The rooftop was quiet again. The portal had disappeared, the Shadow Beast was gone, and the cold wind slowly returned to normal. Rayan dropped down on the floor and looked at his device with frustration. "Okay," he said, pointing at it, "from now on this thing is officially retired." Zippu floated above him and crossed his tiny glowing arms. "You opened a Dream Rift in the middle of a human city. That is the most irresponsible thing I have ever seen." Rayan looked offended. "Excuse me. That experiment was scientifically brilliant." Zippu rolled his glowing eyes. "Scientifically stupid."
Meera suddenly raised her hand. "Stop." Everyone turned toward her. Her eyes were fixed on Aarav. "Aarav… are you okay?" Aarav hadn't moved since the portal disappeared. He was staring at the empty air as if he could still see something there. Something felt wrong. Very wrong. "I can still feel it," he whispered quietly. Rayan frowned. "Feel what?" Aarav slowly turned toward them. "The Dream World."
Suddenly Aarav's vision blurred. The rooftop, the city lights, everything around him faded away like smoke. For a moment there was only darkness. When his vision cleared again, he realized he was standing somewhere completely different. A dark endless landscape stretched around him. Broken mountains stood like silent giants and pieces of floating land drifted slowly in the air under a black sky. Aarav immediately understood. This was not a dream. This was the Dream World.
A cold laugh echoed through the darkness. Aarav turned quickly. A tall shadow slowly stepped out of the darkness, its form shifting like living smoke. Two glowing red eyes stared directly at him. It was the same presence he had felt earlier near the portal. The shadow spoke in a calm but terrifying voice. "So… you are the new Dream Walker." Aarav clenched his fists. "Who are you?" The shadow seemed amused. "You will learn my name soon."
Suddenly something small hit Aarav on the head. "OW!" he shouted in surprise. He looked up and saw Zippu floating above him. "What are you doing here?" Aarav asked in confusion. Zippu crossed his arms. "You fainted, genius." Aarav blinked in shock. "What?" Suddenly the entire Dream World shattered like broken glass. Cracks of light spread across the sky and everything around him collapsed.
Aarav's eyes snapped open. He was lying on the rooftop again. Rayan was standing over him with a worried expression. "Congratulations," Rayan said dramatically. "You just passed out in the middle of a supernatural crisis." Meera helped Aarav sit up. "What happened?" she asked seriously.
Aarav looked around slowly. His heart was still beating fast. "I saw him," he said quietly. Zippu's glowing eyes widened. "…You saw who?" Aarav took a deep breath. "The one behind the portal. The Shadow King."
For a moment nobody spoke. The wind blew softly across the rooftop. Then Rayan nervously raised his hand. "Quick question," he said. Everyone looked at him. "…Is it normal for villains to enter your dreams before attacking?" Zippu slowly shook his head. "No. That means something worse." Meera frowned. "What do you mean?" Zippu looked directly at Aarav. "It means the Shadow King isn't just searching for you anymore. He has already found you."
At that exact moment Rayan's device suddenly started beeping loudly again. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Rayan stared at the screen in shock. "Guys… why is the Dream Rift opening again?" The air behind them suddenly began to twist and bend. A new portal slowly started forming in the darkness. But this time no one had activated the machine.
The portal was opening on its own.
To Be Continued…