Chapter 21: Between Me and You
**A deafening noise rang out.**
Everything fell into pitch black that night. The starry sky, the dreamlike sky, the church, the cities, and the world, the multiple universes and multiple planes, and the 5 planes of existence had disappeared, all into darkness, all into black inside the dreamscape. Almost nothing was left.
The dreamscape had collapsed.
Then bright light shined through.
Then Anima had a regular dream. So he thought.
The dream started out like this: Anima woke up in the middle of the beach. His house was at the seas and tides where high, and it looked like it was midnight outside. All Anima could remember was having a conversation with Eros, Vera, Elio, and Alexander, and suddenly white light shined through.
_What happened?_
Everything was a daze in his head.
_My head hurts like shit._
His vision was foggy.
_What's going on?_
His eyes were glowing.
_Is my vision power on?_
Anima's thoughts were all mashed, his head spinning like crazy. Everything was confusing; nothing felt real.
Anima walked through the beach. He could feel the sand hitting his feet, the little water droplets hitting the back of his body from the sea tides.
Anima decided to walk to his house. He could see the midnight sky, but suddenly he remembered a thought, a thought that sent him tumbling backwards. Yes, what that blond-haired man said to him:
_Christian: Now come to think of it, your dad wasn't born with a dream core. He's considered an "Anomaly," correct? Now come to think of it, don't "Anomalies" get executed on birth? I wonder how he slipped..._
Anima: NO
_Christian: Oh well. But I will tell you something. Did you know your mom has been visiting your dad every night, but you have had no clue for the last 15 years of your existence? How sad and pitiful is that? Always yearning for your mother and her love, yet she never seen you._
Anima: NO, THAT'S NOT TRUE!
Anima was yelling out as loud as he could. It echoed through the midnight.
He slams the sand with his fist.
Anima: He was just lying... that's all.
Anima tries to stand back up but keeps tumbling. His eyes still glowing.
_Damn it, why do I feel so weak? Like I can barely stand up._
He didn't understand, but he finally stood up. The tides raging, he finally walked up the steps on the stairs that led to the door of his beach house.
He opened the door to his house and saw a bunch of people there, some sitting, some standing.
Anima: Eros, Vera, Elio, and Alexander, what are you guys doing here?
Anima: Dad?
He could see children running around.
_Wait a second, why do they all look so much older?_
He could also see some people he didn't recognize there as well.
_What the hell happened after Malachi and that crazy cult leader fought?_
Suddenly, he saw a short boy with brown hair stand up.
???: Follow me.
_What the hell is going on here?_
Anima: What's your name?
The boy responded:
Roman: My name is Roman.
Anima couldn't make sense of anything that was going on right now, so he decided to follow the little boy outside of his house back to the beach.
The little boy pointed at the sea.
Anima: Did you want to show me the sea?
Anima hunched down and looked at the little boy in confusion.
Roman: No, I wanted to show you this.
Anima: Wait, what?
All of a sudden, 12 stone pillars came out of the sea, 6 on both sides, and in the middle of them, a stone statue that looked like that of a goddess appeared with her head right under the bright moon in the midnight sky, illuminating everything.
Anima: What the hell is this?
As the boy went to turn to his right to look at the boy, he had vanished.
Anima: Wait, where did you go?
But as Anima turned around, only standing directly in front of him,
His deep dark purple eyes widened. A sudden burst of bloodlust flew from Anima.
He looked directly at another pair of deep dark purple eyes.
Yes, this person had deep dark purple eyes, was about 6 feet tall, had long pink hair, was wearing a suit but as a cape, her arms weren't put through the suit, had a white button-up shirt with a black tie around her neck, had black pants and normal black shoes, she had red crimson nails, she had smooth white skin, her hair was blowing through the ocean breeze as the tides were calming down. She had this beautiful ring on her ring finger that had this big red diamond on it, shaped like a heart.
Yes, the person was Valeria Augustus.
Anima Augustus and Soulani Augustus, yes, that was their last name.
There's a reason why no one ever states their last name, but that's for another time.
Anima: Mom?
Valeria: How long has it been, Anima?
Anima: So what he was saying was true?
Anima whispered under his breath with his face engulfed in rage.
Anima: Why are you showing up now?
He squeezed his fist.
Anima: WHY?
He screamed at his mother.
Valeria: I know you're mad, but let me explain myself.
Anima: What's there to explain? You abandoned me.
Valeria: That's not true. There's a lot I want to tell you.
Anima: This isn't a dream, but I know I'm not in reality. So where am I right now?
