I awoke from the dreamscape of colors in a burst of jubilation. We found Dad! He was separated from his body longer than I was so he could not wake up as easily but I was told that now all I had to do was guide his spirit back, something that could be as simple as eliciting a strong emotional response.

I jumped up in joy but paused as I took in my surroundings. I was still sitting in the same place as when Vissna had drawn me into her memories. I knew that. I could still see the trench in the dirt where that annoying dragon had tossed me to the ground. However, everything else around my had completely changed. What was once an ever-expanding wasteland was now a vibrant forest. Thick trees covered in bright green leaves blocked my view in every direction. Flowers bloomed from atop a thick undergrowth of vines and weeds.

“What happened here?” I asked curiously.

Nearby, the draconic form of Vissna was lying on the ground clutching her head in agony. She was so consumed by it that she did not even hear my question or notice that I had awoken. Her massive body toppled trees and flattened the land as she writhed in pain.

“Vissna, are you ok?” I asked putting a hand on her thick scales in comfort.

“No! I am not ok!” Vissna growled furiously, “Who was that? How did she disperse my conscienceness so easily? Argh! It hurts so much!” Vissna screamed as she slammed her head into the ground. Rocks shattered and the earth shook as her thick skull struck the ground again and again.

“Umm, she said she was the original… Mare’s original, or a small piece of her at least.”

Vissna stopped beating her head into the ground. Her eyes went wide. It almost looked as if her body was shaking as she slowly took a step back. “The shadow… The shadow is here?”

I nodded. “She was just sitting there in the planet’s core.”

“This is bad. This is really bad!” Vissna shouted as she stumbled back a few more steps.

“Why is it bad? She might be as trustworthy as a knife in the back but she has done nothing but help us so far. Whatever her goals might be, so long as our interests continue to align, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

“Shhh! Be careful of what you say. You have seen the sea of energy and how it connects to the world. So long as she wants to listen in on us, neither of us is strong enough to stop her.”

“Are you really that scared of her?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Vissna said as she clawed at her head, “You did not see the destruction that followed in her wake, the chaos she created with every step she took. There were wars fought for the sole purpose of killing her. None of them succeeded.”

“Then I guess it is a good thing she is on our side for now,” I said with a shrug.

“How can you be so calm about this?”

“And panicking helps? You said it yourself; nobody has ever succeeded in killing her. Do you really think the two of us will fare any better? Besides, She may not have been willing to answer my questions directly but the original is far more loose-lipped than Mare. I understand a bit of what she is, even if I cannot fathom how she came to be. I think we can trust her for now. Just remember to keep watch for when the dagger strikes and we will be fine.”

Vissna took several quivering breaths but after some time, her breathing stabilized and she began to visibly calm down. “You’re right. You’re right. There is nothing either of us can do right now. If only the elder dragons were still around…”

“Are you ok now?” I asked with concern.

“Yes, I am calm,” Vissna replied with a deep breath of frosty air.

“Good, then can you tell me what happened here?” I said, motioning towards the towering trees and dense foliage.

“You don’t know?”

I shook my head. “I lost myself for a while. I don’t remember much before finding Mare’s original.”

“Right, you said you found her in the core of the world. You are lucky to still be alive, not many can delve that deep without dissipating into the realm. Even fewer are able to return with their senses afterwards.” Vissna explained with a nod, “Put simply, you did this.”

“I did?” I remarked in surprise.

“Yes, even though it was only your first time within the sea of the realm, there must have been a type of energy that you resonated with. That energy flowed through your spirit and into your body before overflowing into the land around you. It is what I wanted to do to mitigate the damage you caused by reviving so many people at once, though not so concentrated in one spot. Your potential as an Adept is truly remarkable. If you were a dragon, your talent would be comparable to the earliest generations, a real gem worthy of being polished.”

I reached out to touch one of the trees curiously. “It seems like I still have a lot to learn about being an Adept but experimenting can wait. First, I have something much more important I need to do.”

A bright smile spread across my face as I thought about my dad finally being able to wake up. Out of everything I had learned today, he was still what was most important to me.

My domain spread out and I soared up into the air. Looking down, I could see the small patch of forest standing within the expansive wasteland. The greenery did not spread far enough to fix even one percent of the damage I had caused but it still made me feel a warmth in my chest knowing that I could do something. A power that could restore life to the land was something new I had never experienced before. I was so used to sowing only destruction, that even this little act felt like a huge achievement.

