Beyond the Nightmare

Justin stirred awake, groaning softly as he blinked, trying to adjust to the room. He was lying on a bed when the door opened, and Kaylor walked in with a cup of hot tea.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake," Kaylor said with relief as she rushed to his side.

Justin sat up slowly, wincing as he tried to piece everything together. "Where am I?" he asked with a hoarse voice.

"You're at my brother's house," Kaylor replied, sitting beside him on the bed. She placed the tea on the nightstand and gently touched his arm. "I found you on the floor in your aunt's shop. You passed out. I didn't know what to do, so I brought you here. You're safe."

He still looked confused, his eyes looking around the room. "I had a really bad dream," Justin murmured. "I need to find my aunt... I need to make sure she's okay."

Kaylor hesitated, and her face fell. "Justin... your aunt is nowhere to be found."

"What?" His brows furrowed as panic began to set in. "I just saw her. It wasn't that long ago. We spoke..."

Kaylor bit her lip, as her concern deepened. "When was 'not that long ago,' Justin?"

"Hours ago... maybe?" he said, rubbing his temples, still trying to make sense of it all.

With a saddened expression, Kaylor shook her head. "Justin, it's been a day and a half since I've been looking for your aunt Lizzie. You've been out for 36 hours."

His eyes widened in disbelief. "Thirty-six hours?" he whispered. "How... how is that possible?"

Kaylor nodded with a sorrowful look on her face. "I didn't inform the local police yet, just in case it was a false alarm. But... she hasn't been picking up her calls, and no one's seen her."

Justin didn't believe it. He shook his head, muttering to himself. "I swear... it all seemed like a bad dream."

Kaylor placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tell me what happened, Justin."

He looked at her, hesitating for a moment before starting. "Me and Aunt Lizzie... we detected magic being practiced through Servon's Eye. We decided to go find out where it was coming from, so we went to the outskirts of Burdly. We found this huge... fine-ass mansion," he said. 

Kaylor nodded, her curiosity piqued. "And then?"

"There was a guy... pale as marble," Justin continued, shaking his head as he tried to recall more. "He came out to greet us. I'm guessing he's the owner of the house. My aunt... she was rude to him, and the last thing I remember was her saying we should leave. Then... Aunt Lizzie was on the floor, unconscious, and the guy... he said something to me. After that... I just forgot everything."

Kaylor's eyes widened, but she didn't let on. Instead, she leaned in closer. "Do you still remember where the place is?"

Justin's expression turned hazy. "I don't. It's all so foggy."

Kaylor tried to comfort him. "That's okay. Drink your tea and get some rest. Once you're feeling better, we'll talk more about this. But, Justin... I think your nightmare wasn't a nightmare at all. I think it was your reality."

Justin stared at Kaylor, his hands trembling slightly as he reached for the cup of tea. His reality? The thought made his head ache.

"You... you think what I saw was real?" he asked, his voice was barely above a whisper, as if saying it louder would make it worse.

Kaylor nodded, her expression turned serious. "It adds up, Justin. If your aunt detected magic and that guy did something to make you forget... it sounds like some kind of compulsion. Maybe it was the same thing that knocked her out."

Justin's face paled as her words sank in. He knew it wasn't compulsion that knocked his aunt out, but the thought of it filled him with dread. "Compulsion? Like... like mind control?"

"Something like that," Kaylor replied softly. "But if that's true, we need to be careful. Whoever that man is, he's powerful. If he's involved in your aunt's disappearance, then we need to handle this delicately."

Justin's head spun. "So we need to go to the police, right? They could help track her down."

Kaylor hesitated, her expression slowly began shifting. "No, Justin. We can't involve the police."

He frowned. "What? Why not? My aunt's missing, Kaylor. We need all the help we can get."

Kaylor set the cup down, her expression was painted with something Justin couldn't quite read. "Think about it. What are the police going to do if this guy is as powerful as we think? If he can control minds or worse... the police won't be able to handle this. We need to be smarter about it."

Justin looked confused. "But... we can't just do nothing."

"I'm not saying we do nothing," Kaylor said quickly. "I'm saying we approach this differently. My brother's coming back from the city soon, and he... he knows more about this sort of thing. He'll know what to do."

"Your brother?" Justin said with suspicion in his tone. "Why your brother? What does he know that the police don't?"

Kaylor took a deep breath, clearly choosing her words carefully. "Let's just say he has experience with things like this... things that go beyond what normal people deal with. Trust me, once he's back, we can make a plan."

Justin's eyes narrowed slightly. "And you think we should just wait until he gets here?"

"For now, yes," Kaylor said firmly. "We don't want to make any rash decisions. If this guy is dangerous, then we need to approach this carefully. My brother will help us."

Justin sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I don't know... This all feels so fucked up."

"I know, Justin," Kaylor said softly. "But we'll figure it out. Just... trust me, okay? We don't need to involve the police. Not yet."

Justin stared at her for a long moment before finally nodding, though doubt still clouded his expression. "Alright... I'll wait. But your brother better hurry. I don't think we have much time."

Kaylor gave him a reassuring smile, though there was a bit  of anxiety behind her eyes. "He'll be here soon. Just get some rest for now. We'll figure this out."

As she turned to leave, Justin's voice stopped her. "Kaylor... thanks. For everything."

She glanced back at him with a smile. "Anytime, Justin. Get some rest."

Justin lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as his mind raced. His aunt was missing. There was a pale man with the power to control his mind. And that mansion… He had to remember more. He had to.

But as his eyes drifted shut, and exhaustion finally pulled him into sleep, one thought lingered.

Was Aunt Lizzie still alive?