Wade had been resting his chin in his hand, his gaze idly sweeping over the furnishings in the room.
Noticing the movement, he turned his head, his eyebrows slightly raised in surprise.
While one could exit a daydream at will, Nicolas Flamel's lucidity, leaving a customized daydream within minutes of his first entry, was unexpected.
Then, Wade realized that with him, a guest, sitting right there, Flamel naturally wouldn't weave a daydream of his true desires.
So, he probably just conjured an ordinary dream… perhaps strolling on a beach?
But then, he saw a tear escape the old man's eye, rolling down his pale skin before Flamel raised a hand to wipe it away.
"It was a good dream… a very good invention," Flamel said with a hint of sadness. "I saw some old friends who left long ago… those times truly bring back memories…"
Wade asked, puzzled, "I thought you'd… well, 'reminisce' a bit longer."
"I daren't immerse myself in it," Flamel said, carefully placing the Daydream Quill back into its box, closing it, and patting the lid. "I'm afraid I'd become too engrossed and never want to return to reality."
"It can only last for thirty minutes at most," Wade said.
"But after one thirty-minute period, there's a second, a third, countless thirty-minute periods until the end of life."
Flamel looked into Wade's clear eyes and chuckled, "Child, you're still too young. Only if you've lost many important people, as I have, can you understand the destructive power of such dreams."
Wade fell silent.
He, too, had lost important people.
After the Daydream Quill was created, the first to use it was, of course, himself.
Wade wove all sorts of dreams, and for two or three days, he was indeed lost in them, unwilling to wake up.
But after that phase, he woke from his last dream and suddenly felt a profound emptiness, his emotions as blank as a beach after the tide, his heart a barren silence. He didn't even want to pick up the Daydream Quill again.
It was like a summer vacation during his middle school days when he was addicted to video games, and his parents, too, had let go of their restrictions and allowed him to play.
But after weeks of playing day and night, he suddenly felt a sense of "what am I even doing?" nihilism, and even a feeling of guilt, as if all the time and energy he had invested had been swallowed by an invisible black hole.
Looking back, he didn't know why he had been so addicted, nor what he had gained besides a few numbers in the game. The excitement and thrill had vanished, and even the memories of the game were unclear, leaving only the self-questioning of "where did all the time go?"
Since then, he had never been addicted to games again, only occasionally playing a round to pass the time when bored.
The Daydream Quill was similar.
Under the influence of Magic, even in a dream, he clearly knew that everything was fake.
Gentle and caring parents, vibrant school life, wealth, beautiful women, status, powerful abilities, adventures in another world, debating with historical figures…
These were all false dreams woven by Magic, lasting at most thirty minutes. Each time he woke from a dream, that sense of loss and emptiness would wash over him.
Moreover, it was difficult to have continuous, different dreams. If he wanted continuity, he would have to meticulously and extensively write out the dream content each time. Not only would ink consumption multiply, but the enthusiasm for entering the dream would also rapidly fade during the writing process.
Perhaps some people would build nests in illusions, like drinking poison to quench their thirst, but Wade simply began to feel a heartfelt aversion and weariness, not wanting to continue.
In his opinion, this was akin to a desensitization process for a game, not as difficult as Nicolas Flamel thought.
Likely sensing a hint of disagreement in Wade's eyes, Flamel said, "Wade, I remember you have a partnership with a magic shop?"
"Yes," Wade replied. "It's Marchioni's Aslan's Magic Workshop."
"Are you short on money, child?"
"No, I'd say I'm quite well-off."
"Then… it might be a bit presumptuous…" Flamel slowly said, "May I ask you not to sell this quill in the shop?"
Wade said, "I don't really care about making money or not… but why? The Daydream Charm is just a very common spell; many people know it."
"How can random dreams compare to dreams that fulfill every desire?"
Flamel sighed, saying, "Most people can't be as clear-headed and rational as you. For them, the Daydream Quill is more terrifying than drugs."
"Alright, I can agree," Wade said. "However, I think it could also be used for good, such as assisting in the treatment of patients with psychological illnesses; allowing those who have lost loved ones to see their beloved again, easing their longing; and it could also be used for learning knowledge or practical training."
Flamel offered a faint smile, saying, "Of course, the concretization of imagination is a double-edged sword; it has negative impacts as well as positive aspects. The key lies in how people choose to use it."
He thought for a moment, then added, "Perhaps we shouldn't simply and crudely ban the Daydream Quill; we just need to add some restrictions to it… May I offer you some suggestions, child?"
Wade immediately said, "Of course, it would be my honor."
Isn't it just an Anti-Addiction System? He's actually quite familiar with it.
Wade said, "We could use a chimeric structure to add a magic that limits its uses, so that after the Daydream Quill has been used three times, it enters a dormant state and can only be reactivated after at least twenty-four hours."
"Not enough. Fanatical users will just buy several quills," Flamel said. "It needs a spell that can perceive the user's emotions and mental state. When the user is in a state of deep addiction, it should turn the sweet dream into a nightmare, forcing them to break free."
"That might not be good… This item will also be used for patients with psychological illnesses; wouldn't sudden fright worsen their condition?" Wade countered.
Flamel considered this. "Then how about solidifying the dream into a very boring pattern?"
"A boring pattern…" Wade rubbed his chin, then his eyes suddenly lit up, and he revealed a mischievous smile. "How about turning it into an exam? Endless exams, all with extremely difficult questions, where you can't answer a single one."
"An exam?" Nicolas Flamel was silent for a long while before bursting into a wry laugh. "That idea is truly… brilliant…"
He and Wade exchanged glances, their wrinkles filled with sly and expectant light.
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
Read ***+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский
Or Translate for free at : https:// randomtranslator.com/translate
Join our Discord: https:// discord.com/invite/XXUR9nkjwa
-----------