Chapter 3: Dream Of Power

Gabby blinked. One moment, she had been asleep, lost in the usual haze of dreams. The next, she was standing in an endless void, a space so vast it felt like the universe itself had been stripped of stars.

Then, light.

A figure stood before her, radiating brilliance so intense it was impossible to look at directly. It wasn't a person—not really. It had no face, no features, only a towering presence of pure, overwhelming luminescence.

And when it spoke, the voice echoed infinitely, deep and commanding, but beneath the reverberations… a faint familiarity. Something almost—almost—recognizable.

"Gabriella."

She took a step back, instinctively wary. "What is this?"

"A choice." The voice rang through the void, its tone absolute. "You have been chosen. You will receive power. But you must decide which power will be yours."

Before she could question it, four symbols ignited in the air around her, glowing with an unnatural energy.

"Your first option," the voice announced, each word vibrating through her very bones, "is Love Control."

The first symbol shimmered, and images flooded her mind—people falling to their knees, devotion shining in their eyes, their will crumbling under a single glance.

"With this, you command hearts. You can make anyone love you. Make them obey. Their desire will be absolute. Their loyalty, unquestionable. Just imagine…" The voice lingered, the echo of the last word stretching on, as if testing her reaction.

Gabby's stomach twisted. "That sounds like manipulation."

"Love is manipulation."

She swallowed hard but said nothing.

"Second option: 1 for 1."

A second sigil flared to life, humming with power.

"The more you submit, the more you receive. A small obedience earns a small reward. But if you give yourself fully, if you surrender to another's will… your wish will be limitless."

Gabby narrowed her eyes. "So, I trade my freedom for power?"

"Freedom is an illusion. All are bound by something. This simply makes it a transaction."

She inhaled sharply. "Next."

"Mind Reader."

The third symbol pulsed.

"The thoughts of others will no longer be hidden from you. Every whisper of the mind, every buried truth, every unspoken word… you will know them all."

Gabby exhaled. "Sounds exhausting."

"Or enlightening."

She pressed her lips together, refusing to respond.

"The final choice: Thought Manipulation."

The fourth sigil flared with an eerie glow.

"You will not control outright. But in time, you will reshape minds. A whisper of an idea, a subtle shift in perception… until they believe it was always their own thought."

Gabby shivered.

The four symbols hovered before her, waiting. The light pulsed, as if watching.

"Choose."

She hesitated.

The voice spoke again, softer this time, almost… familiar.

"Do not waste this gift, Gabriella."

She wasn't sure if it was an encouragement—or a warning.

And then, she reached out.