The Dreamer's Epilogue-Chapter 17: Golden

Chapter 17 – Golden

Emrys summoned and used the Token of Gold rapidly.

A bright, golden lustrous light came out of it, curtaining the whole room in a warmth with an almost mystical shine. It disappeared as soon as it appeared.

Emrys’s heart skipped a dangerous beat, his palms immediately sweaty as he looked around the room worriedly.

For a moment, he became afraid that he was unboxing his whole cluster of rewards in an inappropriate place.

But then again, did he have a choice?

He suppressed a curse of annoyance.

Seeing no one burst into his room or anything of that sort, Emrys shook his head and focused on the sheet of paper that appeared in front of him. It was a letter. An already opened one.

Like the previous light, it was pure, gilded gold.

Staring at it intensely, Emrys seemed to see some words inscribed on it.

It was not written in French, neither in English nor in any language he knew. It was a whole new language. Yet he could read it.

It was only then that Emrys registered the fact he could understand the tribesmen and his two other companions seamlessly.

The language of Tower and Premier.

Emrys instinctively knew the name. It was Vael.

’Fuck.’ Emrys cursed, suppressing a chill, ’This is getting creepy as hell.’

Next he focused on the golden letter and stretched his hand towards it.

However, before his hand even brushed against it, the letter transmuted into golden ashes.

The ashes gathered together, swirling, twisting and coiling like mating snakes until they formed a necklace.

At the edge of the necklace was a sigil. It looked like a droplet of golden water.

The item flew and rested perfectly on Emrys’s hand — cold and heavy, he immediately felt.

The system chimed instantly.

[NEW ACHIEVEMENT! Bloodline!]

[Bloodlines are something most have in Premier. Some bloodlines are godly in reputation and power — like those of the High Houses — others still powerful and valuable. Earth has been infected by Premier. And some of you already have bloodlines from Premier inside of them.]

[You weren’t one of them, pitiful fellow. But worry not, for you have earned yourself the right to obtain one. Your luck is still ongoing. Be careful, luck goes in both ways.]

A curt pause, then...

[The necklace’s role is simple. It will glow and guide you when you are close to a Legacy Holder’s Dungeon.]

[Now, off you go in some crappy, dangerous and you-will-definitely-die-type-shit adventure!]

[Warning: You better hide this golden babe before your neck gets snatched away from your body.]

Once again, Emrys suppressed the number of profane curses he reserved for the system.

Instead, he rapidly took the necklace and stored it in his inventory. He stored his needle-like weapon too. Emrys felt like he would need to learn how to use this weapon properly.

Finally done, Emrys fell down on the bed, on his back. He immediately winced, one stray piece of wood poking at his back again.

He moved his body.

Exhaling tiredly, Emrys closed his eyes, feeling the mental exhaustion of everything that just occurred catching up to him.

"Océane... Stepmother... are you okay?"

Emrys muttered as his consciousness drifted into a sleeping state. And there, his deepest fear burst forth unknowingly,

"I...I don’t want to lose..."

He whispered, lips trembling,

"I don’t want to lose myself."

For this world was overwhelming, forcing him to move and be in a way he was afraid of.

Finally, Emrys fell asleep, heart knotted with worry.

...

Simultaneously, on the same tutorial test floor, Océane watched the two people she was grouped with.

She almost laughed at the weird setup, wondering if the System or the {Mother} were playing with her.

But oh, she did laugh. However, there was no mirth in it. Only coldness.

One of the people in their group of three was the same one who pushed her and entered the portal, almost making her and Emrys unable to get in.

Océane was glaring at him with a stunning smile on her face. The scar on her right cheek gave her a new, unique vibe.

The other one of the group was a woman.

She was black-skinned, tall, with braided black hair and immaculate white irises and pupils. Even her eyebrows were white. She wore a princess-like robe, black in color.

Océane didn’t care about her.

Her attention was solely on the man who was speaking to her in a menacing tone.

"So you managed to enter." The man, called Matt, Caucasian with brown hair and blue eyes, laughed at Océane, walking one step closer.

"Such a lucky bitch you are. I should have pushed you harder and farther, right?"

Océane answered with silence.

The man was not discouraged. He took another step forward, approaching closer,

"No answer? Did losing that little boy hurt your feelings? He is certainly dead. But all that are things I do not care about."

He halted his steps, standing a couple of feet from her,

"Where is Louis?" He growled this question, his eyes narrowing menacingly.

The black princess-like woman stood there, watching with hidden distaste at the current barbarity.

"Louis?" Océane finally said, unimpressed by the angry little man who acted like he was seven feet tall, "There are many Louis I knew in my life. You need to be more precise."

"You bit—!"

"And I don’t think you have the right to be angry at me if I am not." Océane interrupted him without care, "Or maybe you have forgotten what you did?"

"You think I give a fuck?" Matt grated, white face turned red in anger, "I really hope that you did nothing to Louis. And thank that we are in a test. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here standing all naughty."

Océane only smiled, yet her smile seemed to grow colder and colder. Matt couldn’t tell.

But the woman behind could.

She finally parted her lips, and spoke:

"Please, sweethearts, let’s stop this useless nonsense." Her voice was sweet and strangely regal, "We have a bunch of hairy apes to protect, and I do not need two other apes fighting beside me too."

She smiled gently as if she didn’t just insult them.

Matt didn’t seem to mind, his eyes transfixed by the beauty of the woman, losing all the hostility he just had.

Océane’s eyes were neutral.

The only thing coursing inside her mind was the memories of her brother and Emrys. Those made her calm herself and stop the urge to stab Matt directly through his eyes.

It was not easy, she admitted.

Satisfied by the silence, the woman continued,

"I believe for a successful cooperation, we all must know each other. At least the basics." She said,

"So I will start."

She took her princess robe from each side and bowed elegantly. It was so elegant that for a brief instant even Océane was awed.

Matt was completely drooling.

"My name is Princess Naja Morenna." Naja lifted her head slowly, staring at them, smiling so brightly her white teeth shone upon them,

"You can call me Princess for short."

"And I will be the leader of this group. Does any one of you have a complaint about it?"

Matt shook his head immediately, already walking towards Princess Naja like a puppy.

"Of course not, Princess."

Océane said nothing, only staring at her, wondering why even she felt like obeying this woman. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Seeing no one opposing her decision, Naja’s smile deepened,

"Fabulous, sweethearts. Now tell me, what are your names?"

"Matt Bayard!" Matt said immediately.

Océane hesitated a bit, then slowly, "Golden." she said, unwilling to say her true name.

Matt scowled at her, while Naja only smiled demurely.

"Matt and Golden. Quite a unique name, Golden. I like the golden color. Black is better, still. Don’t you think? Well, Golden, sweetheart, I think we will get along pretty well."

She said, then clapped her hand lightly, "Now, sweethearts, how about we think about how to protect these big brown apes?"

She paused, then more slowly...

"And Matt, darling, stop drooling like a dog in heat."

"I am sorry, Princess!"

—End of Chapter 17—