58 58 Seed of Distrus (1/2)

In the blackness that ensued, Donis felt alone. He tried turning his head reflexively and for once, it worked. He couldn't quite tell if he really was turning his head or not, because the darkness that surrounded him didn't allow him for any visual cues.

The same voice that Donis heard speaking to him previously spoke out of from the ether. It boomed and it shook the reality that Donis was occupying.

”Little dragonling magician, I see you watching. That filthy [System] in you, gives you away,” spoke Variis.

”You.. you could see me? In my own memories? What the fuck,” thought Donis, fear rising to unprecedented levels. The hairs on his back rising as goosebumps ran up and down.

”You've my gift within you, yet you still not understand. I am a god, your concepts of possibility do not apply to me.”

”Why do you sneak glances at times that do not belong to you?” Variis continued with a voice that only built pressure on Donis's mind.

”I.. I don't.. the system has told me they're my memories!” stuttered Donis.

”Yours? Ah.. yes. I see you. Broken pieces of all of it's failed attempts. Disgusting. You don't even know what that THING is,” a cacophony of hisses radiated from all directions.

'System, where am I? Is this real?' thought Donis quickly.

”Hahah, you try to speak to IT in MY domain? I would never allow for that virus to infect my lands,” laughed Variis. Donis's mind feeling like it's going to shatter from the sheer volume.

”Virus? It.. It has helped me!”

”Helped you? You don't know the first thing about it. I'm not going to explain the last billion years to a mortal who can barely walk. You might be my key, or you might be another blip in the infinity of time. If you can make it back here to talk, I'll consider you worthy of my time.”

”Begone.”

Donis was ripped out of the memory as his corporeal body crumbled into dust right before his own eyes. He awoke with his entire bed drenched in sweat and Striga holding his hand.

”Donis? Donis are you alright? It's just a nightmare, it's okay, stop screaming,” pleaded the distressed Striga.

Donis's eyes readjusted to the light in the room. His heart pounding in his ears, Strigas words failing to reach him. He looked around and he was back in the room right before he took the potion. A deep and grateful sigh escaped his lips.

”Str.. Striga. Why are you holding my hand?” mumbled out Donis.

”Wait.. My hand? MY HAND,” shouted Donis in delight, momentarily forgetting his fears.

”Donis are you alright? You have been screaming nonstop for the last 3 hours! Who cares about your hand? That wasn't a normal nightmare, what the fuck happened?!” she bellowed out.

”Uh, I just uh..” said Donis quickly trying to think whether or not to tell Striga anything.

”I saw myself being eaten by the Sandracons over and over again, it was horrible! I don't know if the potion did something to me while I slept, but I couldn't get the image out of my mind…” Donis lied.

”I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you when you needed me the most. I'm never letting you get hurt like that again,” said Striga, clearly a little worried about her newest member.

”It's okay Striga, it wasn't your fault, you couldn't have known there would be so many. I also got my arm back, there's no issue anymore!” said Donis trying to console her.

Donis's nightmare clearly had an affect on Striga. Prior to it, she felt bad, but she could handle the guilt of another student getting hurt. Yet seeing him scream like he did for so long wore down her nerves. She wasn't an assassin, nor was she made for torture, and seeing him like that with no way to help only put pressure on her already shook mind.

Donis asked for some time alone from Striga to calm down by himself and she offered to make him food, which he gladly accepted. He needed a moment, he needed time to see if what Variis had said to be true. He had no clue how to confirm or deny the claims right now. He wasn't even sure if he should bring it up to the system.

He tried his best to not think about it right now and leave it to base understandings of the situation. He feared that maybe, just MAYBE, what Variis said was true. He didn't want to alert the [System], he didn't know of the possible ramifications just yet.

He'll continue to trust the [System] for now, and act like he saw nothing.