2023-05-28 03:38:10"You're home, my Lord," Lucien whispered with a tinge of sorrow.
"I am," Morpheus replied, his voice tinged with relief as he regained consciousness.
Morpheus needed assistance getting up from his prone position, so Lucien offered his hand. Together, they crossed the barren desert, their steps leading them to a towering gate covered with ancient statues, one of which conspicuously displayed the emblem of Morpheus' helmet.
Morpheus reached out, his hand gently making contact with the gate. A resounding rumble echoed through the air as the gate swung open freely, granting them passage.
"Forgive me, sir, but... the realm, the palace... they are not as you left them," Lucien cautioned, her words laced with a mix of warning and anticipation.
As the gate swung open, revealing the kingdom that Morpheus had once ruled, a profound shock coursed through him. His eyes widened in disbelief at the sight. There were no signs of trees, no bustling of life.
When Morpheus returns from captivity, the palace in the realm of dreams reflects the consequence of his absence and the influence of his captor.
The palace, once a grand and majestic structure, now bears the nightmares of neglect and decay. Their glow is barely piercing with darkness.
"What happened here?" Morpheus's face was engraved with sadness, his face filled with sorrows. "Who did this?" he inquired, his voice tinged with both grief and determination.
"My Lord, you are The Dreaming. The Dreaming is you," Lucien responded, her voice carrying a tone of reverence. "With you gone as long as you were, the realm began to.... decay and crumble." Lucien carefully explained the reason behind the kingdom's faded and decay appearance.
Morpheus turned his gaze towards Lucien, concerned across his face. "And what of the residents? The palace staff?" he inquired, his worry palpable.
"I'm afraid most have departed," Lucien replied, her voice tinged with sorrow.
"Gone?" Morpheus asked, his expression showing surprise. "Some went looking for you" Lucien retorted.
"And others?" As he got closer to Lucien, Morpheus asked a question.
"They thought, perhaps, you'd grown weary of your duties...and" Lucien said. Morpheus jumped in and interrupted Lucien.
Morpheus asked in a helpless tone, "What?" He asked, "Abandon them?" Morpheus shoved in his face.
"Had they so little faith in me? Does my own subject not know me?" Morpheus asked Lucien.
"If I may, sir, It wouldn't be the first time one of the Endless had just....." Lucien was trying to explain when Morpheus interrupted her.
Morpheus said, "Enough." "I won't allow nightmares and dreams to prey on people in the real world. Morpheus declared resolutely, facing his palace from a far distance, "I will bring them all back. I created the realm once, and I will create it again."
The gate behind them as they made their way to the palace closed softly and loudly.
As Morpheus steps foot inside the palace, he is met with a sense of desolation. The once vibrant and opulent halls are now shrouded in darkness and shadows, their splendor faded. The walls, once adorned with intricate designs and artwork, now bear cracks and signs of neglect.
The air within the palace feels heavy, carrying a sense of stagnation and melancholy. Dust particles float in the dimly lit corridors, a testament to the lack of activity and care. The grand chandeliers that once illuminated the palace are now dimmed, their glow barely piercing the darkness.
The sound of creaking floorboards and distant echoes adds to the eerie atmosphere, as if the very essence of the palace mourns the absence of its ruler. The silence within the halls is deafening, broken only by the occasional gust of wind that sweeps through the deserted corridors.
Morpheus's throne, once a symbol of power and authority, appears worn and weathered. The fabric is torn, the cushions flattened, and the regal adornments dulled. It stands as a stark reminder of the time that has passed and the weight of Morpheus's captivity.
The palace's gardens, once vibrant and teeming with life, now appear overgrown and unkempt. The once meticulously manicured hedges and blooming flowers have given way to tangled vines and wilting foliage. The absence of caretakers and the touch of neglect are evident in the tangled mess that now engulfs the once-lush paradise.
Morpheus was saddened by this and decided to make things better than they had been before.
"I kept a journal for a while. A chronicle of everything that happened in your absence. But slowly, the words began to fade," Lucien spoke softly, echoing inside, "sometimes after you left, all the books in the library became bound volumes of blank paper. The next day, the whole library was gone. I never found it again" Lucien explained what happened in Morpheus' absence.
