Jax closed his eyes and felt his consciousness sink into the dream realm. This time it wasn't forced, it wasn't a half-assed attempt the sea of faith he had gathered gave him enough power to keep the world open.
The first thing he noticed was Jayde. She entered straight away, like she had been waiting. The reason was simple: the first time he had forced her in, something fractured inside her soul. That break had created a bond, an invisible mark that let her return every time she slept. Like a permanent signature burned into the dream realm.
Jax tried to guide the others in, but it wasn't the same. Their souls resisted. Jayde was the weakest, that's why she was easy to drag in, but pulling the others by force would only wound them.
Then he saw it: their souls fighting back, defending themselves like warriors guarding their most sacred core. And that's when the idea hit him.
"I don't need to drag them here… I just need to mark them."
