36. P̶ O̶ W̶ E̶ R̶ :̶ D̶r̶e̶a̶m̶s̶ | Blacksdale

CHAPTER XII

Addison strolled through the bamboo forest with his staff in hand, looking up and around at the trees as sunlight flickered between their pole-like stalks. The scene was undeniably serene, but... it seemed to be missing something.

Addison frowned and looked straight ahead, coming to a stop in the middle of the stream.

There was no one there.

"...Tián?" Addison called after a beat, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice.

Addison?

Addison looked around sharply as a familiar voice echoed all throughout the forest. "Tián! Where are you?" he shouted.

Addison, I'm here. Wake up.

Addison blinked, bewildered. "Here? 'Here' where? I don't see you!"

Addison!

"Whoa..." Addison stumbled as the ground suddenly shook beneath his feet, almost sending him sprawling into the stream.

Addison, come on! You have to wake up!

Addison let out a startled cry as the world trembled again, and this time, he couldn't keep his footing; he tumbled forward, hitting the water face-first—

-

An eye, bright green and menacing—

A flash of black and white—

Monsters, twisted and unholy—

Cries of agony and death—

Feathers and scales—

A mask—

~*~

Addison jerked straight up into a sitting position, the beginning of his scream muffled by the hand that had been clamped over his mouth. He instinctively grabbed the wrist attached to that hand with both of his, his eyes darting toward his right.

Tián raised a finger to her lips and whispered, "Ssh."

Addison's eyes widened and he let go of Tián's wrist, scrambling backward on his bed. "What—how?!" he whispered back, amazed and a little scared.

"I don't know," Tián replied, keeping her voice down and giving Addison a shaky smile. "But, well... I'm here. Now keep your voice down before your sister—"

She stopped suddenly, looking sharply toward the bathroom door before diving under Addison's bed.

As soon as she did so, the door to the bathroom flew open, revealing a suspicious-looking Veronika with her eyebrow raised. "Who's in here?" she asked, her eyes darting back and forth.

Addison stared at her, still so bewildered that he couldn't regain his bearings. "I—wh-what?"

Veronika crouched low to the ground, sniffing it like a hound as she crept through the room. "That is not a familiar scent," she remarked, shooting Addison a look. "Smells like citrus... with a hint of... cucumber?" She frowned, coming to a stop at the foot of Addison's bed. "I go to the restroom for one minute, and you go on a whole shopping trip?"

"I—I didn't—wait!" Addison blurted as Veronika began to reach under the bed, waving his hands frantically. "It's—uh—don't look under there! I have a—erm—" He hesitated, wracking his mind for excuses.