"And yet you remained while others fled, the royal librarian of an abandoned kingdom," Morpheus spoke, his voice tinged with a mixture of regret and appreciation, acknowledging Lucien's unwavering dedication.
""I never felt abandoned, I knew you would return," Lucien replied, her voice filled with conviction and assurance.
Morpheus, consumed by a profound sense of sadness and failure, lowered his gaze towards the floor. In an act of quiet contemplation, he reached down to retrieve a shard of shattered glass, the broken fragments symbolizing the remnants of his crumbling palace.
With a determined grip, Morpheus extended his hand, fingers splayed wide, as he sought to harness the power of his mind to rebuild what was lost.
Morpheus, determined to arrange the pieces of his palace, encountered unexpected challenges. With each attempt, the glass elements resisted his touch, refusing to fall into place.
No matter how he envisioned the layout or carefully positioned the pieces, they seemed to defy his control.
Frustration etched across Morpheus' face as he grappled with the unyielding glass. It was as if the very essence of dreams resisted his command, reminding him of the delicate balance required to shape and mold the realm of dreams.
The glass pieces shifted and slid, defying his efforts to create the desired composition.
"You need rest, my Lord," Lucien remarked as she sought to reassure Morpheus while wearing a worried expression.
"You'll regain your strength after some food and additional rest," she added.
Morpheus struggled to stand up and uttered "No" in a hushed voice while breathing heavily. He said, "Not without my tools.
"Your tools?" With an unsure expression, Lucien inquired.
Morpheus responded, "my ruby, my helmet, and my sand." "Why, what happened to them?" Lucien questioned.
"They were taken away from me. By my captors. And then taken from them" Morpheus said as he continued fiercely "I know not where, Nor what I am without them" he murmured while attempting to catch his breath.
Back in the real world, a woman speaking on the phone in Arabic while standing in a room filled with antique furnishings says, "Darling, : How are you? You will never guess what I am staring at, though. It costs 22 million, and it's a Caravaggio. As she hung up the phone, she said, "Well, of course you can think about it, but not for too long."
When her phone rang, she went to answer it but was unable to hear anything. She also checked her surveillance footage but found no one. She ventured outdoors, but no one was there. She quickly returned inside, closing the door for more security.
"Quite the place you got here, Ethel" Corinthians' words made Ethel uneasy as she saw a face she was unfamiliar with.
She questioned, "Who are you? How did you get in?"
"Getting in was the easy part. The hard part was finding you" Corinthians said, complimenting her for leading a wonderful life and successfully deceiving others into believing she doesn't exist.
Approaching Corinthians, Ethel said, "apparently not good enough." She was informed by Corinthians that he is not really a person. "What are you, then?" Ethel asked
Corinthians asked, "Do you remember the being Magnus kept caged in his basement?" as he was attempting to pour himself a drink. "King of dreams?" he questioned.
"Are you one of his" terrified Ethel asked, "I'm my own man now. With your help, I intend to stay that way," Corinthians answered.
Corinthians needed her assistance since, as Ethel enquired as to why, he informed her that the King of Dreams was escaping from his cage and would soon be pursuing both of them.
Because she insists she did Morpheus no harm, Ethel doesn't think she won't be his target.
She was informed by Corinthians that the king of dreams would come for her for taking his tools.
She was trying to figure out how to escape as panic flooded her face.
In the palace,
Morpheus declared, "There is only one sure way for me to find my tools, I must summon the three-in-one."
Lucien tries to persuade Morpheus that "surely it hasn't come to that."
Morpheus reassured her that the three-in-one are aware of everything and can see the past, present, and future.
"Yes," but they use riddles when speaking. Lucien forewarned him, "They never tell you what you want to know. Only Things You Should Never Know," she muttered as her face twisted to the side.
"Perhaps just this once you could ask one of your siblings for help," she added. Where your tools are would be known to Destiny without a doubt. Or desire.. She made an effort to counsel Morpheus.