Rushing back to Dragon’s Nest, I could not wait to tell my dad about everything that had happened the moment he came back. I did not slow down as I entered the military encampment and directly entered the floating island.

Inside the infirmary, Charly and my grandma were both sitting comfortably by the beds. Charly was waving his hands wildly as he told the story of our fight in the city of Deces and of the giant undead rat that was bigger than a castle.

I took a deep breath before stepping into the infirmary. Charly and grandma both smiled at me warmly as I entered.

“Wren, you know more than me. Do you know where that giant rat came from? Where did Irene find it?” Charly asked.

“Some Demonkin are capable of growing without limit,” I explained, “I can tell you all about it later but first, I need your help. Some… things happened and I think it might be possible for Dad to wake up.”

“Really?” Charly shouted excitedly. He jumped up from his chair and threw his arms around me in a tight hug. He lifted me off the ground and spun me around, laughing in delight. It was only after several seconds before he finally released me and my feet could once again touch the ground. “So, what do we need to do? How do we bring Dad back?”

“The hard part is done,” I said after finding my balance, “What we need to do now is illicit a strong emotional response that can connect his body and his spirit. At least, that was what I was told.”

“Alright!” Charly shouted excitedly before sprinting to Dad’s side. He clasped Dad’s hand in his own and knelt at the bedside.

“Wait, there is one thing I need to do first,” I said as I moved over to kneel beside my brother. With shaking hands, I also reached out to grab my dad’s hand. Forcibly calming my nerves, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I remembered everything I had been told during my time within the sea of energy and tried to recapture that feeling of swimming freely through the brilliant colors. It took nearly a solid minute of silence before I sensed the slightest fragment of what I felt before. I did not know how to completely submerse myself into the sea as Vissna had done for me. It was only through great effort that I could even sense that the sea was there at all. However, that small connection was all I needed. I nodded to Charly. “Go ahead.”

“I’m not really sure what I should say to get a strong emotion,” Charly mumbled thoughtfully, “But, I guess I want to say… I miss you, Dad. You have always been there to protect us no matter what we were up against. You were always so strong and… we need you. Please come back to us.”

I rested my head against my dad’s arm as Charly spoke. Putting everything I had learned into practice, I activated my talent and blue flame to the max. “Please, Dad,” I whispered softly. My cheeks were wet as tears flowed freely down my face.

Despite our desperate cries, Dad’s body remained still and lifeless. Sorrow sank into my chest like an anchor. Was my connection to that sea of colors not strong enough? Was it my fault he could not return?

I desperately tried to deepen my connection with that void of energy as Charly started to tell a story. It was a story I did not remember, of a time when I was still a baby. It was a story of a time before they knew how sickly I was, when everyone was so very happy. Charly talked about the little village where we used to live, the first time Dad taught him glyphs, and his failure at learning to wield a sword.

For nearly half an hour, this continued. My head had long since started to hurt. It felt as if someone was trying to pry it open with a rusty blade. Trying to maintain a connection with the void for so long was one of the most difficult things I had ever done but even as it felt like I was going to black out from the effort, I continued to persevere. The pain was worth it so long as Dad returned to us.

However, none of our words stirred Dad in the slightest. I felt my connection to the void beginning to slip and I desperately held on with every ounce of will I could manage.

Just a few more minutes, If I just held on for a few more minutes he would come back to us.

I chanted that phrase in my head again and again as I watched for any sign of movement. The two of us spent so long by Dad’s side that the medicine used to keep Mom asleep started to wear off. She started moaning in pain as her dreams tormented her mind. Even breathing with her injuries was torment and tears streamed down the uninjured side of her face.

Mom’s raspy voice filled the room. “It hurts… please help… Renald.”

In a flash, Dad’s eyes shot open. He leapt out of bed in a blur and rushed to his wife’s side. “I’m here Tia… it ok, I am here.” He said hoarsely.

““Dad!”” Charly and I shouted simultaneously. We threw our arms around him in delight as we cried.

“What is wrong with you two?” Dad looked confused by the sudden assault by his children as he seemed to take in the situation. “When did I get here? What happened with the mirror Demon?”