Chapter 6: The Dream Continent
The first thing Kael noticed was the horizon.
It wasn't just far—it bent into an endless curve of colors, a canvas where dreams seemed to spill out and paint the sky.
The trio had stepped through the Astral Flow into what felt like another universe entirely. Mountains floated lazily above shimmering plains, their shadows drifting across palaces carved from crystal. Towering cities sparkled in the distance, their walls so tall they looked like they held up the heavens themselves. The ground beneath them wasn't simple earth but a woven fabric of light and mist, humming faintly like a heartbeat.
"This… is the Dream Continent?" Kael whispered, his voice barely audible.
"Correction," Juno said, hands on her hips, her mouth slightly open as if she wanted to gulp in the air. "This is the biggest flex I've ever seen. Even my mom's celebrity parties would look like toddler birthday cakes compared to this."
Kael almost chuckled, but his chest felt too tight. This wasn't just beauty—it was overwhelming. They were surrounded by billions of dreamers who walked through the glowing streets: some looked perfectly human, while others shimmered faintly with wings, horns, or glowing eyes—small fragments of their inner selves given form in the Dream Realm.
And they weren't weak.
Armored patrols marched in perfect formations along the radiant roads. Each soldier carried spears and blades forged of dreamsteel, humming with so much power that Kael's skin prickled from meters away. He counted thousands of them just at the gates. The realization sank in quickly: if the corruption dared to set foot here, it wouldn't be a simple invasion—it would be war on an unimaginable scale.
"This isn't some fragile dream bubble," Talia murmured, her usual coolness hiding awe. "They're ready for anything."
For the first time since she smiled at him back in school, Kael glanced at her and noticed—her eyes weren't on the soldiers. They were on the children running freely through the streets, their laughter echoing like bells.
He filed that detail quietly in his chest.
A sharp voice interrupted their awe.
"You three—follow me."
They turned to see a soldier unlike the rest. His armor shimmered gold, trimmed with lines of black. A long spear rested casually on his shoulder, but it was the insignia across his chest that silenced any of Juno's brewing jokes: three interlocking rings, glowing faintly.
The Beyond's mark.
As they followed, Juno leaned close to Kael and whispered, "Do you think if I pretend to faint, they'll carry me bridal-style into the city? You know, for dramatic effect?"
"Try it," Kael muttered, rolling his eyes. "I'll pretend not to know you."
Talia's lips almost curved into a smile, but she caught herself. Almost.
The golden-armored soldier led them through colossal gates etched with constellations. Inside, the city unfolded like a galaxy turned inside out. Floating gardens hung from towers, rivers of liquid starlight wove through streets, and bridges connected platforms suspended in midair. Merchants shouted as they sold glowing fruit, crystalline fabrics, and weapons too radiant to exist in the waking world.
Billions. Kael wasn't exaggerating earlier. There were billions of people here.
Everywhere he looked, dreamers carried themselves with confidence. These weren't civilians waiting to be protected—they were warriors, mages, builders, thinkers. The Dream Continent wasn't just surviving—it was thriving, preparing, evolving.
And in the middle of it all… a massive citadel.
It rose like a mountain carved from pure crystal, its spires piercing the skies. From its balconies, Kael saw faint silhouettes—leaders. The strongest of dreamers, perhaps even the chosen of other versions of Earth.
The soldier stopped at the base of the citadel. "You are expected."
Kael blinked. "Expected? By who?"
The soldier gave no answer. He only turned and marched away.
Inside, the air was colder, more controlled. The citadel walls hummed with Astral Flow energy so dense Kael's pulse throbbed just standing near it. A council chamber spread before them, its round table surrounded by figures cloaked in radiant light. Their features shifted endlessly, as if they embodied more than a single identity.
One voice echoed, calm but thunderous.
"So, these are the ones chosen by the Beyond."
Talia stepped forward, bowing slightly—not out of obedience, but respect. Juno mimicked her, though her eyes darted curiously between the glowing leaders. Kael, awkward as always, settled for lowering his head halfway.
"You've stepped into a war that spans more than your world," the voice continued. "But before war, there must be understanding."
Kael's stomach twisted. He expected accusations, challenges, even training. Instead, the leaders asked them questions—not about power, but about themselves. Their flaws. Their desires. Their fears.
He didn't know why, but when they asked what he fought for, Kael found himself glancing at Talia. Her eyes met his for only a second, but it was enough. She didn't look away this time.
Hours later, when they left the citadel, Juno stretched her arms and groaned dramatically. "Well, that was fun. Nothing like having glowing demigods poke at your insecurities like it's free therapy day."
Kael chuckled softly, tension finally breaking. "You were the one who told them your biggest fear was running out of snacks during a war."
"Because it's valid!" Juno shot back. "Do you want me to fight corruption on an empty stomach? Do you?!"
Talia shook her head, but this time, she smiled. A real one.
The city lights bathed them in soft glow as they crossed a bridge back toward their quarters. For a moment, Kael almost forgot about corruption, Marco, or the weight of two ancient powers within them.
For a moment… they were just three teenagers in a dream too big to understand.
And Juno ruined it.
"So, Kael," she said, grinning. "Did you notice Talia smiling at you back there?"
Both Kael and Talia froze.
"Juno," Talia warned, voice sharp as steel.
Kael stammered, "I-I didn't—"
But Juno was already sprinting ahead, laughing as her voice echoed down the glowing streets.