Empire's Son: An Epic Science Fiction Novel Series

Of course. The dragon who had given her blood to heal me and create the double bond with Markus. So I had her mark, but what did that have to do with this strange dreamscape that I seemed to now be in? And how could I speak with her?

I remembered that our conversation about the bond had not been in the real world. I had been unconscious, and somehow she had reached into my mental space to create a reproduction of my parent's kitchen back on Earth. Had that been a part of this dreamscape, or some connection to it? Could I be the one to initiate our connection in this dream world?

"Razivi," I whispered into the void. The white light pulsed in response, growing brighter for a moment before settling back into its rhythmic glow.

I closed my eyes, focusing my thoughts on the ancient creature who had forever changed my life. I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, but it felt right. "Razivi," I called again, louder this time. "I need to speak with you."

The obsidian floor beneath me trembled slightly. When I opened my eyes, the endless white expanse had shifted. The horizon now held a faint shimmer of gold, like the first rays of dawn breaking over a distant mountain range.

I started walking toward it, my footsteps echoing in the strange void. Each step I took caused ripples in the darkness beneath me, as if I were walking on the surface of a perfectly still lake. The golden light grew stronger, beckoning me forward with an almost magnetic pull.

As I approached, the shimmering light began to take shape, coalescing into a familiar form. Her human form. The one I had first been introduced to. She smiled at me with her perfectly red lips as her honey-colored eyes danced with a soft, glowing light.

"I see you didn't waste anytime finding your way into the dreamscape," she said in a pleased tone.

"You knew this would happen?" I asked as I stopped in front of her.

She motioned forward, and I fell into step as we walked forward together. A bright orange sun was coming up over a distant horizon, and I could hear the twitter and tweeting of birds, but could not see where they might be.

"I suspected it was a possibility. I did not know for sure. As it was laid out in the bonding contract you read, there can be unexpected abilities that present themselves, even from dormant abilities."

"Dormant abilities?" I raised an eyebrow at the woman beside me.

"From your mother's side. Her bloodline carries the dream walker ability."

"I didn't know dream walking was a Dome-ni."

"It was, but it rarely manifested in the line. That is the way with some of the more obscure Dome-ni abilities. But while it hasn't expressed itself in nearly three centuries, the ability was still there. It seems the bond activated it in you. I did not tell you it could happen, because I did not know that it would."

"Are there other dormant abilities that could activate in me?"

"Oh yes, quite a few, but I doubt they will. If there is a dormant activation, it's usually limited to only one or two at the most in a bonding. The mind and body can only take on so much expansion before it reaches its limit, after all. You already possessed two Dome-ni before the bonding, and with the addition of the physical abilities you will get naturally in receiving the bond, I don't think you will take on much more."

"I see."

"But now we know the dream walker's ability has activated. I can give you some guidance on how to navigate it."

"I would appreciate that," I said, glancing around at the dreamscape, feeling a little overwhelmed. I already had so much to learn, and now this was one more thing. Though I was excited too. This seemed like it held all sorts of possibilities. "I don't even know how I got here or how to leave."

Razivi nodded, her golden hair catching the light of the rising sun. "The dream walking ability allows you to enter the dreamscape—a shared mental plane where consciousness can interact outside physical limitations. Some use it to communicate across vast distances; others to access memories or knowledge otherwise hidden."

"So there are other dream walkers like that girl and old man I saw. They were dream walkers, weren't they?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"But I thought the dream walking Dome-ni was dormant in my line?"

"It is true, and it is true that only your mother's line carried the dream walker Dome-ni in Ethians, but there is a vast universe out there of other species who have the ability.

"Also, don't be fooled by the appearance of beings you encounter in the dreamscape. This place adapts to the walker's thoughts and background. So what you see and hear differs from what someone you encounter is perceiving. You will see beings as humanoid, and all language is translated and spoken in your preferred expression, even though in most cases the being you encounter has a completely different form and language."

"Truly?" Shock rippled through me. "Then how did the old man, or whoever he was, know my name?"

"With some practice, you can tap into a certain knowing that is carried by the dreamscape of all the walkers who travel here." She must have seen the panic that crossed my face.

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"Don't worry," she soothed. "The dreamscape would never give away information about yourself that you do not wish to. Mostly, it is the basics about who you are and where you are from and any information you wish to impart to those you encounter here.

"You can even request that no information about you is shared with anyone, but that would imply you have something to hide and have a nefarious purpose. There are those who abuse the power of the dreamscape, and other walkers are always cautious of these beings who are called Shades," Razivi explained, her voice taking on a warning tone.

"They lurk in the darker parts of the dreamscape, seeking information they can use against others in the waking world. They can look like anyone, but you will know them because you cannot access much information about them through the dreamscape."

"So there are dangers here," I said, feeling a chill despite the warm glow of the sunrise.

"As with any place of power, yes. The dreamscape reflects all consciousness—the beautiful and the terrible alike." Razivi gestured toward the left of us, where I could make out a few shadowy figures moving in the distance. "Stay away from the edges where the light fades. That's where Shades congregate."

I nodded, trying to absorb everything. "How do I control when I enter and leave? I didn't exactly choose to come here this time."

