novelzi Chapter 111: Nightmare...
Chapter 111: Nightmare...
The air was filled with the scent of cotton candy and the excited shrieks of children. Levi found himself standing in the middle of a bustling amusement park, the world around him seeming larger than life. Colorful rides towered overhead, their lights blinking in mesmerizing patterns against the twilight sky.
It was an amusing part!
To his left stood an older boy, his features blurred and indistinct, but radiating a sense of familiarity and safety. He couldn't see his face but Levi seemed to know him.
On his right was a woman, his mother, her warm hand clasped his own, her presence a comforting anchor in the sea of excitement.
"What do you want to ride first, sunshine?" his mother's voice rang out, clear and melodious above the carnival noise.
Levi's face split into a wide grin as he pointed at a towering roller coaster. "That one!" he exclaimed, bouncing on his toes. The excitement bubbled up inside him, making him feel light and giddy.
As they made their way through the crowd, Levi's senses were overwhelmed with the magic of the park. The sweet scent of funnel cakes wafted past, making his mouth water. Carnival music blended with laughter and the mechanical whir of rides, creating a symphony of joy. Bright lights from game booths caught his eye, their prizes dangling tantalizingly just out of reach.
Levi tugged on his mother's hand, pointing excitedly at a ring toss game. "Can we try that, Mom? Please?"
The older boy chuckled, ruffling Levi's hair affectionately. "Sure, squirt. I bet I can win you that big teddy bear."
They paused at the booth, and Levi watched in awe as the older boy deftly tossed ring after ring, each one landing perfectly around a bottleneck. The booth attendant handed over a massive, fluffy teddy bear, with an expression so sour that he was practical them to go away.
Not giving any mind, the older boy immediately presented the teddy bear to Levi with a theatrical bow.
Hugging the bear tightly, Levi felt a warmth spread through his chest. He looked up at his companions, their faces glowing with happiness in the carnival lights. In that moment, he felt completely safe and loved.
As they continued towards the roller coaster, Levi's heart raced with anticipation.
The line seemed to stretch forever, but he didn't mind. Each step forward was an adventure, filled with people-watching and the growing excitement of the approaching ride.
Finally, they neared the front of the line. Levi could see the roller coaster car zip past, filled with screaming riders. His excitement peaked a delicious mixture of nervousness and thrill. He could almost feel the rush of wind on his face, the exhilarating drop of the first hill.
Clutching his new teddy bear, Levi turned to share a smile with his mother, ready to ride on this thrilling adventure together.
But as he looked up, the words died in his throat
The dreamscape warped, colors bleeding and blurring like watercolors in the rain. The cheerful carnival sounds distorted, stretching into an eerie, discordant wail. The amusement park melted away, replaced by a desolate field under a bruised sky.
Levi's stomach lurched as the ground beneath his feet seemed to shift. The sudden change left him dizzy and disoriented, his mind struggling to process the abrupt transition. The cotton candy sweetness in the air turned sour, filling his nostrils with the stench of decay.
Before him stood a gnarled tree, its branches reaching towards the heavens like grasping fingers. And there, suspended from one of those twisted limbs, hung a woman. Her long hair obscured her face, but Levi knew with horrifying certainty that it was his mother.
"That won't be necessary," Professor Valerius cut him off, his voice softer than usual. "Take the morning off, Levi. We'll continue training from tomorrow."
Before Levi could say anything else, the professor turned and left the room, leaving Levi staring after him in confusion. He hadn't expected Professor Valerius to be so understanding.
***
As Professor Valerius closed Levi's door behind him, he paused in the hallway.
Earlier, Valerius had arrived at the training grounds well before the scheduled 5:00 AM meeting. He had prepared a rigorous session, eager to push Levi's limits and explore the extent of the boy's unusual abilities. As the minutes ticked by with no sign of Levi, Valerius' initial disappointment had turned to irritation.
At 5:20 AM, he had decided to investigate.
A quick call to the dorm manager, followed by some persuasion, had secured him a master key - he was the guardian of the academy after all, his position was only lower than that of the dead and the vice dean.
Valerius had been prepared to deliver a stern lecture on punctuality and the rare opportunity Levi had been given - not every student got personal training from a Guardian of the Academy.
But all thoughts of scolding had vanished the moment he entered Levi's room. The sight that greeted him was far from what he had anticipated.
'How can a child so young...?' The thought lingered, unfinished, in Valerius' mind. The image of Levi, pale and trembling, was etched into his memory. It was clear the boy had been in the grip of a terrible nightmare, even if Levi himself seemed unaware of it.
Valerius had seen his fair share of students dealing with stress and fear, but something about Levi's distress seemed fundamentally different. The raw terror on the boy's face had been deeply unsettling to witness.
"What could scare you so badly, Levi?" Valerius wondered quietly to himself.
Even though Levi couldn't recall the dream, its effects were unmistakable. The way he had been shaking, covered in cold sweat, and looking so lost – it all pointed to a nightmare far worse than most.
Valerius' mind drifted back to their last encounter during the academy exams. He remembered the strange purple aura he had seen surrounding Levi, an anomaly that had piqued his interest and led to this special training arrangement. "Maybe it's connected to his powers," he thought.
More frequently than not, powerful abilities were accompanied by flaws, maybe that was also the case for Levi?
He didn't really know but he wanted to help that child out a little if possible.
For now, though, he knew Levi needed rest more than he needed training.
"Sleep well, Levi," he said softly, hoping that whatever was troubling the young man would grant him peace for the remainder of the morning.
With one last glance at Levi's door, Valerius headed back to his office.
At this moment, he didn't realize how close he was to the truth - although the flaw wasn't exactly from Levi's Lunacy Ability - it indeed was a flaw from one of his abilities!!
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