She was informed by Morpheus that just as his siblings had their own realm to attend to, he did as well, and they did not meddle with one another's personal affairs.
"You may not, but they have been known to, perhaps just this once you could tell them what happened to you," Lucien persuaded Morpheus.
"I am quite sure they know what happened to me. And not one of them came to my aid." He replied with a dejected tone that almost made him want to cry.
With a long break in between, they turned to face the earth. The hush was broken by Lucien's remark, " The fates aren't cheap, you know".
She continued, "They cost a bloody fortune."
"And right now, I lack the strength to even call them, let alone pay the price." replied Morpheus. "Unless....is there anything of mine that remains in the dreaming, something I created, something intact," Morpheus questioned
Lucien made an effort to recall what might still be present in the world of dreams that might still contain some of the power that can be absorbed by Morpheus. She told him what it was after she recalled.
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
The King of Dreams Chapter 6
"A mystical dragon flies across a village with trees, a river, grass, and two houses in the land of dreams."The dragon landed on a roof and commanded Gregory to go immediately. 'You're going to trip and get wounded,' a man gave the dragon orders."The man said, "That's it."The dragon Gregory came down to the ground grumbling. It was speaking to the man in its own language. The man inquired, "Are you sure?"As a response, Gregory snorted.He laughs.The man stroked the dragon and said, "Good boy, Gregory, Good gargoyle."The man yelled for his friend's name and ran in his direction, calling out, "Cain, come quickly."While using a shovel to dig a hole and wearing glasses, Cain muttered to himself, "Blasted, bulbous,bilge-bubbling bollocks."The man yelled, "Cain!""What do you want, powder-brain? Do you not realize I'm working?" Cain answered in a stern manner."We have guests," the man said.Unexpectedly, Cain turned around to check for the visitors' location. "where?"Morpheus an
The King of Dreams Chapter 7
"Do you believe you're quite ready for this, your majesty?" she inquired, making Lucien concerned about Morpheus. "You haven't navigated these seas in a while.""Do you think I've forgotten how?" Morpheus questioned."No, but..." Lucien sighs.In the midst of a pitch-black, calm sea with ominous clouds, they were both standing on a long, narrow wool bridge. The ebony seas seemed to go on forever, motionless and lifeless.Morpheus, a tall figure with a regal bearing, stood with piercing eyes and flowing dark hair framing his features, looked out into the black sea."I can't ask The Fates for assistance without providing them with something in return," Morpheus said as he turned to face Lucien. "Nothing remains from the Dreaming." Morpheus had made up his mind.He explained, "I have to gather my offering from other people's dreams.""I understand. It's just that, in your absence, these waters have become darker, treacherous, unsafe," Lucien murmured worriedly."Morpheus advanced to the
The King of Dreams Chapter 8
When Ethel arrived at the heavily guarded building, the guards opened the entrance and greeted her as she entered gracefully. visiting Johnny, her son, in a light, white room. Ethel called out to her son, John, who was seated on a chair and wearing a hospital outfit, which he mistakenly thought of as a jail. With astonishment on his face, he raised his head and gave her a surprised expression. Ethel seldom paid her son any visits. He whispered "Hello, mama" Ethel inquired about his well-being. Johnny said that it was dull and lonely and that the location resembled a jail. Ethel corrected him, saying, "Hospital, John, and I can see you are getting better." Is that how you're checking to see whether I've forgiven you? John queriedEthel laughed and asked Johnny if he was okay as she turned to face him and acknowledged him. You're either trying to convince yourself or me, John smiled. "Am trying to speak with my son." Ethel said in a stern voice, "We need to talk."Johnny wasn't fol
The King of Dreams Chapter 9
