way that could be possible. I have to have faith that my lies and everyone else's ignorance will protect me.
Kay clears his throat and prepares to speak, his demeanor taking on a sense of purpose which is at once serious, but in a way almost seems theatrical, like an actor putting on a pose for one of his favorite plays.
"Right, as most of you know," Kay begins, his voice taking on a different quality that might be described as intimidating, "One night ago, Amanda had a nightmare, whose cause was unknown but given the circumstances at the time seemed like it could have just been caused by stress from the last few days or any number of personal reasons. However, Warnado was convinced that the nightmare was intentionally induced by an unknown malicious actor, a 'Dreamweaver,' if you like, and so our investigation began."
Even my first nightmare did not go unnoticed? Thanks to just a hunch from Warnado? I am shocked, perhaps even afraid. If Kay's story develops any further than this, I could be found out quickly. I have to find some way to draw attention away from myself.
The Book's consciousness brushes up against mine.
Do not worry, Fristad. Kay cannot prove what you did even if he wanted to. And he is not the type of person to hurl weak accusations. He values his image too much. Surely you can see it? The way he conducts himself with such importance, the manner in which he speaks? His accent now wavers between one of a well-to-do merchant and a bestial peasant. One of them is not real. This is a man whose secrets could rival our own.
I am now perhaps as curious of Kay as Kay is about me. But it hardly matters, because unlike him, one of my secrets is already found out. The question which remains is whether Kay will trace it back to me.
Kay continues, "Warnado and I can now confirm that her nightmares have been supernaturally induced. This probably means it's a threat to the group-"
"Excuse me," Steve says, leaning back and raising a hand, eyes squinted. Kay stops and gestures to him. "Sorry, just looking for a bit of clarification here: when you say the origin of the nightmares is 'supernatural,' what exactly does that mean? Ghosts? Monsters? Immortal beings? Just trying to get a sense of what level of threat we're dealing with, in case we need to prepare."
"I can't reveal much, but I will say that at this point it's uncertain who or what the Dreamweaver could be. The Dreamweaver very well could be some sort of outside threat, human or otherwise, or they could be hiding among us. It's all up in the air at this point. Certainly not the sort of thing we could reasonably prepare for given-"
Destiny, the woman who saw me last night, steps forward, eyes ablaze. I try hard not to flinch.
"Up in the air?" Destiny mocks. "Up in the air! Really? Are those ears real or are they just for show?! I already told you it was Fristad!"
Destiny points her finger straight toward me.
"I understand you may feel very passionately about this investigation," Kay responds, perhaps his calmness as a result of cautious restraint. His voice has started to take on a more refined quality again. "But let's not jump to conclusions here."
"I saw it with my own eyes," Destiny says. "Fristad was there, right in front of Amanda. I saw his eyes glow. And I heard Amanda scream as Fristad teleported away. You heard it, too, Kay! Don't deny it, just because of some pretense of an 'objective' investigation!"
I feel a pang of guilt as I remember Amanda's face last night. Part of me wants to step forward and admit what I've done. Destiny shouldn't have to experience any more pain than she already has.
Somehow, that guilt seems to push through the carefully guarded cages of my mind. I find myself stepping forward, looking Destiny in the eye. This is it. Everyone is here. I can finally admit the secret I've been forced to hold all this time. And I can bring this investigation to an end.
"I am sorry, Destiny," I tell her. "I know you've been through a lot recently. And I can't change the way you feel about me. But the truth is… I want just as much for the Dreamweaver to be brought to justice as you do. I wish I could have been there to do something about it but I wasn't there."
"Don't mock me," Destiny growls. The air around her arm begins to bend and warp, and a flame flashes to life in the palm of her hand.
"Destiny, don't!" Jennifer steps in front of Destiny and pins her arm down. The flame now covers her hand and licks her wrist. Destiny's eyes bore into mine with hatred.
I feel a hint of smug pleasure coming from the Book, and I realize what words I actually said. I didn't tell her the truth. I lied. I made her emotional instability into my shield, damaging her credibility. The Book took my sincere guilt for Destiny and redirected it, into the most convincing and hurtful lie I've ever told.
Almost everyone is looking at Destiny, mostly with sympathy.
The flame in Destiny's hand snuffs out into a cloud of rising black smoke. Destiny looks down. Jennifer lets go of her hand.
"I promise you, Destiny, whoever the Dreamweaver is, I will see to it personally that they are brought to justice," Kay assures Destiny in guarded tones. "If there is anyone else who wishes to share their thoughts on the Dreamweaver, they are free to do so now, or alternatively we can discuss it later in private."
Tyron steps forward. "I have something to say. I hope we can all take it to heart. As this investigation continues, we are all going to have our own personal opinions about what happened. Tensions are going to rise. People are not going to trust each other as much as they used to. But let's remember that up to this point, we have all been a team. We escaped the Tower together. Well, that's excluding Fire and Shadow but half of you can vouch for his being trustworthy and he can vouch for Shadow. Anyways, what I'm trying to say is… let's not let our suspicions destroy what we have here."
Steve, Jennifer and a few others nod along in agreement.
"Tyron is right," Kay concurs, "While none of us asked to be in this situation, this little group we've formed does have its benefits. Especially given the strange world we've all found ourselves in it's best if we hold together. Anyone else have anything to say?"
Amanda steps forward. "I just want to say, as the person who was actually attacked last night, I support this investigation. I dread the thought of having another one of those terrifying nightmares, but if we make a rash decision and accuse the wrong person, it could make things worse in the long run."
Hearing Amanda suddenly become the voice of reason makes me feel even more guilty for what I've done to her. Part of me even wonders if my influence over her is, subconsciously, starting to take hold. That would be even worse.
"Coming from you that means a lot," Warnado says. "I know how much the dreams have been affecting you. Try not to keep it to yourself. We're all here for you. Same goes for you, Destiny. Like Tyron said, we're all a team."
Kay nods. "Well said, Warnado. Anything else anyone would like to add?"
Kay pauses for a moment. When no one responds, he continues to speak.
"Well, in that case, there are a few more things you should know," Kay says. "Some of you may have heard from Warnado earlier that he suspects the Dreamweaver to be a magic user. Unfortunately we cannot confirm whether this is true or false. We are weighing all possibilities. However, if any of you have insight into the abilities of one of the members of our group, magical or otherwise, please feel free to reach out. Also appreciated are any leads on unusual activity or strange new visitors in or around the village. Remember that the Dreamweaver could be anyone, but like Tyron said let's not let our suspicions get the best of us."
With Kay's final words, the group disperses, and Shadow lifts the ward of silence from the tiny inn room.