Chapter 43: Can Dead People Dream?
Everything exploded at once.
The moment my identity as a human was revealed, dozens of bear beastkin rushed forward from every direction.
Nyra reacted first.
"Stay behind Caelum!"
Then she vanished.
Not metaphorically.
One moment she was standing beside me.
The next, she was inside the enemy formation.
A silver arc flashed beneath the moonlight.
One bear soldier fell.
Then another.
Then a third.
Nyra moved like a shadow with claws.
Her twin daggers never stopped.
She ducked beneath a spear, slid across the ground, cut through the soldier’s ankle, rose behind him, and drove the second blade between the gaps in his armor.
Before the body even hit the ground, she was already moving again.
Fast.
Precise.
Merciless.
On my other side, Vessa laughed.
Actually laughed.
"Finally."
She reached into two pouches at her waist.
Three small metal spheres appeared between her fingers.
She threw them.
"Down."
I didn’t ask questions.
I dropped.
The spheres struck the ground.
Boom.
The forest flashed white.
Several bear soldiers screamed as the earth beneath them erupted.
Not fire.
Threads.
Thin silver threads exploded outward, wrapping around arms, legs, weapons, even throats.
Vessa pulled one hand backward.
The threads tightened.
Three soldiers crashed into each other.
She darted forward.
A small blade appeared in her hand.
One slash.
Two.
Three.
Then she was gone again.
"Legal acquisitions?" I muttered.
Vessa heard me somehow.
"Different specialty!"
A sword came toward her head.
She leaned backward until her spine looked like it should have snapped, let the blade pass over her nose, then kicked the soldier between the legs.
He folded instantly.
"Still works on bears!"
I would have laughed.
If we weren’t surrounded by people trying to kill us.
Caelum stayed directly in front of me.
And suddenly I understood why he was called a warden.
His spear moved once.
A bear soldier flew backward.
Not stumbled.
Flew.
The man’s armored body crashed into a tree hard enough to shake leaves from the branches.
Caelum rotated the spear.
The wooden shaft struck another soldier across the jaw.
Crack.
Then the blade came around.
Blood sprayed across the ground.
Three soldiers attacked him together.
Caelum stepped forward.
One thrust.
The first fell.
He reversed the spear.
The blunt end crushed into the second man’s chest.
Then Caelum simply raised his foot and kicked the third away.
I stared.
"Caelum."
"Yes?"
"Remind me never to annoy you."
"Noted."
A spear flew toward me.
Mana Aegis caught it.
The weapon stopped less than a centimetre from my face.
Caelum’s expression changed.
He grabbed the spear from the air.
Then threw it back.
The bear soldier who had launched it didn’t even have time to move.
The spear punched through his shoulder and pinned him against a tree.
"Stay close," Caelum said.
"I wasn’t planning to explore."
More soldiers rushed us.
There were too many.
But the strange thing was...
It didn’t matter.
Nyra was faster than them.
Vessa was smarter than them.
Caelum was stronger than them.
The Bear soldiers were trained.
Experienced.
Dangerous.
But my escorts were something else.
Elite.
The difference became obvious within minutes.
Bodies littered the forest floor.
Bear soldiers began hesitating.
Their formation broke.
Fear spread.
Nyra appeared beside one soldier, buried a dagger under his arm, twisted, then disappeared before another could strike her.
Vessa danced between attacks while throwing traps that seemed to appear from nowhere.
Caelum never moved more than a few meters away from me.
Yet no one reached me.
Not one.
I should have felt relieved.
Instead...
I looked toward Garron.
He hadn’t moved.
Not once.
Soldiers were dying around him.
His own people.
One after another.
And he didn’t care.
His battle-axe remained resting across his shoulder.
His expression hadn’t changed.
His eyes were still fixed on me.
Only me.
That was what frightened me.
Not the soldiers.
Not the blood.
Not the pressure.
Him.
’System.’
[Yes.]
’Why isn’t he helping them?’
There was a short pause.
[Unknown.]
I didn’t like that answer.
Another bear soldier fell.
Then another.
Garron watched.
Nothing.
My stomach tightened.
"Nyra!"
She cut across someone’s throat and glanced toward me.
"Garron isn’t moving!"
"I noticed!"
"Why?!"
"If I knew, I would’ve told you!"
Fair.
Vessa landed beside us.
Blood dotted one side of her face.
None of it looked like hers.
She was smiling.
"We’re winning."
Nyra appeared a few meters away.
"No."
Vessa’s smile faded.
Nyra’s eyes were on Garron.
"We’re surviving his soldiers."
There was a difference.
A large one.
Caelum understood too.
His grip tightened around his spear.
"We need to leave."
"There’s no opening," I said.
"We’ll make one."
Nyra pointed east.
"Thin formation there."
Vessa nodded.
"Give me ten seconds."
Then she disappeared.
Caelum shifted closer.
"Al."
