I hadn't gotten another nightmare from Dianite since the first day. While that probably should've made me happy, all it did was worry me. I could only assume it was because he was focusing his attention on Alyssa, the weaker one. If only there was a way for me to take her dreams instead.

It was becoming a very bad time in the Realm of Mianite. Even though we were under the pressure of fighting against an immortal before, this was almost worse. All of us were determined to win a war, and we worked as a team. Now, desperation and depression hung in the air, wherever you went. Nobody seemed to know what to do, and everyone had the feeling that they were trapped in this situation for the rest of their lives.

Ianite took Alyssa into Aethoria to see if it would help her dreams a few days ago, but it did absolutely nothing. The dreams still came, and Ianite discovered that once a person was in a Dianite dream, nobody could wake them out of it. Everyone seemed more bothered about it then Alyssa did, though- or at least, that's what I thought.

I decided to visit Mot at his castle on morning, to see if he wanted to work on a project with me. He had been so stressed out lately, and I thought that a relaxing building session might calm him down. When I arrived, I called out his name to see if he was nearby. When there was no response, I unlocked the gate and entered.

"Jeriah? Is that you?" I rounded a corner to see Alyssa sat at the dinner table, her eyes red and puffy from crying. "He... he's not home right now. You can check the farm or something."

I stared at her in shock. "What's wrong?"

Her miserable look turned to a glare. "Why do you care? Go find Mot."

I didn't move. "Alyssa, I thought you were okay. What's upset you?"

"Oh, no no no!" she suddenly yelled, rage burning in her eyes. "This isn't going to be another heart-to-heart, Jeriah! You adults all thing you're so amazing, being older and all. Any problem little Alyssa has, a small chat with her can fix. That's not the answer to anything, believe it or not!"

I opened my mouth to argue, but found I couldn't, so I just shrugged. "Really can't argue with that, so I won't. You win. Everyone is ignorant and narrow-minded." I threw my hands in the air in defeat, and plopped into the chair across from her. "Got anything leftover to eat? I'm starving, and you and your father are much better at cooking."

She stood still for a moment, apparently stunned by my response. Quickly snapping out of it, she started rummaging through nearby chests. "Regular food? We have some steak. Or, if you prefer dessert, I made a ton of pumpkin pies yesterday."

I sat up straighter at the mention of pie. "I haven't had dessert in forever. Thank you!" I gazed in awe at the beautiful dish she handed me.

Alyssa let out a small laugh. "You look like you've never seen dessert before. What, do you live off of carrots and potatoes?"

"Pretty much," I said, stuffing my face. "It gets rather boring after a while." After I had satisfied my intense hunger, I set my fork down and became more serious. "Now, about the whole 'you adults' thing. From what I've gathered over the years, you really have a thing against us."

"Who can blame me? I'm stuck here with people who will always boss me around, no matter how old I get. I'm stuck in a place with no friends forever, and I'll always be treated as inferior. It'll never end." She stabbed her own meal furiously, the tears reappearing in her eyes.

I let out a bitter laugh. "Tell me about it. I may be older than your father, but it won't stop him from disregarding my every word, now will it? I have a family too, Alyssa. I have a wife, and a daughter of my own, back in Ruxomar. I'll never see them again. I had a nice life, and it was torn away from me. I'd give anything to have a member of my own family with me now. Or even to be like Spark, who found love in this desperate place. Perhaps that's why I accepted Dianite so quickly."

She fell silent for a moment. "Oh. I... I guess I never bothered to ask you about your old life. I'm sorry." She looked genuinely upset.

"It's alright, kid. I wasn't exactly kind to you in the beginning, either." I finished my pie with less enthusiasm. "I've been going through a rough time, too. I guess now I've just accepted the fact that I'm never going to see them again. Might as well make the most of what's left of my sorry life, before I end up regretting it."

Alyssa stared at her plate in sadness. "This world is sick. What's the point of living at all?"

I shrugged. "That's a question we've been asking for far too long, Alyssa. We might think that gods are the highest beings, but if you think about it, they're not too different from you and I. They were brought into this world for a reason, just as everyone else was. There's some higher being out there, or at least I assume there to be."

"Do you think he... or she... can hear us now?" Alyssa asked, looking up at the ceiling.

I snorted. "Doubt it. Think about how many living things the being has to watch over. Our problems don't matter."

"Well, that's something to think about." She shook her head suddenly, as if to brush off all the deep, existential thoughts from her mind. "So... do you want to stay? We can go find Mot."

"I have a feeling he wouldn't be happy that I came into his house while he was gone and talked to you. He's rather protective. I'd rather not stir up trouble. But it was nice talking to you, Alyssa, and the meal was even nicer."

She grinned. "Feel free to come over for another anytime, I guess. I spend way too much time making food, considering the amount of people that live here."

As I exited the castle, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. If I was doomed to live the rest of my life as, well, nothing, the least I could do is help this poor girl enjoy what she was given.