HALLUCINATE | THE SANDMAN

TWENTY SEVEN

                  Rose stammered. "But, h-how?"

                  "You're dreaming, darling. Anything is possible."

Rose hesitated, looking down at her chest as she pulled a hand free from Unity's. Slowly, cautiously, she pushed her open palm into her chest, watching with a gasp as it phased through and she was able to latch onto the very thing that makes her the vortex.

With a soft exhale, Rose pulled free a crystal heart. The red tinting flashed dangerous as thunder roared from within the confines space, strikes of lightning echoing faintly through the clearing. "This?" she clarified, looking at the adults who surrounded her.

Maeve's brows furrowed, leaning forward over Morpheus shoulder, still using him as a shield should things go haywire. "I can feel my magic," she whispered.

Azrail quickly agreed. "Me too."

"Oh, thank you, Rose, love." Unity cradled the crystal heart tight against her chest and she turned to Morpheus. "I'm the vortex now, Dream King, as I should have been long ago. So, leave my great-granddaughter alone."

Morpheus seemed hesitant to allow it to be, his eyes watching as the heart vibrated with power. The chaos grew stronger and stronger but Unity continued to cradle it as if it was a fragile crystal, thumbs tenderly tracing the edges and she maintained a tender smile. A crack echoed through the tight silence and the power finally exploded.

Morpheus was quick to use his own body to shield Azrail, leaving Maeve to take the blast on her own. A wave of power washed across the land, echoing for miles, but with it came the end of the Vortex.

"Oh, yes! My magic, it's back!" Maeve cheered, dancing through the grass with the soft hues of her power dancing over her fingertips as she summoned different illusions and blasts.

Slowly, Morpheus unravelled his arms from Azrail, watching her with a level of worry she only saw him possess when looking over to her for injuries.

"Are you okay?" Morpheus asked, tenderly cupping Azrail arms in his hands. The question sounded unnatural coming from him, and the Reaper's dark heart warmed with love.

She extended her hand, watching the violet hues of her magic dance over her fingers in a similar way to Maeve. "Yeah, I am." Her scythe flew into her grasp and immediately Azrail drew a jagged line through the open air, watching Oblivion split open. Oh, how she missed those beautiful cosmos.

Those of supernatural heritage suddenly turned to the humans, watching Unity lean back from her prior hunched position. Her hands were still held in front of her as if the heart still laid within her grasp. Azrail noticed something sad as she watched the woman. She lacked a human soul.

"What happened?" Unity managed to breathe out.

"You died. So that Rose may live," Morpheus explained, and immediately a look of relief washed through Unity. Little care for her own well-being was shown as a small smile managed to fade across her lips.