Everyone huddled together at the Ever Realm Center, knowing they needed each other now more than ever. Their kind was slowly being wiped out.
Thanks to her training, Scarlett hollowed herself. She caved and let the pain and rage churn while hunger for revenge grew. She’d get whoever did this.
The attack came out of nowhere, at least that’s what the rest of the Dreamers thought. She knew better.
Scarlett entered the hall and found Grandma Ruth standing on the corner.
“Grandma Ruth? What are you doing here?”
Grandma Ruth, although an old woman, stood tall and moved with grace. Her white willowy hair was in a bun and her armor was a light gold. She hadn’t been back in Ever Realm since her mother and father took over as leaders. She ruled alone for a short time before them.
“My dear,” Grandma Ruth opened her arms.
Scarlett gave in and quickly returned the hug before putting distance. Grandma Ruth’s eyes were reddened much like everyone else’s. Gloom hungover the Center like humid air that stuck itself onto their every pore.
“I’m going to help you and your mother get through this. No one should have to do this alone.”
Scarlett nodded and felt the anger that rose in Grandma Ruth. They all wanted justice.
Cher exited the room Grandma Ruth was in front of and wiped her face. Her red eyes shone with the pieces that were broken inside and Scarlett clenched her jaw at the sight of her mother. Two days had passed since her father’s death. The wound was still terribly fresh.
“Are you ready?” Grandma Ruth asked and Cher shallowly nodded. They had a meeting to attend.
Walking beside her hurting mother, Scarlett kept herself void of any emotion. They entered the room that seated five Officials and they rose. Scarlett's eyes shot to a certain Official that caught her attention.
‘Professor was an Official?’
His gaze found hers and stayed for a second before he returned it to the table. She read the name on his chair.
Official Samsus.
Cher took a seat at the head of the glass table as Scarlett grabbed the one to her right and Grandma Ruth to the left. No time could be wasted.
“What’s the status?” Cher’s voice bore through the room as she blankly stared at the Officials. Scarlett grabbed her mother’s hand under the table and squeezed it, her hand stayed limp.
One of the female Dreamers that sat to the right of them lifted her head. Her armor was a light purple that fit her petite frame. Blonde short hair framed her face and her brown eyes looked down at the folder in front of her. The name on her chair read: Official Alich.
“We lost three-fourths of our Dreamers in this battle, Miss. We’re at the lowest we’ve ever been and haven’t had a new Dreamer in a month.”
Everyone felt the weight of her words. The possibility of dying out more real than ever.
Dreamers were no longer thriving. They were withering away.
“How did this happen?” Scarlett’s question startled the Dreamers as they snapped their heads up. “This attack didn’t come out of nowhere.”
At the end of the table, Official Samsus straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat. His dark copper armor now adorned with the full extent of his title. Extra armor padded every inch as blades lined his waist.
“The attack did come at an unexpected time, but no, it was not out of nowhere Miss. There’d already been suspicious activity among the nightmares that we’d been tracking. They would travel in packs instead of their usual lone paths and appear more restless and daring. The ones we’d held captive started going wild and anxious to get out right before the attack.”
Scarlett’s ears heated at the news. She took a deep breath and lightly squeezed her mother’s hand who had yet to move. She glanced at her mother and Grandma Ruth to gather their thoughts. Scarlett was elevated when she got a nod from her grandmother.
“When did this start occurring?” Asked Scarlett as she returned her attention to Official Samsus.
“About a month ago.”
Scarlett inwardly wanted to scream. It all began when she became a Dreamer.
“Do we know of what could be causing this?”
Official Samsus hesitated and glanced at Cher. She wasn’t fully present and lost in her own world. He moved his gaze back to Scarlett and sighed. “We don’t know who could be starting this. It’s similar to the movement of Edgar’s work, so we assume it must be someone close to him.”
Scarlett gave a clipped nod. She wanted to ask more on the subject but as if he knew what she was going to say, Official Samsus lightly shook his head.
‘He knows.’ A sliver of hope shed through Scarlett as she clocked his gesture. They’d talk later.
Scarlett bit the inside of her lip and went over everything else when she remembered.
“After the death of my father, they all retreated. Why?”
“It appears the attack had two main objectives; to free the imprisoned Nightmares and… to put an end to your father.” Official Samsus gloomily presented.
Scarlett’s nostrils flared as her temples throbbed with rage.
A slam on the table caught everyone’s attention and Grandma Ruth’s fist was on the table.
“Those bastards will pay for what they did to my son!”
Tears made their way down her cheeks but her eyes were hardened. A silent agreement went throughout the room.
“Something else has risen to our suspicions from the attack.” Official Samsus glanced out of the corner of his eye to the shut double doors on their left. “We have reason to believe one of our own is a mole.”
Scarlett cocked her head and lifted her hand to stop the Official. “You think a Dreamer sided with those in the Dark Realm?”
He grimly agreed. “The High Nightmares managed to sneak on our guards and out of the walls without our knowledge and no alarms were triggered. That could only be done if someone with authorization aided.”
“Gather a list of all those authorized.” The room startled at the sound of Cher’s raspy yet firm voice. “I want them all before me so I can question them myself.”
No one objected. She was a widow with a fresh wound and out for any bit of revenge she could get her hands on. Cher Blackdall stared every Official down as her eyes moved across the room. Wherever she’d gone, she was back.
“Right now, as we are weakened, they will try and strike again. We must be ready. I want every available Dreamer out training and preparing for war.”
Nods followed throughout the room as the Officials straightened themselves and lifted their heads. Scarlett saw the impression her mother had on them. She’s their leader and they follow her, in trust that she will guide them. Warmth spread through Scarlett at the sight of her mother rising and taking charge. She knew she wouldn’t nearly be as great a leader as her mother was. These were her people.
“Include the Havened Ones.”
A pause filled the room as the Officials quieted their rustling and stared at their leader. Official Samsus pursed his lips. “Miss, we haven’t communicated with the Havened in so long. We agreed to leave them to their peace.”
The Havened Ones were Dreamers that passed on Earth, but their minds made it through the window. They’re the ones that wanted to continue in peace away from the Dreamers still alive, therefore they’ve lived on their own neighboring Ever Realm. There aren’t many of them as most Dreamers that pass on Earth don’t want to continue. To those, if it’s their time there, then it’s time.