THE DREAMER - Part I: Awakening [3rd Draft Edition]

Prologue: A Prelude To Genocide

Sorrin's feet hit the ground in propulsive, panicked repetition. Every rhythmic downfall of his legs seemed to make his heart race even more, because he knew that no matter how fast he went, he could not outrun the predator hunting him. The dark caves would have been difficult to navigate if it weren't for the fact that he knew them so well. Perhaps that could have aided him in his attempts to flee, except for the fact that the one whom was following him was none other than the Nightmare Ruler, a creature able to see in the dark, taking the form of a black, ominous cloud. Sorrin realized he was leading Nightmare right to the main cavern. He quickly changed direction, following a decoy pathway, knowing his death would now be inevitable, but he could at least give his brethren some time to prepare.

Not that it would matter in the end.

Sorrin noticed the deathly shrieking was no longer as audible as it had been. He turned around, noticing the complete absence of the Nightmare Ruler's essence. The creature already knew where the tower was. Sprinting as fast as his legs would carry him, Sorrin advanced quickly through a small shortcut toward the Cavern of Dreams. He hoped beyond hope that he could outrun the Nightmare Ruler and warn his brothers in time. The cave opened into an impressively and impossibly large room, with a tower stretching 500 meters high at the center. The men and women in the cavern seemed to be going on with business as usual, minding their own. They had no glimpse of the fact that within minutes, they would most all of them be dead.

Screaming at the top of his lungs, Sorrin made an attempt to warn them: "It's him! He's here!! He's..."

He was cut short as a hole was gouged in his back. Something large entered the hole, then broke through his lungs, crawling up his throat before spreading into seven black vines that wrapped around his lips. Sorrin fell dead, and the Nightmare Ruler stood on his corpse. Having heard their fallen brother's shrieks, the entire room, full of exactly 2531 brothers and sisters, turned to see the Nightmare Ruler's entrance, as he'd hoped they would. To make a scene was his pleasure, for he adored attention at the oddest moments, mostly when he had just taken a life. They all took note of the fact that, strangely enough, he looked very human. Those who had heard the tales of a brutal nightmare attacking innocents had imagined a creature far more disgusting. Smiling, he pulled a dagger out of Sorrin's back. He fiddled with the blade for a few seconds, then, stepping forward, let it evaporate into a poisonous steam.

"HALT!"

He indeed halted.

The voice boomed again, coming from the top of the tower and filling the whole cave. "NIGHTMARE RULER, LEAVE NOW, OR YOU WILL SURELY BE DESTROYED."

There was silence for a moment. No one moved.

A laugh from the Nightmare Ruler's mouth cracked the stillness open. "You make me happy, Jacob."

Instantly, a shock-wave left his casually opened hands and snapped the spines of the four very unlucky brethren that were standing the closest to him. The entire cave immediately went into action. Hailey Shulton, a normally bright and smiling girl, was now very much frowning and fearing for her life, her fingers trembling as she created a barrier of red energy to shield her brothers and sisters. The wall curved back and domed out, ensuring that there would be no way for the Nightmare Ruler to enter. Except, he almost did. By merely pressing on the barrier, it began to crack like a weak windshield. Hailey's attempts to strengthen the shield were futile, as it cracked and snapped faster than she could re-energize it. Within a matter of moments, Nightmare would break through, and she would be dead.

Dashing by, Cortus Torip slammed his fist into the Nightmare Ruler's side. In any normal situation, the villain would have been unfazed; this was, however, no normal situation. Cortus Torip was known for his incredible, inhuman movement speeds and bodily resilience and strength. He would be one of the toughest to kill - Nightmare had understood this before entering the cave. He would have to outsmart Cortus, since outfighting him would be nearly impossible due to the speed of his attacks.