Chapter 7: A Secret and Revenge

Gabby sat in her room, her fingers tracing the edge of the book she'd been pretending to read for the past hour. The dream Elias had given her still lingered in her mind—vivid and unsettling. She could still hear the echo of his voice, that strange god-like figure guiding her through the choices. But now, as the day wore on, the question that gnawed at her was whether to tell her friends about it or not.

Gabby trusted her friend group—the ones who had been there for her through everything. Gab and the three others had always been a safe space. They'd never judged her, and they understood her like no one else. Yet, there was something about the power Elias had given her that felt too… dangerous to share. What if they thought she was losing control? What if they didn't understand?

She shook her head, trying to push the thoughts aside. No, she couldn't tell them. Not yet. She needed to figure it out herself first. Gabby resolved to keep it to herself—for now.

But the temptation of using the power lingered. Slowly, she began testing it, trying to see if she could influence small things, things that wouldn't seem out of place. She'd test the waters with small requests—asking people for favors, waiting to see if her "wishes" came true. They were simple things, really, like getting someone to hold the door open for her, or to lend her an extra pen. The results were… mixed. Some things worked, others didn't. It was like her ability was still in its infancy, and she had to learn how to control it.

Meanwhile, Elias sat at the back of his classroom, watching the world around him through half-lidded eyes. He'd been toying with his own ideas ever since the dream he'd sent Gabby. The power to control dreams was still so new to him, and each attempt to understand it left him with more questions than answers.

Two of his female classmates, Karla and Bianca, were sitting at the desk next to him. The two girls had been best friends for as long as Elias could remember, often chatting, laughing, and even fighting together over the smallest things. With only six classmates in their class, they spent a lot of time together, and it wasn't uncommon for Elias to find himself in the middle of their playful arguments or teasing matches.

Today was no different. Karla was pushing Bianca's shoulder playfully, and Bianca retaliated by tossing a piece of paper at Karla's head, which led to both of them laughing and bickering at the same time. Elias, leaning against the desk, couldn't help but chuckle along with them, pretending to be a part of their little dynamic. It wasn't always like this, though. He had been forced to endure their banter for years, sometimes out of the desire to be included, other times just out of the sheer fact that they were his classmates. But something about today felt different.

As he listened to them, his mind wandered back to two years ago—back when Karla had told everyone that he'd tried to sexually harass her. It had been a lie. A joke, she'd said at the time, but she'd never cleared up that it was just a joke, never apologized. And now, as he watched her laugh with Bianca, the resentment, the anger, began to boil inside him again. She had never paid for what she did.

The temptation to get revenge was too strong to ignore now. His mind began to turn over possibilities—what if he could use his newfound power to make her feel some of the shame he'd felt? Make her feel twice the shame he'd felt? Or three times? Maybe even five times?

Elias clenched his fists, his teeth grinding. The thought of Karla, the one who had so easily destroyed his reputation, writhing in that same kind of humiliation was intoxicating. The more he thought about it, the more satisfying it became. He wanted her to regret everything, to feel that guilt that he had lived with for so long.

But then, just as quickly, a sliver of doubt crept in. He didn't want to be this person, did he? Could he really do this? No, it was too much. He stopped himself, trying to push the thoughts away. But deep inside, he knew… one day, he'd give in. The temptation was already too strong.

Later that night, Elias lay in bed, restless. He knew he couldn't stop thinking about it. His mind kept returning to the idea of revenge, of making Karla pay for what she'd done. But there was something else. Something he hadn't fully explored yet—his ability to control dreams.

He focused, closing his eyes. This time, he didn't need to sleep to enter the dream. He could stay awake, his mind focused entirely on the vision he wanted to create. Gabby was still on his mind, and he wanted to test his power further.

The dream began.

In it, Gabby was walking home alone, the streets eerily empty. Suddenly, a man appeared, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her into an alley. The fear and helplessness were palpable. She struggled, but he was stronger. Then, just as if he'd been summoned, Elias appeared, rushing to her side. He threw the man off with ease, helping her up. Gabby looked at him in shock, grateful but confused.

But as soon as the danger had appeared, it vanished. The man was gone. Elias was gone. Gabby stood in the empty alley, breathless, with no trace of the threat that had loomed over her just moments before.