The Dream Sanctum: The Eternal World (10 page)

“It would absolutely be okay with me,” Kwin
replied, looking nothing short of delighted that someone would want to engage
in educational pursuits with her. “Honestly, it has been so difficult to find
people who want to read and learn with me. Alastor joins me sometimes, but I’m
afraid I bother him with the sheer volume of material I consume. Anyway,
Lindsay, this next subject might be of particular interest to you.” When
Lindsay looked at her curiously, Kwin continued, “I have been reading about
anxiety and panic disorders since our discussion the other day. I was hoping to
find information that might be able to help you.”

Lindsay looked completely taken aback.

“Oh, Kwin… you didn’t have to–”

“It would benefit me to learn more about them
as well,” Kwin interrupted gently. “All the same, I thought it would be
advantageous to learn more about them and familiarize myself with various
coping methods so that I might be of greater support to you.”

“Does this mean you know what’s wrong with
me?” Lindsay asked hopefully, but Kwin shook her head.

“I am not your doctor, so I will refrain from
diagnosing you. That would be inappropriate. What I can do is teach you how to
cope with the symptoms and help you document your experiences so you may better
help your doctor help you.”

“Okay… well, what do I need to know?” Lindsay
continued attentively.

“First, that your feelings of anxiety may have
multiple sources. It is possible that your anxiety resulted solely from your
traumatic encounter with the Nightmares, but it’s also a possibility that you
are genetically prone to experience anxiety. It’s possible that you may have
had this predisposition your entire life, but it was never triggered before
this. This could explain your sudden reaction to the Cloud Skipping event even
though it had nothing to do with the Nightmares.”

“So if my family has it, I might be more
likely to have it?” Lindsay asked, and Kwin nodded. “That might make sense. I
think my sister has it too.”

“All the same, best not to jump to
conclusions. All you need to know now is that there could be a number of
reasons you are feeling the way you do. For now, we can focus on what you can
do to combat the symptoms when you feel them. This can serve two purposes: it
can help you better deal with your attacks, and perhaps provide a source of
comfort. By knowing that you are better equipped to deal with your anxiety, you
may be less susceptible to triggers.

“The first step is to remove yourself from the
situation that is causing you distress, if possible. This does not always have
to involve physically moving from one location to another; it can also involve
avoiding a topic of conversation or stopping whatever activity you may be doing
at the time. Putting yourself in a comfortable environment can lessen the
severity of your discomfort.”

“Like telling Alastor to keep his mouth shut?”
Lindsay suggested, and Kwin laughed.

“Yes, exactly like that. The next step is to
close your eyes and focus on breathing to avoid hyperventilating. Take a deep,
slow breath in for five seconds, then breathe out for five seconds. It may also
help you to place your hand over your diaphragm so you can feel your breathing.
In general, doing something repetitive with your hands like crumpling paper or
drumming them on a desk may help as well. Focus on tensing and relaxing your
muscles, curling and relaxing your toes, that sort of thing. It may not fend
off an attack, but it can help you retain control. I would also recommend
practicing these techniques even when you are not feeling anxious, because it
can help those feelings become less frequent.

“I also learned a few things from my
counselor, Dr. Adams, that are a little less clinical. For one, when a panic
attack occurs, don’t fight it; fighting it makes the panic worse.” At this
point Kwin turned her gaze to the floor, looking slightly embarrassed. “He also
taught me to think of my anxiety as something separate from myself, as though
my anxiety itself is a small friend that I try to comfort. It has been more
effective than I suspected it would be.”

“That sounds kind of cute,” Lindsay smiled.
“Okay, I’ll try to remember all of this… but I should still see someone about
this, right?”

“You should. Coping techniques only go so far
if you need additional assistance. For that reason, I want you to start writing
down your thoughts and feelings whenever you experience panic. Write down what
you were doing when it happened, how it made you feel, how long it lasted and
how you felt after it was over. Include everything that crosses your mind. When
you see a doctor to talk about this, share that information with them. They may
be able to read brain scans and make educated guesses, but the person who knows
you best is yourself.”

“Ooh, good idea,” Lindsay replied. “I’ll get
started on this right away… did you learn anything else? Anything else I should
know?”

“I did learn more, but nothing you need to be
interested in.” Lindsay raised her eyebrows, and Kwin grinned. “What? Don’t you
remember what happened the last time you asked?”

Lindsay reached over and pushed her playfully.

“Whatever,” she laughed. “But look… thank you.
I know you like doing this but still, you’ve spent days in this study looking
for stuff to help me. And the whole Sanctum, actually. I just want you to know…
thank you. You’re amazing.”

“You’re my friend, so anything less than my
best effort would be an insult to our relationship. I do not see that mentality
as anything worthy of recognition. I see it absent often, and it perplexes me.
All the same, it’s my pleasure.”

