It was an odd dream, which was saying something because he didn’t usually dream.
He found himself in a ruined city, which he guessed was Sklaviunt, with an odd creature moving in a circle above.
A great sense of revulsion rushed through him the longer he stared at the beast, forcing him to avert his gaze.
Only then did he finally get the chance to look down at his body, finding one part completely dessicated while the other was full of life.
Change alternated between the two sides, with one taking the aspects of the other, and the other doing the same.
His body was stuck in a perpetual state of life and death, leaving him too stunned to speak.
What the hell was happening?
Just then, he heard a voice, a familiar voice from far away.
Instinctively, he turned and moved in the direction of the voice, unaware of who it was or where it was leading him.
All he knew was that he had to run, and had to leave the vicinity of that creature in the sky.
He staggered, struggling to maintain a clear mind amidst the chaos ripping through his very being.
After a few minutes of walking, he suddenly collapsed, his sight swimming as he found it difficult to breathe.
Just then, he felt a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up and then... he saw her.
"Ana." He breathed out. "What’s happening?"
"I don’t have much time, Alex, you have to focus. You are trapped and if you don’t get out soon, you’ll die."
"What are you talking about?"
"It’s a loop, you’re stuck in a loop. You need to break it."
"The source?" Alex struggled to remain focused.
"Yes, the source. Find it and destroy it."
"What is it?" Alex asked. "What is the source?"
Before she could complete her statement, a towering shadow suddenly appeared out of nowhere, looming dangerously over them.
Stunned, Ana immediately turned back only to gasp. "That’s impossible."
Before Alex could get a good look at the creature, everything went dark.
Alex stared absentmindedly at the painting before him as a word continuously gnawed at the back of his mind.
Just as he was about to figure out what was so special about this word, his senses picked up that he wasn’t alone, prompting him to glance back only to find Arwen standing at the doorway.
"Are you alright?" She worriedly asked.
Managing a smile, Alex nodded. "Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?"
Arwen said nothing, her gaze shifting from Alex to the faceless paintings arranged in the room.
Unwilling to engage her in yet another conversation about his suffering, Alex opted to change the topic. "Shouldn’t you be in bed?"
"We have a visitor." Arwen calmly replied. "I asked him to come back tomorrow but he insisted on wanting to see you."
"He didn’t say. Something about a missing daughter."
Alex paused, his expression shifting as the word, loop, stuck out to him again.
Massaging his temples to give himself some respite, Alex inquired. "Who is he?"
"No idea. Though from his clothes, I’d reckon he works in the mines."
"I see." Alex nodded only to drift off again as an annoying ringing sound echoed in his ear.
Noticing his discomfort, Arwen stepped into the room. "Alex."
"..." I’m fine. Come, let’s meet with this guy."
"..." Arwen said nothing though her expression made it clear that she wished to speak.
Alex flashed a reassuring smile as he walked up to her and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "I promise, if there’s an issue, I won’t hesitate to let you know."
"... Alright then, I trust you."
"Now come, I don’t plan on listening to a client without my assistant."
A soft smile lined Arwen’s lips as she replied. "Even if you did, I’d still come along."
"Of course." Alex conceded.
And so, together, the two stepped out of the art room, closing the door behind them.
Alex arrived in the living room with Arwen trailing behind him.
There, he found the man Arwen mentioned waiting.
Though he appeared relaxed, Alex could tell this was only temporary.
His visitor was like an arrow on a bow that had already been pulled taut.
The wrong move could... Alex paused on the stairs, feeling a deep sense of déjà Vu as he stared at the man.
The man, noticing his stare, raised his head to meet his gaze and for a moment, silence persisted.
Furrowing his brows, Alex opted to take a seat, and then he asked. "Hello, I’m John Smith. What’s your name?"
Silence persisted briefly as the man stared at Alex only for Arwen to facepalm.
"What?" Alex glanced back at her.
"I forgot to tell you, he is deaf and dumb."
"Ah..." Alex was unsure of what to say as he glanced back at the man and then at Arwen again.
Letting out a sigh, he got to his feet and said to Arwen. "Get some ink, two quills, and some paper."
Then, he moved to stand next to the man, who seemed to grow anxious at his presence.
"Don’t worry." Alex flashed a warm smile. "I don’t want to harm you."
As he snapped, exerting his Will on the aether, he added. "I just want to help."
Then, he reached out with his other hand, gesturing for the man to take it and though the man remained nervous, he ultimately reached out and grabbed Alex’s hand.
The next moment, Blessings of the Dark Moon took effect.
Alex watched as the man trembled like someone experiencing an epileptic episode before he calmed down.
"Can you hear me?" Alex asked to which the man stared at Alex in disbelief.
Alex repeated his question at which point the man slowly nodded.
"That’s good." Alex let out a relieved sigh. "You should try not to speak right now since I’m guessing it’s been a while since you were deaf and dumb."