An Outlander of Dreams

My mind is blurred provokingly by an arcane mist that plays out my resonating thoughts. Within the haze, I spot a prince. Who is he? I find myself within my mind as I reach out to him. He takes my hand and drags me out. Outside of the mist lies a kingdom. I see people I don’t recognize. However, they feel like my close friends. I don’t know where I am, but this place feels like home. My memories begin flooding back into my mind. I have been here for months, and the prince is my friend. All of them are my friends. 

Behind us is a castle. When I spotted the palace, I noticed the stonework. It is made carefully from distinct stones that vary in size but come together in a way that makes the structure beautiful. When getting close enough, I noticed how it was constructed diligently with a collage of humble rocks that, if left by the side of the road, no one would give a second glance. I turn to look for my friends; the prince, his retainers, and his advisor. I recall how far they have guided me. Strangely, I feel like I know more about them than I should. Am I truly who I think I am? 

The prince has a dysfunctional relationship with his parents. He feels like he is under a lot of pressure. I should help him. Part of me wants to help him, but the other part of me is telling me that I am the cause of his suffering. Somehow, I refuse to deny this fact. I turned to see the prince and the others, but they were gone. Confused, I looked at the castle once more. It was also gone. 

I got a better look at my surroundings. Everything from that country was gone. Instead, I found myself in a desert. Warriors with stylishly unusual garb and fierce looks on their faces rushed toward me. For some reason, I understood why they were pursuing me. The captain of the warriors drew closer to me. I was unable to persuade myself to move. However, I caught sight of the man standing next to the commander. He hesitated. Even though he preferred things not to end this way, he was powerless. The boss knew this was his goal: "She would ultimately perish at his hands." It was not what he had hoped to accomplish. Even so, he is now poised to attack with his sword raised above my head. 

Time seemed to have stopped. I can dwell on my predicament for as long as I like. I would never use fear to describe how I feel in this tense moment. Since everything is proceeding far slower, I contemplated what I might have done better. Maybe things would have worked out better on my behalf if I prevented myself to be led into the desert. I turned to confront my pursuer. The commander of the desert people has a mournful visage that was distorted with remorse and wrath. Why is he so agitated? I have no business asking myself such a question when I already know the answer. His right-hand man focused his attention on his chief. He wants to stop him, but because he realizes he simply can not stop his resolve, he merely stands by and watches. I almost felt bad for him. His gray and yellow eyes have an authoritative but constricted air. In Melian, bearing eyes with two distinct colors denotes tremendous strength. He is certain that he is in the wrong position. I close my eyes, bracing myself for the excruciating pain of a blade going through my skull. 

That was until I opened my eyes again. 

I stood between two empires. One with a leader in an elegant cloak that resonated with the power of divinity and the other with their captain garbed in the most honorable uniform one could envision. They had an army behind them, but I stood in between the two. I stood between them even though they had an army behind them. They argued, but I was unable to hear what they were saying. It sounded faint as if I had layers of cloth covering my ears. Why did they start fighting? I don't understand. The cloaked mage stepped in front of me as the captain moved toward me, presumably preventing me from seeing the knightly presence. Finally, I heard something. "You're safe," followed by the mention of a name that muted itself once more. These were the only words I could make out. The mage spoke those words. He swung his robe, and the darkness blocked my gaze. 

Is that a flame? All of a sudden, the air smells like smoke. Nothing else can be discernible besides a shrine that is adorned solely by a lone torch. The notion that I am precisely where I think am makes me terrified. This nation is hidden away in a remote part of Melian, in which no one would dare venture in fear of enduring a fate much worse than death. It is indeed true as many say: If you've already entered hell, God can't rescue you. I am limited in what I can communicate about such a reality. There's neither God nor hell. There are five gods engaged in a competitive game of strategy. I have no idea who will triumph. Not yet. One of the few things I still don't know is this. But I should know. Why can't I understand this?

A bird that is as radiant as the sun flies toward me. I can make out the form of the ruins behind her because of how brilliantly she radiates. There is a golden apple to her right. The golden apple has always been the bird's dream. However, she would never be able to obtain such an apple because it belonged to someone else, who would not part with their golden apple to a cunning bird like her. She requests that I take the apple. She has no jurisdiction over a god's possession, but she can easily influence the mortal mind in front of her. I don't think this bird knows who I am, do you? Although I have no idea who will prevail in the battle of the gods, I know what I can do to you. As easy as I created you, I can also eliminate you. The bird starts to comprehend my aims just as I do. She is furious with me. How could I defile a god? She vanishes, and in her place, the past mist envelops me one last time.

The disappearance of the mist didn't feel weird this time. It felt as if I had awoken from a peaceful daydream. I glanced at my laptop, which had my second draft and character biographies saved. Now I know what has been going on. I never finished my AP Psychology notes because I once again let my imagination take the reins of my day.