Lindsay reached over and hugged the smaller
girl tightly, and Kai felt his already extraordinary respect for Kwin rise even
more. He admired the way she looked at her relationships and what she expected
from them. She was loyal, devoted, empathetic and…
genuine
, Kai decided. That seemed to fit her well.

“Hey, how do you remember all this stuff
anyway?” Lindsay asked. “You’re always going on about these terms and theories
without looking at notes or books or anything.”

“I have a good memory, apparently,” Kwin
shrugged. “Some have suggested that I may have some type of eidetic memory, but
I’m not sure. I always thought it was normal to be able to recall information
so easily.”

Kai and Lindsay shook their heads in unison.

“I’ve gathered as much. Nevertheless, I worry
that my memory may fade as I get older, and I will have to settle with being
normal
.” She faked a shudder. “So I have
decided to take full advantage of the time I have available to me now.”

“Okay, you are never meeting my mother,”
Lindsay giggled. “She’ll spend five minutes talking to you and decide I’m an
underachieving slacker.”

“That’s unfair. You skipped a grade due to
your academic proficiency, no?”

“Yes, but I didn’t graduate high school when I
was ten!”

“I am a unique individual. Anyone comparing
themselves to me is automatically at a disadvantage.” Kwin stood up and brushed
back her hair. “The day will be ending soon, so we should discuss what we’re to
do next.”

“Find the keeper, right?” Kai asked.

“Find the keeper indeed. Strangely, I’m
feeling confident about our odds. We won’t be alone. All we need to do is
spread the word and soon we’ll have half the Sanctum searching for this person
with us. We’ll explore every nook and cranny of the world, from the bottom of
the lakes to the tops of the mountains.”

“I don’t think Semyaza’s going to like that,”
Lindsay said nervously.

“No,” Kwin answered, flashing her vampiric
grin. “No, I don’t expect she will.”

A
s the sun set and Kai and
his friends began anxiously awaiting a time when they could go to sleep without
destroying what was left of their sleep schedules, Frederick made his way up
the stairs holding the house phone in his hands. He huffed and wheezed, his
face red, and gestured to Kai.

“Phone for you. Some lady named Sarah,” he
breathed.

“Oh, that’s my mum,” Kai said quickly, getting
up from his place on the couch.

“You could have taken the elevator, Fred,”
Alastor said amusedly.

“Nah. Don’t want to risk getting out of
shape,” Frederick gasped. “Gotta keep my figure.”

Kai walked over and took the phone, puzzled at
why his mother would be calling him so soon; he had just spoken with her that
morning. He stepped away from the others to find some place quieter to talk
while Frederick made his way discreetly to the elevator to return downstairs.

“Hello?”

“Hello dear, it’s me. I was just calling to
check up on you again. You know, you’ve never stayed away at a friend’s house
for this long and I wanted to make sure everything was going okay.”

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Kai replied. “Is
everything all right with you? We just spoke this morning.”

“I’m your mother, sometimes I need to see how
my son is doing more than once a day,” Sarah replied, though Kai felt there was
something else in her tone. “Besides, you seem so
busy
lately. It’s summer vacation and yet I hear you’re studying
all sorts of things with Lindsay and that genius girl from down the way. I
can’t even get you to study during school, how on Earth do they have you
reading… what did she say? Scientific journals?”

“What did who say, mum?”

“Cindy told me. Lindsay’s told her everything;
she always does, you know that. Anyway I just wanted to remind you to make sure
you’re getting some fun into your busy schedule and that you’re not running off
and having any dangerous adventures or something.”

“Of course, we’re having loads of fun here,”
Kai answered. “I’m not studying too much.”

“Actually, Kai…” There was a short pause, and
Kai detected a shift in her tone. This definitely seemed like more than a
pleasant checkup. “I’m worried about you. You may not realize it but I can tell
when you’re worried about something. Have you been sleeping well?”

“Uh… yeah, sleep’s been great, actually,” Kai
said, faking a laugh. “You know, now that I don’t have to get up for school or
anything. I actually just had this really weird dream where some lady riding on
a dragon came up to me and said she wanted me to go away with her somewhere,
but then she got angry and said she didn’t want me after all and everything
started falling apart. I think my brain is telling me I’m stressed about
something, but I don’t know what. Maybe I can figure that out in my research.”

He hoped to sound cheerful, but his mother
didn’t seem convinced.

“I… see. That is a most interesting dream,”
Sarah said finally. “Well, make sure you keep sleeping, and don’t forget to
brush your teeth. And don’t get lost in that house; if you take a wrong turn
you may starve to death before anyone is able to find you. It’s like a palace,
that place.”

“Thanks, mum,” Kai answered with mocking
exasperation.

“When are you coming home, anyway? The day
after tomorrow?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Glad to hear it. If you’re up early enough
I’ll pick you up on my way home, I’m heading out that way again tomorrow
evening. Just let me know, and let Lindsay know too. The poor girl always seems
scared to death after getting out of your friend’s car.”

“It’s his driver, mum. The one that ate all
your pastries.”