Girving, the dragon, was approaching Abel's tomb, where Cain had laid him to rest. As soon as Abel spotted the newborn dragon, Abel dug himself out of the tomb. "Hello Girving, I mean Goldy," Abel greeted the dragon after sitting down. "For Cain's sake, I'll name you Goldy, but you'll always be Girving to me," Abel said to the dragon. Girving speaking to Abel in dragon language, Girving the dragon. "He's not to blame; he can't help it." Abel tries to explain to Girving why Cain keeps murdering and burying him every time he gets angry: "It's who he is, it's who we are." "First killer, first casualty. This is our story," he said."Do you even understand what a story is?" Girving was questioned by Abel." Should I tell you?" As he began his narrative, Abel grinned and adjusted his seat. "It's a secret story," he said. "It's a story of two brothers who were good to one another and who loved one other very, very much. Nice and compassionate. And...and brotherly, you know?" As he concl
The King of Dreams Chapter 10
To hide the fact that she was pursuing demons, Constantine insisted that they both repeat after her in Latin.The player started to grunt in discomfort and cough as soon as they began to repeat after Constantine. Princess, on the other hand, hoped that the footballer wouldn't become sick at their wedding.The Latin chanting of Constantine was resumed. As though a body was attempting to flee, a hand emerged from the baller's mouth.The baller's mouth gradually became larger as the body kept creeping out. The bodily portions were divided by the hands in the mouth. A tall, black, bread-haired, and demon with a deep voice was being reviled. Blood was all over the demon's body."Ric!" "You were right about the demon but wrong about the host," Constantine said as she called for the nun. Constantine gave the Nun the order to transport the princess to a secure location. The princess, who was covered in blood, fled the scene terrified. Demon growls, hearing Constantine chant, "You talk too
The King of Dreams Chapter 11
Morpheus was in the dimly lighted hallway and was making his way toward a door. When he opened the door, Morpheus saw Constantine struggling to stand and chanting in Latin as she attempted to throw a demon back to hell. While completing her task, a girl shouted out to Constantine and went towards her. The girl was told by Constantine to return, but it was already too late. The girl was dragged inside by the demon, which was on fire and going to be sent into hell. Though she attempted, Constantine was too late to save the girl. She was in disbelief as she sat on the ground and watched as the girl vanished, leaving just her half-hand with Constantine.Constantine quickly awoke from her dreams, gasping for air. "For fuck's sake," she said as Constantine noticed Morpheus standing in front of her. She said, "How did you find me?""You were dreaming," Morpheus said. "It wasn't just a dream, was it?" he asked. "This is a memory. No surprise you don't sleep." He added. "Maybe I don't deserve
The King of Dreams Chapter 12
"Hmm. Yes, clown. Morpheus was made fun of by the demon, who questioned, "So, where is your crown?""Guard your tongue, demon," Morpheus advised the demon, "because the ruler of Hell will not be kind to one who insults an honored guest," he stated with an irate expression. Morpheus becomes enraged. "And I am a guest in this realm as I am a ruler of my own," he adds. "So, where's your ruby?""Will you let me use it to haunt your dreams? And your awake time, too?" asked Morpheus. "Or will you allow us in by opening the Gate of Hell?" Morpheus' tone turned fierce. The demon unlocked the gate for Morpheus and his raven after being frightened by Morpheus' threat."Now take us to the palace," Morpheus commanded. "There is one at the door," Demon kept repeating the words on their way to the palace. They encountered a dry, dark woodland that was covered in fog as they made their way to the palace, with the demon leading the way."Any clue, where we are?" Matthew the raven enquired."The la
The King of Dreams Chapter 13
Johnny is on the street, looking around at the unfamiliar house and areas. He got on the road when he almost got into an accident with a car. He fell and got scared using one of his hands to guide himself as another car parked in front of him. A lady rushed out of the car to assist Johnny in standing up. "Thank you," Johnny said, grateful. Johnny was trying to look for his slippers, "I lost my slippers somewhere.""Oh, here you go," the lady found his slippers and helped him put them on. Johnny acknowledged the lady and indirectly apologized for being underdressed. She told Johnny it wasn't a big deal as it is a normal thing. "You live nearby," she asked"No, I uh… I've no idea where I am, actually," Johnny looked around. "Do you need a ride somewhere? I'd be happy to take you," she offered him a ride. "Do you know where Mayhew is?" Johnny asked. She smiled, "It's on my way. I live in Cumberland," stretching her hand to introduce herself, "I am Rosemary. "Johnny did the same b