Valeria: This place, it's your soul or your dream world, Anima. You're currently doing a partial perfect dream walk.
Anima: What?
Valeria: Listen, there's a lot I need to tell you, but I don't have time to explain. So forgive me for the short visit.
Anima: What? WAIT!
Anima: I'm finally talking to you after so long, and you're just going to abandon me again!
Anima: WHY!? That's all I want to know. Why did you leave me? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? WHY!
Valeria: I promise everything will be explained. We will meet again.
Anima: WAIT!
Valeria: Until then, stay safe!
Valeria: Also, between me and you, I love you so much, Anima, my dear child.
Valeria showed a big smile and disappeared. Anima woke up.
Soulani: Anima, you good?
Anima woke up in a daze in his bed.
_Did I just dream walk almost perfectly? And if I just woke up here, that means Malachi won._
Anima was staring out into space, thinking about his mother's words and the words of that priest in the church.
Soulani: Anima, hello, Anima.
Soulani waved at his son, his face in a confused expression.
Anima: Oh, sorry, Dad. Um, what happened to Malachi and the others?
Soulani: Oh, don't worry, Malachi dropped you and others back home.
Anima checks his phone and sees his messages and sees a text from Malachi.
The text: As expected, I won, but never do some ************************************ (A series of very violent and aggressive) you understand.
Anima texted back saying, "Yeah, that's my bad."
Anima: Hey, Dad.
Soulani: What's up, son?
Anima: Between me and you, can we have a talk?
---
_Hmm, uhh, ugh, cough, cough._
Christian was spitting out blood from his mouth.
His body was barely intact. His torso from his upper body was detached. His arms and everything else had holes in them. His eyes were bleeding red.
Christian: I lost. Impossible. Cough, cough. IMPOSSIBLE. NO! MY Cough, cough. DEAR GOD, DREAMER! I SHALL Cough, cough. AWA KEN YOU Cough, cough. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Christian: I lived through the 3rd, the 4th, and the 5th rejections, Cough, and I lost to a fucking Cough child. Absolutely Unacceptable. Cough.
Christian could feel his connection to mana slowly disappearing. His life force draining away.
Christian: I'm human again. That means he...
Before he could finish what he was saying, a tall silhouette walked towards him.
That instant, Christian felt a wave of terror and fear running through his body, something he never felt since he was human those thousands of years ago.
A tall silhouette walked towards the barely alive Christian.
Then he saw it.
Two dark blue eyes pierced into Christian's soul.
A tall silhouette standing over him under the bright sun from the destroyed church roof, with short blue hair going downwards, what seems to be a metal left arm, a dark blue crown, a white button-up shirt, a black feathery jacket wearing as if it was a cape, black pants, black shoes, most importantly,
Something was driving Christian to the point of madness.
Six black wings going downwards.
Christian's: What
Christian: What are you?!? Who are you?!? I DON'T KNOW YOU!
Cassius: Some know me as a fallen angel. Some know me as the Angel of Abyss, as Cassius, the great Betrayer. Well, at least soon they will.
Cassius laughed at Christian.
Cassius: Look at the state of you. Truly, human must suck to be a human after so long, after you spent thousands of years just to lose your Dreamer shard, Level 1, that is part of the Phoenix Umbrella, something that you don't come around to find that often.
Christian could see Cassius holding a book in his hands.
Cassius opened his book.
Cassius: If you're wondering where that precious Level 1 Phoenix shard went, Malachi took it. Most likely gave it to Vera, as you and her share the same Umbrella. Oh well, how tragic.
Christian: Cough, I don't know you!
Cassius: Don't worry, you all will soon enough. History does often repeat itself, does it not?
Cassius: I mean, how pathetic. You lost to a child. That truly is unacceptable for a man who spent thousands of years to be on the brink of godhood. HAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHA! Cassius mockingly laughed in Christian's face.
Christian: You!
Cassius: And to readers reading this, sorry you couldn't see that godly fight on display. It was truly a sight to behold, a truly biblical fight. Don't fret, you will see a fight even more grand than this one.
Christian sees the book on the cover. He sees four words:
Christian: E.O.A.D
Cassius: In the state you're in, you're not much use, but your vision power is quite powerful and useful. I could make something out of you.
Christian: STAY AWAY FROM ME!
Cassius: You will be of great help to me. Thank you!
The book opened, and the pages flipped.
Christian's body disappeared.
Cassius: If you're wondering what happened to him, don't worry, you will see soon!
Cassius: But between me and you I think I will end the chapter now.
Chapter 21 End