Your dreams

Chapter 8

Wei Wuxian jumped up to his feet and started running.

Or, more precisely, he tried. But it looked like he was even more shaken than Lan Wangji himself and the great effort of standing up had already been too much. Before the Yunmeng Jiang sect head disciple could take even one step, Lan Wangji watched with horror how Wei Wuxian's eyes rolled back into their sockets, his knees went slack and he was falling.

Lan Wangji remembered the hand that was still uselessly floating in the air, at a mid-distance between himself and the now unconscious guest disciple. His body reacted without his command and launched forward to catch the other. His fingers made contact with the white fabric of Wei Wuxian's robes and he tightened his grip as if his, and the Yunmeng Jiang sect head disciple's lives depended on it. In his mind, that was exactly what was happening. For right at that moment, he was hit by another vision, even stronger and more life-like than the last one.

Lan Wangji was falling. His hands outstretched to the sides, he was watching as a scenery of a fight was slowly disappearing from his sight, replaced by smoky black clouds. His legs lost their purchase and for a second, it felt as if he was just floating in the skies, unburdened by the mortal world. His body stopped hurting, he was relieved and liberated. He closed his eyes. This was the best solution, he thought.

Then, his fall was abruptly interrupted by someone grabbing his hand. Lan Wangji was surprised – and also a little angry, he did not want anyone to stop him – as he looked up in utter bewilderment and did not even try to hold onto that hand. And up there, there was a silhouette in white contrasting with the dark sky so much that his eyes were hurting. It was another Lan Wangji, holding onto him with a terrified expression. His hand was bleeding and the previously falling Lan Wangji felt a pang of pain in his heart. This was all his fault; he should just disappear and leave everyone alone. The world would be much better off without him.

The other Lan Wangji had tears in his eyes and a name on his lips: "Wei Ying..."

Lan Wangji sat up so abruptly that his head was spinning again. Today, it was becoming an unwelcomed trend already and he could not find a way to break out of it. The vision he had just seen was still flashing in front of his eyes.

This one had been the most terrifying and most vivid one he had experienced yet. Not only had he seen images and felt emotions he knew could not be his own. This time, it had felt like he had only been a spectator of a drama happening around him. As if he had been in someone else's head in fact and could also hear their thoughts. It had been so life-like that he still had goosebumps all over his body.

Moreover, he now believed that he knew in whose head he had been. The other Lan Wangji had called out a single name. 'Wei Ying'. As far as Lan Wangji knew, there were no other cultivators going by this particular name. He had been experiencing his visions, and all of them if he should generalize, from the point of view of Wei Wuxian. The same guest disciple he had been trying to save from a fall earlier.

Lan Wangji realized that his hands were free now, he was not holding onto Wei Wuxian anymore, and he looked around, confused. His mind was only slowly processing that he was not in the courtyard in front of the lecture hall anymore, but sitting on a pristine white bed. He examined the room a little more closely. He was definitely not back in his quarters, although the bed itself was very similar. A medicinal cabinet on the side of the room and several other beds arranged in neat line, one occupied by a seemingly still unconscious Wei Wuxian, helped him to draw a conclusion. He was in the Cloud Recesses infirmary.

The reason for him being there was a mystery. He would have understood Wei Wuxian, the other had been way too distressed to have been left alone to fend for himself. But Lan Wangji? Aside for the slight aftereffects of his latest vision – he did not want to examine the implications of seeing everything from the Yunmeng Jiang sect head disciple's point of view – he was just fine. Though, apparently, he had been either sleeping or unconscious seeing that he had just woken up.

Before he could properly decide what he was to do next, the door of the infirmary opened and three people came inside. Two of them were healers he had seen in passing and the third one was his brother.

Lan Xichen looked alarmed and Lan Wangji immediately got the feeling that something was very wrong. His brother only ever made such an expression when he was extremely troubled. A myriad of questions sprouted in Lan Wangji's mind. What had happened? Why was he in the infirmary? How long had he slept or had been unconscious? How was Wei Wuxian doing? However, just like every time he became overwhelmed and confused, his words would simply not come out. All he could do was stare at Lan Xichen with begging eyes and try to put all he was feeling into a single look.

His brother came to stand next to his bed and immediately exclaimed: "Wangji, I am so glad you are awake. You gave us a scare. How are you feeling?"

Lan Wangji only made a noncommittal hum but he sat straighter. It seemed to have eased Lan Xichen's worries a little and he relaxed his tense muscles, if only slightly. From the corner of his eyes, Lan Wangji could see that one of the healers went to check on Wei Wuxian. He turned his head in that direction, wanting to check on the other.

The Yunmeng Jiang sect head disciple was apparently still deeply asleep or unconscious. Even when the healer lifted one by one his eyelids to check his eyes, he did not as much as stir. Much less when the other healer took hold of his arm to check his spiritual energy. He only laid there, completely lifeless and unmoving, it was scaring Lan Wangji out of his mind.

Lan Xichen had guessed the train of his thoughts correctly and he reassured: "Young Master Wei is fine. The healers gave him medicine to help him rest better as he had been extremely sleep deprived."

There was a short pause when Lan Xichen was waiting for Lan Wangji to turn back to him. He only did so after the healers finished their examination and exited the room. If they were not fussing around Wei Wuxian, then he must have been fine, reasoned Lan Wangji with himself. Once he turned towards his brother, the other finally asked that most important question:

"Wangji, what happened? We had found you both unconscious on the ground in front of the lecture hall. Everyone had heard a commotion and Uncle had come out to check on you. He had also gotten quite a shock and had sent for me and the healers. Can you tell me what happened before that?"

Lan Wangji thought for a second. How should he explain this when he himself barely understood what was happening to him? When he was not sure if his visions which had started so abruptly only hours ago could or could not have something in common with Wei Wuxian's person? How was he supposed to gather his words and where should he start?

He longed to tell everything to his brother and hopefully get reassurance from him that he knew what was happening and how to stop it. At the same time however, he had no idea how to explain his and Wei Wuxian's current circumstances. Would Lan Xichen even be able to help him if Lan Wangji managed to explain clearly? Would he not just assume that he was overworked and that his imagination was playing tricks on him? After all, was it even possible for someone to have visions where he was someone else? Premonition visions as it turned out? Was it even possible that the cultivation world was in fact heading toward a war?

Lan Wangji was fighting with himself until he finally took his decision: "Brother, I am not sure. Wei Wuxian was falling. I tried to catch him. Nothing else."

It was not as if he was lying. He truly was not certain about anything yet. Perhaps if he remained close to Wei Wuxian and had several more of these visions, even though they frightened him to his core, he would be able to discover the truth. He could always go to his brother for advice once he had a clearer picture. Deep down, he was strangely secretive about this whole situation, telling anyone, Lan Xichen included, just seem profoundly not right.