Between Worlds
636 Words
Amara hadn’t slept well again. Every shadow, every flicker in her apartment reminded her that the veil was thinner than ever. Tunde’s words from the morning echoed in her mind: “I felt you were there…”
Her fingers trembled as she set her coffee cup down. The city outside was alive with noise, but for her, it was drowned by the hum of the dream-world bleeding into reality.
She needed to know how far she could reach.
Closing her eyes, she concentrated. Not imagining, not hoping—intending.
A soft pulse ran through her body. The air shifted. The edges of her apartment shimmered faintly, like heat over asphalt on a hot day.
It was subtle. Almost imperceptible—but it was there.
Her phone buzzed again. Tunde. She hesitated before picking it up.
“Amara… something weird just happened,” he said, voice tight. “I was in the café and… I saw shadows. Small… like smoke, flickering in the corners. And I… I felt cold. I thought I was imagining it.”
Her breath caught. “It’s not your imagination,” she whispered. “It’s me. I… I think I touched reality.”
Tunde was silent for a moment. “Touched reality?”
“Yes. The dream… it can reach out. And… sometimes it does without me realizing it.”
A long pause. Then, “That’s… terrifying.”
“Yes.”
That night, she didn’t wait for the dreams to come to her. She forced herself into them, sitting cross-legged in her room, eyes closed, hands resting lightly on her knees.
Eli appeared almost immediately, his calm presence anchoring her.
“You’re pushing,” he said softly. “And that’s good… but dangerous. You can fracture yourself if you try too hard.”
“I have to,” she replied. “It’s not just about me anymore. Tunde… everyone could be in danger.”
Eli’s eyes darkened. “They know. The shadows know. And now they’re learning to adapt to your touch.”
Amara swallowed. “Then I have to be faster.”
He nodded. “Good. Start with small things. Move objects. Shift light. Control space in ways that don’t draw too much attention. The real world has rules—different from here. You must respect them, or they’ll retaliate.”
Her heart pounded as she reached out with intention. The lamp on her bedside table flickered. Then the air around it shimmered. It rose an inch, then fell.
“Yes!” she whispered, excitement and fear mingling.
Eli placed a hand on her shoulder. “Slowly. Control it. Don’t let it control you.”
The shadows appeared at the edge of her vision. Just faint hints, dark curls of smoke curling along the walls. They were watching her. Always watching.
A sudden knock at the door made her jump.
“Tunde?” she called.
No answer. Only silence.
She peeked through the peephole. The hallway was empty.
A shiver ran down her spine. The shadows were closer. And for the first time, she felt a whisper in her mind—cold, slow, unmistakable: We are learning, and so will you.
Amara’s stomach dropped.
She wasn’t just training anymore. She was preparing. Preparing to fight something that was no longer confined to dreams. Something that could touch anyone, anywhere.
And Eli’s expression told her he knew that, too.
“This is only the beginning,” he said quietly. “The more you reach, the more they will retaliate. You have allies—but not all will be visible.”
Amara nodded, determination settling into her chest. Fear still pulsed through her veins—but alongside it, something stronger.
She was learning. And she would not let the shadows win.
The veil between worlds had cracked. And she would walk its edges.
- Writer
