Into The Shadow Realm | Rascal x fem reader story 2023

20| Comfort in the Suffering

You rush to a stand, and turn around.

There he is, walking, staring around in what looks like awe. His black robes melt darkly into the ground, fading out to nothing at the ends.

"Morpheus!" You almost cry from relief. "Please save me." Inside your chest is tight with emotion, your throat is sandpaper dry and your eyes now brim with tears.

Morpheus cocks his face your way and stares, his black eyes highlighted with a brilliant silver. His spiked inky-coloured hair flows in the air behind him, although there really is no air or breeze around at all, everything has come to a complete stop.

Right in front of you stands the slim figure of the Guardian of Fear.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that my dear." He picks up a blade of grass and holds it between his thumb and pointer.

"Why not?" You choke out, still pushing the emotion away and turning back around to see that the rock is still stationary.

Morpheus flicks the blade of grass away after intensively staring at it and ignores your question with one of his own. "Do you know why I am here, (y/n)?"

You shake your head slowly.

"I am here," he continues, "because there is not one moment in my life that I have sensed this much fear from one creature alone." He spits out the word 'fear' with such a boldness. 

"Are you going to help me?" You utter, standing there almost paralysed.

A grim smile appears on his lips. "Ah," his voice echoes around the two of you as if you are in a tunnel, "that question..."

Suddenly when you turn back from looking at the rock, Morpheus has disappeared.

Then his voice reappears from behind you. "Doesn't it feel familiar?" The Guardian of Fear has gained closeness.

You frown. "I am not 12 anymore."

"But!" He raises one arm and spins on his heal, "Do you remember what I said to you that night?" He turns to walk away, arm slumping back to his side.

" 'Feel the fear – ' " You quote with a scowl.

"-but do not let it take you. Yes."

Within a few meters, Morpheus returns to you.

"But...I cannot control it!"

The Boogeyman tsks. "Is what you keep telling yourself."

"The pain! It is real...it is all real! It is following me back to reality and I cannot stop it. Please," you sigh, "please, surely you can take this away?"

"I'm not talking about the pain miss (y/n) more or less the fear. You know I only give fear away my dear, I have told you this before."

Something inside your heart breaks at these words. "So why are you here?"

"To give you a talking to," he shrugs, then pauses to add, "and perhaps stall you so you get more sleep."

You grimace. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Only a good seven hours."

"But what about the pain?"

"Well," he says eerily, "does it happen every time without fail?"

"Yes."

"Then why worry? You know it is going to happen, why put yourself through all that stress?"

"Well, because it really hurts!" You scoff.

Morpheus sighs. "This really has taken a hold of you has it not? Tell me (y/n), have you ever tried...giving in?"

Your mind trails back to your second week in the Shadow Realm. You did give in, or try getting through it. Nothing really happened.

"I – "

"-See, these divinations you have are special, I have only seen one other like you. You are the only thing that will tame them. They are fuelled on fear and fear alone. You did not choose for them to come to you, but you can tame them."

This is outrageous. First he comes, interrupts your dream to tell you he cannot fix them, then tells you to give in? And special your arse.

"So...how do I tame them?"

"As I said, these," Morpheus gestures around at the frozen scene, "are fuelled on fear. Your fear."

You are rattled and confused.

"I must go now my dear," The Guardian of Fear tells you after a while of silence. Secretly, you have tried to keep the conversation going, or none at all to delay your nightmare.

"Wait!" You cry. "Is it still going to happen?" Your heart pounds fiercely inside you, and you can already tell you are shaking. "Can you just, take it away? Just for tonight?"

The Boogeyman looks at you in some sense of pity, his eyebrows are furrowed and his mouth is pinched. Out of all the elders, teachers and staff in the dungeons, there is no doubt you have favourited Morpheus, and you know he truly does care for you, having been a big influence throughout your childhood.

What is more, nobody but you and The Guardian of Fear knows of your connection. You have not told Jules or Kurt, especially after listening to their rants about how 'creepy' he appears.

"Oh (y/n), you know what you are asking of me is impossible," he says, almost in a whisper, "if I could, I would you know."

"But I cannot do this again." A broken cry escapes your throat, one you have been holding in during the conversation. You eye the rock, the blurred meteor surrounded in still flames.

"Oh but I think you can. You are stronger than you make yourself out to be."

"Wait," you say, "I am sorry about the meeting, I know I left early."

Morpheus goes to leave but stops, turning his head back at you. "You did well during the congress, I must say. I felt the thoughts you had about all of this. I am proud of you."

A tear falls then streams down your cheek at his last words.

Then he disappears.

You turn around and see that the dream is back in colour and in motion.

You stand there, unable to stop the fear taking over your body as the meteor nears you, the most you have probably ever felt in your life, but you cannot be bothered to run.

You are hit with the rock and struck to the ground.