Atlantis: Guardians of the Skies

Chapter 19: The Shared Dream

The silence of the night wrapped around Draven’s mansion like a heavy cloak.

The stone walls seemed to absorb all sound, leaving only the occasional hum of the wind outside. In their separate rooms, the eight exiled members had finally found a moment of rest. But this would not be an ordinary sleep.

And then, it began.

Each of them found themselves in a vast field that stretched endlessly, covered in tall grass that swayed in rhythm with an invisible breeze. The sky was tinged with an unreal golden hue, as if the sun were permanently on the horizon, neither rising nor setting. The air was charged with an energy that seemed to vibrate against their skin, like a distant calling.

At the center of the field stood a colossal tree, its roots deep and its branches seeming to touch the heavens. It was impossible to ignore. The tree felt alive in a way no other was, pulsing with an inner glow that shifted between gold and silver.

Then, the animals appeared. Not gradually, but as if they had always been there, waiting to be noticed.

A black raven perched on one of the highest branches, its eyes gleaming like small jewels. It seemed to be watching each of them, evaluating their very souls.

A white horse emerged from the tall grass, moving with both grace and strength, its hooves barely making a sound against the earth.

A green and gold serpent slithered through the tree’s roots, its eyes sharp and its movements hypnotic.

A white and gold owl descended from the sky, its wings beating softly as it landed on a lower branch, its gaze locked onto the eight of them.

More animals appeared: a massive boar with imposing tusks, a black wolf, a fox with a long, thick tail, and a majestic stag with sprawling antlers. They formed a circle around them, as if they were part of something sacred.

The eight of them now stood aligned before the tree, but none could speak. Words were unnecessary. The raven let out a sharp caw, and the other animals responded, lifting their heads as though recognizing something profound.

Then, a voice echoed through the air. It had no visible source, but it seemed to emerge from the earth, the sky, and the tree all at once.

"You have not been forgotten. Your path has not yet been revealed, but the eyes of destiny remain upon you. Do not stray. Do not be corrupted. The balance depends on you."

The words were clear, but the message felt incomplete, as if the dream were only a fragment of something greater. Before they could comprehend it, the field vanished, and each of them awoke.

Cerys jolted upright in bed, her breath quickened but not from fear. The vision of the tree, the animals, and especially the voice still clung to her mind like a mist she could not shake.

In the adjacent room, Morgana stood by the window, her breathing uneven. She could still hear the raven’s cry in her ears. It wasn’t just a dream—she was certain of that.

Rhys opened her eyes, the sound of the white horse’s hooves still echoing in her mind. She ran a hand over her face, trying to make sense of what she had just experienced.

Aria looked around, bewildered, the sensation of the owl landing near her still unnervingly vivid. She felt as though something more powerful than she could comprehend had been watching her.

In the other rooms, Tristan, Donovan, Alec, and Gareth awoke with similar expressions. Each of them knew this was no ordinary dream. Something greater was happening, and they could not ignore it.

The door to Morgana’s room suddenly swung open, and Cerys stepped inside, barefoot and still in her nightclothes.

— Did you have a strange dream? — asked Cerys, her voice urgent.

Morgana turned to her, eyes wide.

— The tree. The animals. The voice. It was real, wasn’t it?

Before Cerys could answer, Rhys appeared in the hallway, with Aria close behind. They both looked shaken, but the same question was in their eyes.

— You too? — asked Rhys, her voice trembling. — The white horse… it looked at me. It was like… like it knew me.

The boys began emerging from their rooms one by one, all with expressions of disbelief.

— It wasn’t just me? — asked Donovan, his eyes wide. — The tree, the fox… I felt like it was speaking to me, even without words.

— It was the voice — said Gareth, cutting in. — It said something about destiny. About balance. But what does it mean?

They exchanged glances, now all gathered in the hallway. Cerys, who rarely hesitated, spoke with certainty.

— This wasn’t a coincidence. Whatever it was, it happened to all of us. We need to talk about this. Now.

They gathered in the largest available room, sitting on the floor or leaning against the walls. The air was thick with tension, but also with a sense of purpose they couldn’t ignore. One by one, they began recounting the dream, the details aligning like pieces of a puzzle.

— The tree was at the center of everything — said Aria, her eyes shining with excitement. — It had a glow, an energy I’ve never seen before.

— And the animals — added Tristan. — They were there for us. Like they were a part of us.

— The voice — said Morgana, looking at her hands. — It said we hadn’t been forgotten. That balance depends on us.

Cerys crossed her arms, thoughtful.

— Whatever this was, it didn’t happen by accident after everything we’ve been through. The Council is divided, and we were cast out. But… why now?

A heavy silence settled over the group until Rhys finally spoke.

— Maybe… destiny is giving us a second chance. Maybe there’s something we have to do that we don’t understand yet.

The idea lingered in the air, a possibility none of them could dismiss. They knew this was only the beginning of something far greater. And as the fire in the hearth cast flickering shadows against the walls, doubt began to give way to newfound determination.