Crimson Overlord
Chapter 265: Dream

Chapter 265: Dream

The city of Shimmergarde was built atop gentle hills and is truly an architectural urban phenomenon. Its grace is matched by the backdrop of a majestic mountain which have helped shape the city to what it is today.

The resources these mountains brought were of great importance, but they were also influential when it came to architectural designs as the vast majority of buildings were designed with shapes and elements found in the mountains.

The skyline is scattered with giant skyscrapers and their history seemed to shine more now than ever. The quality of life is high in Shimmergarde and it has attracted a lot of attention. New cultures have left their mark not just on business, but also upon the city’s identity. What historically was a city of few cultures has grown into a fusion of everything and it’s this that unites the 1 million people to this day.

It’s this multicultural identity that has truly left its mark.

Hundreds of sandwich bars, bakeries and food carts offer a plethora of culinary choices and those who feel hungry for something else can enjoy city exploring, nature, the national park or one of the many other recreational venues.

Orpheus visited this city because he received Nemesis’s message, she told him what happened to her. He excused himself saying he had something urgent to take care of. The rendezvous point was this city it was why he stopped by, he booked a room for the night.

The sky was black tranquility married to a poetry of stars. It was the softness that called body and brain to rest and let the heart go to its steady rhythm. Night came as a reward of sorts, a restfulness above to calm the soul.

That night Orpheus had a dream.

°°°

There was a void; It was shallow and vast. The blackness of endless emptiness went on forever and ever until there was color. An eye opened up in the void with the color of neon pink. It darted to look around the empty void and found there was nothing. Then another eye opened, with a glowing hue of neon green. A third one opened, with the color of a neon blue. Soon, the void was filled with a full neon-hued rainbow. The void was no longer empty; it was a colorful piece of space filled with eyes—a beautiful flash of blinking eyes in a now-filled void.

As the eyes blinked in unison, a soft hum filled the void. The sound grew louder and louder until it became a deafening roar that shook the space. Suddenly, the eyes began to move, and the hum turned into a melody. The neon colors of the eyes swirled and danced to the music, creating a beautiful symphony of light and sound.

As the symphony continued, the eyes started to change shape. Some grew larger, while others split into two. Some eyes closed, and new ones opened in their place. The colorful display of eyes was now a kaleidoscope of shapes and sizes.

As the symphony reached its climax, the eyes began to move faster and faster. They darted in all directions, creating a whirlwind of colors and shapes. Suddenly, the void began to shrink, and a bright light appeared in the distance.

The eyes moved towards the light, and as they got closer, the light grew brighter and brighter. The symphony reached its peak, and the eyes merged into one, creating a blinding flash of light.

When the light faded, the void was gone, replaced by a vast universe filled with stars, planets, and galaxies. The rainbow of neon-colored eyes had transformed into a multitude of living beings, each with their own unique shape and color.

The universe was no longer empty; it was now a vibrant and diverse tapestry of life. And at the center of it all was a single eye, the first to open in the void, now shining brightly as the symbol of all that was and all that could be.

°°°

The forest was vast, crowded, and young. Its canopy was claimed by poplar, chestnut, and juniper, and sparkling light dancing between the branches allowed for a flood of saplings to sprout in the soft, rich soils below.

Curling branches suspended from every tree, and a medley of flowers, which grew in abundance, stuck out against the otherwise homogeneous terrain.

A variety of sounds, belonging mostly to insects and critters, filled the air, and drowned out the raging river currents clashing against boulders.

A man stands alone in some woods that are being engulfed in ravaging wildfires—fires that are licking at the leaves of every great, brown tree and devouring it without a second thought.

"Now you’ve seen the darkest corners of Hell," the man muttered to a spot on the ground, looking down at the ashes where a tree had once been, a tree he planted in his childhood to cover the body of his late father—a man who only got into trouble and forced his son to watch.

"Why’d you make me do it?" the man said, choking on each word.

"I don’t care that you’re dead, but why’d you make me watch?" He hissed, tears flooding his eyes.

"All I wanted was to help you!" His grief had turned to hysterical anger.

"You danced with the devil, and then you fell! And I was sitting right there! I watched you die! All so you could chase some high!"

The fire around him had grown nearer and began to lash out at him, kissing at his cheeks and smothering his face.

"Now all I can feel is death’s grip, and man, is it tight!" the man screamed, no longer hiding his anguish.

"All I want is to see the end of time! So, this is how I’ll die! Right here with you! It’s what you always wanted, right?"

His anger faded, and all that was left were weeps and sobs.

And finally, through gasps and chokes, he said one last thing:

"You make me sick."