Latest Chapter
Chapter 169
Ten years later the Dreaming shimmered beneath an amber sky, its rivers flowing with starlight, its towers carved from forgotten songs and ancient memories. In the heart of the realm, on the edge of a balcony made of glass and moonstone, Constantine stood, her coat fluttering softly in the breeze that didn’t belong to any weather system but to the breath of dreams.She felt the hum of the Rune at her side, though now it no longer throbbed with warning or shadow. It was quiet—obedient, almost serene. She had long since mastered it, fused it with her essence, and become something more than human… yet not quite Endless.Footsteps approached from behind, deliberate and elegant.“I thought you hated balconies,” Morpheus said, his voice as calm and infinite as ever.Constantine gave a small smirk. “I did. Until they stopped meaning danger.”Morpheus moved beside her, his presence familiar now—not just a god of dreams, not just a ruler of an infinite realm, but her companion. Her equal.“Thi
Chapter 168
Daniel stood beneath a silver-blooming tree, its petals drifting lazily through the air like soft flakes of moonlight. Matthew the raven had flown ahead to scout the next curve of the path, but Daniel lingered in the soft hush of the moment. Behind him, the Dreaming shimmered in ways that couldn’t be described—only felt.He turned as Morpheus approached silently, his long shadow trailing behind him like a veil of stars.“Do you regret it?” Daniel asked.Morpheus tilted his head, his dark eyes studying the young man closely. “Regret… is a waking world emotion. But I know the weight of choice.”Daniel hesitated, his fingers brushing the smooth bark of the tree. “If I say yes… to the Dreaming. If I choose to be its next ruler—what happens to my life in the waking world? What happens to my mom?”“You are not bound by time or place as others are,” Morpheus said softly. “You are made of both realms. A bridge between them.”“But bridges are meant to connect, not live,” Daniel replied. “Can I
Chapter 167
The kitchen smelled faintly of rosemary and coffee, though neither had been brewed that morning. Lyta sat at the table, her hands folded tightly in front of her, her eyes fixed on the old clock above the stove. The second hand ticked like a distant heartbeat. She hadn’t moved in some time.From where she sat, she could see the garden through the window—the cherry tree where Morpheus had stood. He was gone now, or perhaps merely unseen again. The air felt ordinary, but Lyta knew better than to believe in appearances.The back door creaked open.Lyta didn’t turn. “Did you speak to him?”“Yes,” came Daniel’s voice—quiet, full of thought.Now she turned, eyes wide with the weight of anticipation. Her son stood just inside the doorway, his shoulders hunched slightly, as though he’d been walking through centuries. His face was pale but calm. He looked older than he had just an hour ago.“You remember him,” Lyta said.Daniel gave a small nod. “I do. Not everything. But enough.”Lyta stood sl
Chapter 166
The sun filtered softly through the curtains of Lyta Hall’s modest home, golden light falling across the floor like blessings. The house was quiet. A stillness had settled over it since the early morning, when Daniel had gone for one of his long walks. He was taller now, with eyes too thoughtful for someone his age and a silence that often made Lyta ache.She sat at the kitchen table, fingers wrapped around a cup of tea long gone cold. Her eyes stared through the steam, through the walls, into memory. The years had been kind in some ways, harsh in others. Daniel had grown, as boys do, but there was always something in him—something that shimmered beneath the surface, something not quite of this world.And Lyta had known. She’d always known this day would come.The air in the room shifted, stilled even more. The shadows along the edges of the room stretched, deepened. The light dimmed—not harshly, but like dusk arriving early.He stood behind her before she heard his footsteps.“Morphe
Chapter 165