"What?"
"When Nyra moves, follow her."
"What about you?"
"I’ll be behind you."
I frowned.
"I don’t like the way you said that."
"Neither do I."
That was somehow worse.
Nyra suddenly moved.
"Now!"
We ran.
Vessa’s traps exploded ahead.
Three bear soldiers were thrown aside.
Nyra cut through another.
An opening appeared.
Small.
But real.
I sprinted.
My legs protested.
I ignored them.
Human territory was close.
So close.
If we could break through...
Garron moved.
My heart stopped.
One moment he stood twenty meters away.
The next,
Boom.
The ground cracked.
He appeared directly in front of our escape route.
Nyra stopped so quickly her boots carved lines through the dirt.
Caelum moved in front of me.
Vessa cursed.
I didn’t even see Garron lower the axe.
He simply looked at us.
"Enough."
The word wasn’t loud.
It didn’t need to be.
Mana pressure crashed outward.
My Mana Aegis flared.
My knees nearly hit the ground.
Nyra slid backward.
Vessa’s ears flattened against her head.
Caelum planted his spear into the earth to remain standing.
Garron’s gaze moved over them.
Annoyed.
Not angry.
Annoyed.
As if they were insects delaying him.
Then his eyes returned to me.
"Boy."
Caelum lifted his spear.
"You will not touch him."
Garron finally looked at him.
For the first time.
"Move."
"No."
The air changed.
Caelum attacked.
No hesitation.
His spear shot forward faster than I had ever seen him move.
Straight toward Garron’s throat.
Garron tilted his head.
That was all.
The blade missed by centimeters.
Garron’s hand snapped forward.
He grabbed the spear.
Caelum’s eyes widened.
Garron pulled.
Caelum was dragged forward.
Then Garron’s fist crashed into his stomach.
The sound was horrible.
Caelum flew backward.
"Caelum!"
He smashed through a tree.
The trunk broke.
My chest tightened.
Green mana already gathered around my hand.
But Nyra grabbed my shoulder.
"No!"
"He’s hurt!"
"Stay here!"
She rushed Garron.
Both daggers flashed.
Left.
Right.
Throat.
Heart.
Kidney.
Every strike was lethal.
Every strike missed.
Garron barely moved.
A turn of his shoulder.
A tilt of his head.
One step backward.
Nyra’s blades cut empty air.
Then she suddenly vanished from his sight.
Shadow movement.
She appeared behind him.
Her dagger aimed at the base of his skull.
Garron’s hand moved backward.
Without looking.
He caught her wrist.
Nyra froze.
Then he threw her.
She hit the ground hard, rolled, and came up coughing blood.
"Nyra!"
"I’m fine!"
She wasn’t.
But she stood.
Caelum emerged from the broken tree line.
His armor was cracked.
Blood ran from his mouth.
Still, he lifted his spear.
I stared.
"Caelum, stop!"
He didn’t listen.
Of course he didn’t.
Then Vessa disappeared.
I almost missed it.
She had been beside me.
Then nothing.
Even Garron’s attention remained on Nyra and Caelum.
For the first time...
He hadn’t noticed.
Vessa appeared behind him.
No joke.
No smile.
Her small blade was coated in something black.
Poison.
She drove it toward the side of his neck.
For one second...
I thought she had him.
Garron’s head shifted.
The blade passed beside his skin.
His hand shot backward.
Closed around Vessa’s throat.
Her eyes widened.
Garron lifted her from the ground with one arm.
"Vessa!"
Her legs kicked.
Both hands grabbed his wrist.
Nothing.
She couldn’t move him.
Nyra attacked instantly.
Caelum followed.
Garron swung his axe.
It crashed into Nyra.
She flew sideways.
Caelum’s spear struck Garron’s chest.
The blade pierced his armor.
My eyes widened.
Got him.
Garron looked down.
The spear had entered maybe two centimeters.
His expression didn’t change.
He grabbed the shaft.
Then snapped it.
Caelum stared at the broken weapon.
Garron stepped forward.
His fist hit Caelum’s chest.
Crack.
I heard bones break.
Caelum dropped to one knee.
Blood poured from his mouth.
"CAELUM!"
I ran.
Nyra grabbed me again.
"AL, NO!"
"I CAN HEAL HIM!"
"You’ll die!"
"I can..."
Garron squeezed.
A sickening sound came from Vessa’s neck.
Everything stopped.
Her kicking stopped.
Her hands fell.
The small rabbit woman went limp.
Garron released her.
Her body hit the ground.
I stared.
No.
No.
Vessa didn’t move.
Her green eyes were open.
Blank.
"Vessa?"
Nothing.
My mind rejected it.
This was Vessa.
The woman who stole my pillow.
The woman who searched unconscious soldiers for "financial intelligence."
The woman who spent four days trying to discover how many pillows were inside my storage ring.
She was...
No.
Nyra screamed.
