Promise

The dreamscape is an ever-changing layer of the Underworld, where unconscious minds drift while their bodies rest. It hadn't always been this way, before the Dream Crystalla awoke, the world had never tasted the world of dreams.

Time hadn't existed in an understandable form until the Time Crystalla awoke and the first real day formed. Araneia had experienced these times. She was one of the only humans still alive from that time.

Now she found herself lost in this world of Eternal Dreams. Unable to awaken. Every few minutes, the sky above her changed, she had no interest in seeing where her mind would take her. She'd lived a long life, and seen many things that she would rather forget. Lost many people she couldn't bare to see again.

The life of an immortal was a cruel one, fated to watch family and friends die over and over. Cursed with this dark grey skin for the crime of protecting the people of Crystalla from a power mad despot.

That same despot who had lied about her intentions, about the Gods and their commands. Why did she wish to purge the world of mankind? Lumina, Abyssia, Celestia. Who were they really?

Araneia opened her eyes to see debris falling from the sky, a memory from long ago. When a comet hit the place now known as 'The Deadlands', in Araneia's time, it was an island that went by the name as Sensallia, and it was the same island that Araneia was originally born on.

Since the comets had fallen, that island lain empty, no flora or fauna existed there, it was just an arid wasteland. Sometimes, in her downtime, Araneia liked to return there, to leave a single flower on the grave of her village.

Those people had been dead for millenia, their lives lost to the sea of time, remembered only by a single survivor. She never forgot their single commandment though. To never lose hope. That was the message that had convinced Celestia to spare humanity.

Without realizing, Araneia had once more closed her eyes, when she reopened them, she saw Syl strapped to a chair, his veins filled with light aether. Araneia remembered that day, when she had saved his life. She had felt pity on Syl when she saw him.

Syl reminded her of herself, cursed with an element against his will. That is why she had convinced Andre to save him, when she saw him wandering the ruins of Terrana. She remembered tracking him all the way to Ishtall.

She had to beg Andre that his life was worth saving, because she saw him looking at Roisin, who he had called his sister. A fallen thrall of Lumina's wouldn't have recognized their own family, therefore he wasn't too far gone, yet.

Andre had refused at first, but upon hearing Syl's last name, he had suddenly changed his mind. At times Andre, or Abyssia didn't seem too far removed from Celestia. They could be cruel, and power hungry.

Again, Araneia opened her eyes, this time it was different, she had a knife to her throat, and was in the throne room of Brannam. Before her stood Treleva.

"So, you wish for an end?" Treleva asked.

"Let me go!" Araneia roared, and tried to break free, but Keegan's new found power was far stronger than her own.

"I'm sorry for this, Araneia, you deserved a far better fate than this" Treleva smiled, as he raised a gun to her head. Araneia closed her eyes and awaited her end.

It felt like a minute had passed before she opened her eyes again. She saw Brannam standing over Treleva, who was unconscious. Keegan had backed away in fear.

"You're awake?!" Araneia gasped.

"A friend of yours awoke me, along with an old friend of mine" Brannam smiled.

"Will he stay asleep?" Araneia asked, looking down at Treleva.

"For a while, yes, I will have my servants cast him out of the island, make him believe that this was nothing but a dream" Brannam smiled.

"What about...?" Araneia asked, as she turned to look for Keegan, but he had fled.

"He'll leave of his own accord, I believe" Brannam smiled, as she sat on her throne, which snapped everyone from their slumber.

Araneia sighed as she walked over to the window that overlooked the Kingdom of Brannam, the sun rose over the ocean in the far distance.