The sky above Hell was not a sky at all, but a vast, churning storm of ash and fire. Mountains of bone reached toward it, and rivers of molten hatred carved paths across a land that screamed in silence. Nothing here grew. Nothing here lived. Yet it pulsed with eternal motion—restless, ancient.Morpheus stepped through the obsidian gate alone, though Matthew flew above him, circling in tight arcs. The raven’s feathers twitched with unease.“I hate this place,” Matthew muttered. “Seriously. Every time we come here, I swear the heat gets worse. And those things with teeth for eyes were *staring* at me.”Morpheus said nothing.He walked toward the obsidian steps of Lucifer’s citadel, where reality bent and recoiled in the presence of pride made flesh. The doors opened without a sound, their carvings writhing with scenes of ambition and fall, endless betrayal, and cold beauty.Lucifer Morningstar stood at the top of the stairs, waiting, arms folded across a regal black coat that shimmered
Chapter 164
The chains cracked like thunder splitting across a void.Flames peeled back. The Realms of Fire shuddered as Destruction stirred. His eyes opened fully—vast pools of molten gold that held the weight of ages. Power rippled from him, not chaotic, but vast. A silent storm.Azazel screamed.“No!” the demon howled, fire bursting from his twisted form like a crown of rage. “You don’t understand! If he’s freed, he will burn all! Destruction *is* the end!”“You fear him,” Morpheus said, stepping forward, shadows clinging to his cloak like mist. “Because he is more than you ever were.”Destruction's voice rolled out, slow and steady, shaking the very ground beneath them.“I never asked to be your weapon.”The gold-and-flame bindings trembled, then shattered.In that instant, Destruction rose.He stood tall—taller than any of them remembered, broad-shouldered and ageless. His red hair swept back like flickering embers in a breeze, his skin luminous with the heat of stars. He stretched one arm,
Chapter 163
The Realms of Fire were alive, not with breath but with hunger. Every stone whispered, every gust of ash howled with the echoes of consumed worlds. As the Endless and their companions moved deeper, the flames recoiled—not from fear, but recognition. They knew who had come.And then, the fire opened like an eye.He emerged.Azazel.He took no single form. A writhing mass of flame and teeth, wings that folded and unfolded from every direction, and a voice that scraped like metal over bone. His many eyes blinked from within his own inferno, each one a different shade of malice.“Well, well,” Azazel hissed, his voice echoing in the very air. “I expected one of you. *Not all.*”Morpheus stepped forward. He did not raise his voice, but his presence swelled like a rising tide. “We are here for Destruction.”Azazel’s laughter burned. “You’re too late, Dream. He *is* destruction now. All I did was remind him what he was meant to be.”Constantine stepped beside Morpheus, the Rune aglow on her h
Chapter 162
The Dreaming was quiet in its breath, the way a cathedral holds silence after a prayer. Morpheus stood at the highest terrace of his palace, shadows draped across his shoulders like a second cloak. The stars wheeled in slow silence overhead.He did not summon Lucien and Constantine with sound—he did not need to. They were both already moving toward him, drawn by the same disturbance humming through the realm.Lucien appeared first, her book pressed to her chest, brows furrowed. She never arrived in haste, but tonight, she was nearly breathless.“M’lord,” she said. “The ripple—was it Daniel?”“Yes,” Morpheus answered.Constantine stepped from a veil of dream-smoke moments later, still barefoot from her meditation chamber, the Rune pulsing faintly against her wrist like a resting heartbeat. Her eyes were alert, wary.“Did something happen?” she asked.Morpheus turned to face them both, the weight of what he had to say already shaping the atmosphere. Even the sky above them seemed to lea
Chapter 161
Daniel tossed in his sleep, the blankets tangled like vines around his legs, sweat shining on his forehead. Lyta had just checked on him not long ago—tucked him in, brushed hair from his brow, kissed him gently. The child was still recovering from his strange disappearance, still unconscious for hours at a time. But what she didn’t know—what no one could truly understand—was that Daniel hadn’t fully come back alone.Something had awakened in him.Something ancient.The air around his sleeping body rippled gently, unseen by waking eyes. Dreams hummed under his skin. The Dreaming stirred around him like leaves brushing his thoughts. But now it wasn’t the Dreaming that called to him.It was pain.And not his own.He felt it like a thread burning from the stars, winding into his chest and pulling—gently at first, then with increasing urgency. He didn’t understand the source, but it throbbed with a weight that felt… *familiar*. Not in face or form, but in resonance.Another Endless.A kin.