Not words.
Just sound.
Pure rage.
She launched herself at Garron.
Both daggers glowing with mana now.
Her speed doubled.
Tripled.
The forest filled with silver flashes.
Garron finally raised his axe.
Clang.
One dagger shattered.
Nyra spun.
Second blade.
Garron blocked.
His axe moved.
Too fast.
Nyra tried to retreat.
The blade crossed her body.
Blood sprayed across my cloak.
She fell.
"Nyra!"
I caught her before she hit the ground.
Her body was warm.
Too warm.
Blood poured between my fingers.
I pressed both hands against the wound.
Healing mana erupted.
Green light flooded her body.
"Stay still."
She coughed.
"Al..."
"Don’t talk."
I pushed more mana.
The wound was too deep.
Too wide.
Internal organs damaged.
Massive blood loss.
I could heal it.
I had to.
I had healed worse.
Hadn’t I?
"Come on."
More mana.
"Come on!"
Nyra’s hand grabbed my wrist.
Weakly.
"Stop."
"No."
"Al."
"No."
Her golden eyes looked at me.
They seemed tired.
Strangely peaceful.
"Run."
"I said don’t talk."
"Run..."
Her fingers loosened.
"Nyra?"
Nothing.
"Nyra."
Her eyes didn’t move.
The green light kept flowing.
I kept healing.
Why wasn’t she responding?
"Nyra."
Nothing.
I pushed more mana.
[Host.]
"Shut up."
[Host.]
"I said shut up!"
My hands shook.
The wound was closing.
The flesh was repairing.
But she wasn’t breathing.
Her heart...
No.
I pressed harder.
"Heal."
Green mana brightened.
"Heal!"
Nothing.
Caelum roared.
I looked up.
He had attacked Garron again.
With half a spear.
His chest was crushed.
One arm hung strangely at his side.
And somehow...
He was still fighting.
He struck Garron across the face with the broken shaft.
For the first time, Garron’s head actually moved.
Caelum smiled.
Blood covered his teeth.
"Al..."
I froze.
He looked at me.
"Run."
Then Garron’s axe came down.
Caelum raised the broken spear.
It shattered.
The axe continued.
I didn’t see the rest.
I couldn’t.
My body refused.
Something hit the ground.
Heavy.
My ears rang.
The forest suddenly felt very quiet.
Too quiet.
I looked down.
Nyra was still in my arms.
Vessa lay several meters away.
Caelum...
I didn’t look.
I couldn’t.
Three weeks.
That was all.
Three weeks.
Caelum telling me about pulling down a tree with his antlers.
Nyra secretly letting me sleep longer while pretending she didn’t care.
Vessa stealing my pillow.
Three weeks.
That was enough.
Enough for them to stop feeling like escorts.
Enough for them to become familiar.
Enough for me to know their voices.
Their habits.
Their footsteps.
Enough for their absence to hurt.
My hands stopped glowing.
There was no point anymore.
Nyra was dead.
Vessa was dead.
Caelum was dead.
All three.
Because they protected me.
The thought entered quietly.
Then everything inside me went still.
Bear soldiers surrounded me.
Dozens remained.
Garron stood ahead.
Blood covered his axe.
He was saying something.
I couldn’t hear him.
The System was saying something too.
I couldn’t hear that either.
My hands rested in Nyra’s blood.
Warm.
Sticky.
Real.
I had seen death before.
Hundreds of times.
At the border.
Soldiers arrived wounded.
Some survived.
Some didn’t.
I understood death.
I knew how organs failed.
How blood loss killed.
How the heart stopped.
How the brain died without oxygen.
I knew death clinically.
Professionally.
But this...
This was different.
Because I knew them.
I knew Vessa would probably complain if she saw how much dirt was on her clothes.
I knew Caelum would apologize for worrying me.
I knew Nyra would tell me to stop staring and keep moving.
My throat tightened.
Something burned behind my eyes.
Strange.
I hadn’t felt this in a long time.
Maybe ever.
Garron took a step toward me.
I didn’t move.
Another step.
Still nothing.
I lowered Nyra gently onto the ground.
Then sat beside her.
My body felt heavy.
Not physically.
Something deeper.
I pulled my knees slightly toward my chest.
My cloak was covered in blood now.
So were my hands.
My pillow was still inside my storage ring.
For some reason, I thought about taking it out.
Then I decided against it.
It wouldn’t help.
Nothing would.
Garron’s shadow fell over me.
I closed my eyes.
Darkness.
It felt familiar.
Warm darkness.
Quiet darkness.
The same darkness I had chased for countless years when I was a celestial.
The darkness behind sleep.
The place where mortals dreamed.
My breathing slowly steadied.
’System.’
The response came immediately.
[Host.]
For once, there was no sarcasm.
No impatience.
Just quiet.
I swallowed.
Then asked the only question that came to mind.
’Can dead people dream?’