Andgiet Scinn: Oneirophobia

XXIX

As the days passed Altheia became sure that Lyraez was simply adding more to her torment than helping her. He would pull her into dreams that seemed like reality, the more it happened the more her perception of reality became a blur. With how fast she was being pulled in and out of reality, it was driving her mad.

He was showing her the lavender field that she used to love as a kid, but the more he showed her the more she hated him. She believed that the deities were selfish, and he was only doing this because he wanted something from her. They only did things if it was beneficial for them, they would not help if there wasn't a catch.

"Why are you doing this for me now?" She randomly asked while they were in the lavender field, laying down and looking at the clear blue sky above them.

She watched as a butterfly landed unto her finger. Staring at it before blinking twice causing time to stop. 

"Does toying with me give you joy?" Asking outloud unable to stop the words from coming out of her mouth. Anger was seeping within her knowing he was just toying with her because he could.

"Fridril, I am not playing with you. I am helping you." His voice sounded sincere and gentle that it nearly made her forget who she was talking to. 

"By driving me insane with these illusions." I said in a sarcastic tone as my golden bracelets turned into blood stained chains for a second. 

 "I'd rather see the painful, ugly truth. Than continue to be deceived by beautiful lies and go insane as I fail to discern reality from a fantasy." 

He avoided her eyes and looked away from her. He didn't answer and just remained silent, conjuring for the time in the dream to change. Now the full moon was shining brightly above them along with the stars that decorated the night sky.

"The stars are pretty, right?" He said trying to redirect the conversation they were having.

Altheia simply sighed knowing he would never admit to it or let her go unless he's done playing with her. She looked at the sky instead and hummed in response, mostly admiring the beauty of the moon. She looked straight up before she spoke her mind out loud. "The moon looks beautiful yet lonely. It reminds me of how beautiful the darkness can be."

Lyraez sighed as he stared back into the sky contemplating if he should answer Altheia's first question. Looking at the young lady beside him, who was admiring the night sky. Reminding him of that someone who saw the silver lining in everything even in the darkest and most chaotic cloud.

"I've always watched over the Fridurs. You were the only one to ever notice me then and feed me. You did it twice actually. First, when I was a cat and the second time when I was a wolf." He said in a matter-of-fact tone that made Altheia sit up right.

"Storm and Rogue? I liked you better as an animal" Trying to recall those two beloved creatures she had taken care of and had taken care of in return.

She slowly felt herself disappear from the dream and into the real world again, laughing as she did. Then reprimanding herself for actually enjoying Lyraez's company when it was obvious he was doing it in exchange for something

The men of Myrkur did not have the enjoyment of tormenting her anymore since she was turning into a madwoman, someone who was slowly losing her mind. They would often see her talking to herself, as though she was telling stories to someone. A smile on her face as she drew on the things on the floor.

"I think we've broken her." One of them said one day as they watched Altheia, talk to the air with a smile on her face. She could hear them, and she could care less. She didn't need to be tormented mentally and emotionally by Myrkur as Lyraez was already doing it to her.

She would laugh and cry simultaneously at her predicament, it was unfair in her opinion. Why did she have to be the one to take pay for what her ancestors did in the past? Why did she have to be the one to suffer on their behalf, her hatred for the deities grew deeper as the more Lyraez pulled her into the dreams. Letting her live the life of peace she had dreamed of, then she gets thrown back into reality.

She would flinch and retreat each time one of the men came near her, afraid that they would touch her once again. Sometimes they would try to scare her by holding a dagger by her neck, but she would only look at them lifelessly and laugh. Pressing her neck closer to the blade, provoking them to kill her.

She was losing her mind and she hated it. She had no control over what was happening and she could not even do anything to protect herself. She felt like a weak and helpless child. She was sure Lyraez was manipulating her by playing the good cop, he would trap her in a dream filled with lies as she got killed.

Laughing at the thought loudly, since she was going to die one way or another. If she stayed in the dream she would die if the image of what she mostly desired the most, but it would not give her the satisfaction as she knew it was a lie. If she stayed awake she would be in a living hell and die in the place that would forever haunt her, but she would be happy dying to see the truth before her eyes. The guards looked at her a bit disturbed since it really did seem like she lost her mind.

Soon she started crying, her loud laughs turned into sobbing as tears streamed down her face. Why didn't she die instead, in a quick death? Why did she have to suffer so much? Why did she have to be the only one left in her family? She trained to become stronger, to get revenge but where did that land her, in a situation much worse than death.

"Oh, she broke already?" Myrkur said as he entered the cell, seeing him made Altheia stop staring and looked at him with lifeless and tired eyes. Laughing upon seeing him, making Myrkur raise an eyebrow at her.

"Just kill me already...." Was all she said while laughing, the fight inside her has left. The spirit that was once free and fiery was squashed out of her by force just leaving her with an empty shell and she knew only death is what awaited her in the future.

Myrkur only smiled satisfied at the empty shell of the last descendant of the Fridur before him. He was still angry that he did not get what he wanted, the Heart of Raez. That was what his master wanted, and the one that lived knew nothing about it. He wanted to punish her for not knowing, he already planned how to kill her anyways but he wanted to punish her more until he was satisfied. As he turned to leave the cell Altheia called out to him.

"You already broke me. What more do you want?" She asked in a sad tone, just wanting the torment to finally end.