"That's because your ability is newly awakened," Razivi said, her golden hair flowing as if caught in an invisible breeze. "Your mind sought refuge in sleep and instinctively reached for this place. With practice, you'll learn to enter and exit at will." She placed her hand on my shoulder, and immediately I felt a warm sensation spread through me. "Think of it as a door within your consciousness. To enter, you must reach for the door handle and turn it with intent. To leave…"

Razivi paused, looking up at the sky as if reading something written there. After a long moment, she returned to her explanation. "To leave, you need only to will yourself back to your physical form. Picture your body, your surroundings, and pull yourself toward that image."

"That sounds... simpler than I expected," I admitted.

"The mechanics are simple. The mastery is not." Her honey-colored eyes fixed on mine. "Dream walking is as much about intention as it is about ability. Your thoughts shape this place around you. That's why I've manifested this sunrise for us—a neutral space where we can speak clearly without the influence of your emotions coloring the dreamscape."

I looked around with new appreciation, noticing how the landscape seemed to respond subtly to my thoughts. When I wondered about the birds I'd heard earlier, a flock of them appeared in the distance, their wings catching the golden light. Had I done that or was it Razivi?

"So everything here is just... thought? Nothing is real?" I asked, reaching down to touch the obsidian floor beneath my feet. It felt solid, cool to the touch.

"Everything here is real in its own way," Razivi corrected. "The dreamscape exists at the intersection of all consciousness. What you create here can affect the waking world, though not in ways you might expect."

I considered this as we continued walking. The sun had fully risen now, casting long shadows across the endless black floor. "Can I communicate with Markus in this place? Since we're bonded?"

Razivi's expression shifted subtly, a flicker of something—concern?—crossing her features before she composed herself. "Your bond with Markus creates a unique connection. In time, yes, you may reach him here. But I would caution against attempting it until you've gained more control over your dream walking abilities. The bond between you is powerful, and reaching for his mind from this place without proper preparation could overwhelm both of you."

"There's something else you should know," Razivi said, her tone growing more serious. "Time flows differently here. What feels like hours in the dreamscape might be minutes in the waking world, or vice versa. You must be careful not to lose yourself here."

"How would I even know if that was happening?" I asked suddenly anxious.

Razivi gestured to my wrist, and I noticed a faint golden thread wrapped around it like a bracelet. "This is my gift to you—a tether. It will pulse in rhythm with your physical heartbeat, reminding you of the waking world. Should it begin to fade or slow, it means you've lingered too long and must return. This tether will always appear on your wrist as soon as you enter the dreamscape."

I touched the golden thread, feeling its gentle warmth against my skin. "Thank you."

"Now," Razivi continued, her expression brightening, "shall we begin your first lesson––" she stopped and looked upward once again, a frown coming across her features. "It is happening sooner than I thought it would."

I looked at her with concern. "What do you mean? What's wrong?"

"The Shixxaminti have arrived. I must go before they reach the surface, or they might sense me."

"Who? The surface of what?"

"Those that have invaded Ethia. They will be on the planet you designate, Sora X soon."

"Oh." It took a moment for that to register, and then I remembered Rainus had tasked me with understanding them better. Questions exploded in my mind, but I tried to narrow it down to a select few I thought she might answer. "You know about them? Who are they? What do they want?"

Razivi looked distracted as she continued to look up at the sky. I was looking too, but I saw nothing but white. "They are descendants of the Old Ones."

"The Old Ones? Who are they? Why are the Shixxaminti here? Why are they attacking us?"

Razivi's eyes flashed, a spark of ancient fire igniting within their honey depths. "They are not attacking, child. They are reclaiming."

The dreamscape around us trembled slightly. The perfect sunrise began to fracture at its edges. Beyond our small pocket of serenity, I sensed a growing disturbance.

"The Old Ones were here long before the Empire, before even my kind," Razivi continued, her voice taking on a resonant quality that seemed to vibrate through the obsidian floor beneath us. "They seeded countless worlds in this galaxy, created life forms, which eventually evolved and were sent out to the rest of the universe to learn, grow, and consume the knowledge of other beings. Now their children seek to come back to their home."

I swallowed hard at that information. More questions flooded my mind. "But what––"

"There is no time! They can travel dimensions, even to here. Close your eyes. Concentrate on opening a door back to the waking world. If I can, I will reach out to you later. Go now!"

Before I could say a word, Razivi's form shimmered out of existence. The dreamscape around me shook violently, and the sunrise evaporated altogether. I could feel more than see a dark presence as it pressed upon me, and I needed no more convincing that staying here longer would be a very bad thing.

I closed my eyes and concentrated, like Razivi told me to do. It took a couple of tries, but a door finally appeared in my mind. I opened it and quickly stepped through as a chilly darkness consumed the dreamscape behind me.

My eyes opened wide, and I found myself in my bed on the Quortous. My breath was coming hard, and my body was shaking. And all I could think was… Holy. Freaking. Shit. Part of me hoped that what I'd just experienced hadn't really happened, that it was all a dream, or maybe a nightmare. But in my gut, I knew it was all real. The dreamscape. My apparent new Dome-ni. And the freaking Shixxaminti.

I had to tell Markus. He'd want to know about this. I turned my head up toward the dark wood headboard and the intercom that was on the wall right beside it, but before I could attempt to reach for it, I heard feet running into my room.

I looked to see Markus rushing through the archway with a blaster pistol in his hand and concern etched on his face. "What happened?"