The Nocturnal Vol 1 : The Awakening

Chapter 4

- Vaness -

The time for a breath and the scenery around me changed. In the blink of an eye, I left Remi's room and found myself in a place that left me speechless. I wasn't dead, at least I didn't believe so. I was not a victim of a malaise either, I did not have the symptoms, yet what I saw made me think of a possible vision of paradise. Before me was a noble and sturdy tree crowned with thousands of sparkling stones. The shape of its trunk and the curvature of its branches reminded me of those of the Salix, yet its dreamcatcher foliage was completely unknown to me. I was in awe of the poetic displacement of the spheres that reminded me of the movement of electrons. The light of the tree, like a setting sun on the horizon above the water, soothed me completely. All the scientific questions that usually saturate my mind gave way to calm and silence. I was amazed at my Olympian calm in the face of this situation where all the data I received was shaking up my scientific beliefs.

- 'That's incredible,' Erwan exclaimed, pointing his thumb upwards.

- 'Yeah. Pinch me, I'm dreaming,' Eva said stunned. 'Ow! Erwan, what are you doing?'

- 'You said "pinch me.'

Erwan had obviously put all his heart into it.

- 'It's a saying, you idiot!'

No doubt he wasn't going to miss such a nice opportunity.

- 'But where are we?' I finally asked, eager for answers.

Remi then began the story of his adventures, from his visit to the stationary shop to the present moment. Eva and I listened carefully to each of his words, but I couldn't help but wonder what had become of the dreamcatcher brand I had seen appear on Remi's hand as he was holding the pillow. Erwan, impatient as usual, did not stay in place and was already starting to walk around.

- 'Remi, I can see your hand, please?' I finally asked to check the top and palm.

- 'Uh... yes, but why?' he said rather surprised.

- 'I know that in many cultures, including ours, asking for someone's hand shows a willingness to unite, but don't worry, I just want to check something.'

Nothing, there is nothing, no trace of any symbol. I didn't dream it, I saw these blue ties coming together and mixing to form a dream trap. Dubious, I freed his hand from my grip.

- 'And so, Remi, you haven't found your notebook since, that's right? Don't you think the tree could be your notebook?' continued Eva.

- 'Yes, it's possible... and the dreams I wrote are now gravitating peacefully before our eyes but...'

He stopped. Something was disturbing him. His troubled look, which I liked so much, had no secrets for me.

Remi Latour, you are a mystery. Every time I think I understand you, you prove me wrong.

- 'But what?' asked Eva.

- 'Well, if the dreams come from the notebook as we think they are, they should be as I wrote them... And that's not quite the case.'

- 'What do you mean by that?' I added.

- 'I realize that when I visited the dream of the Nalupes, I found details that I had forgotten, details that I could not have transcribe!'

- 'And yet, they were there... The dream would have then completed itself,' I concluded by holding my chin, a little like the great detectives.

I kept an eye on Erwan who was snooping around the tree all the while. His excessive agitation and now his calm attitude led me to believe that he was certainly about to do something stupid. The calm before the storm. Suddenly, he started jumping like a trigonocephalus to try to catch a sphere that was orbiting just above his head.