“Oh, well, that would explain a whole lot. I
won’t have my child and his best friend riding with that man, not a chance. Be
awake by nine and I’ll get the both of you.”

“What about Kwi – er, Ashley?” Kai asked.

“Oh that’s right, your genius friend needs to
come home too. She is more than welcome to come with us. You know, she was in
the newspaper recently,
and
on TV.
The host seemed scared of her by the end. I don’t know how you found this girl
but I’m pleased that you’re hanging around with the good crowds. I was always
worried, I know how influential kids can be, and you’re my only child so I
just–”

“Mum, sorry, I have to go. It’s getting a
little late and we need to start getting ready for bed,” Kai interrupted
gently.

“You call this late? Oh don’t tell me you’ve
got all your friends doing your dream thing now too.”

Kai’s blood ran cold.

“My what?”

“That thing you do where you can control your
dreams? You said you could do it whenever you wanted, and I have to say I think
it’s amazing. I only managed to do that once: I was having a dream where I was
on my way to work and there was this big accident, and it was really
inconvenient. Suddenly I realized I was awake and I made the accident
disappear! Unfortunately I was having so much fun that I was late for work in
real life, though–”

“Mum, I need to sleep, remember?” Kai reminded
her.

“Oh yes, of course. Be careful, sweetheart. I
love you”

“Love you too,” Kai said, then hung up.

He took the phone back out with him to the room
where everyone else was currently gaming, reading or chatting and sat it down
on the coffee table. He leaned back into the couch, deep in thought. He loved
his mother, but she worried too much. She liked to let him be a responsible
young adult who made a lot of his own decisions, but fretted over every
decision he made. But he was used to her calls and didn’t mind them too much.
Frankly, he thought, if his mother had any idea what he was
really
up to he wouldn’t blame her for
calling three times as often.

“Hey Kai, you listening?”

Kai straightened up suddenly. Without him
noticing, the others had gathered closer together. He had been so lost in
thought he hadn’t even noticed the TV turn off. Now Alastor was looking at him
with slight concern.

“Yeah, I was just thinking, that’s all. What’s
up?”

“We’re discussing our plan for the night.
There are only two nights until you kids go home, so I think it would be neat
if we got everything sorted before then.”

“I spoke with Resona this morning; she and her
girlfriend have offered to assist us,” Kwin informed them. “She has also
apparently gained a small following, and they will be helping us as well. We
will coordinate our search with everyone once we all meet up, but the initial
plan is to start in the smaller towns and cities nearest the coasts and work
our way inward. That way we can cross more locations off our maps and narrow
our search more quickly.”

“Where are we meeting?” Lindsay asked.

“Aqua. From what we know, Semyaza and the
others are still busy holding the gate at Golden. Why they’re so intent on
keeping people out of Golden I don’t know, but I have a feeling it’s because of
something much more important than our
safety
,”
Kwin scoffed. “But that means they should be distracted long enough for us to
get a head start.”

“We should also spread out. If we’re all over
the place there’s no way they’ll be able to catch us all while still blocking
the gate,” Lindsay suggested.

“That’s the plan,” Kwin replied approvingly. “We’re
also going to have some of Resona’s people start riling crowds up outside the
gates and put pressure on the angels. Hopefully that will keep them there
longer.”

“All right kids, bed time! We don’t want to
keep Resona waiting,” Alastor said, getting up from his chair and pulling Ella
up behind him.

As they separated, walking towards their
individual rooms, Kwin caught up with Kai and pulled him aside.

“I just want to let you know that this process
will most likely make you the center of attention for some time. We’re going to
be asking everyone to search the world for someone who looks very much like
you, so all eyes will be on you. Is this something you will be okay with?” she
asked.

“I… hadn’t actually thought about it,” Kai
admitted. “I think it should be fine. I mean, I hang out with you and Alastor,
so I’m already used to some level of attention.”

“It’s quite different when thousands of people
are looking directly at you instead of slightly to the side,” Kwin said. “If at
any time it starts to bother you, let me know so we can find an alternative.”

“Thanks,” Kai replied, thankful for her
concern and forward thinking.

They said good night and headed to bed. Kai
fell asleep much faster than he thought he would, and after briefly checking a
map to see how he could get to Aqua Capital from where he was, started off
quickly. As he headed towards the city from above he saw dozens of people
gathered in the city’s largest square and knew that was probably where he
needed to go.

He touched down near Alastor, who looked like
he had already been waiting for some time.

“Any of the others here yet?” Kai asked.

“No, but probably on their way,” he replied.
“We’re still waiting on Resona as well. There are a lot more people here than I
thought there would be. Looks like Kwin’s old friend is pretty good at this.”

Kai took a better look around. He guessed
there were at least seventy people there, and judging by their conversations,
they were definitely here for the search. They stood in groups, talking to one
another and sharing news, every so often looking around to see who else had
arrived. Every so often more people would show up, some to join the growing
crowd, others to report on the angels’ current positions and still more who
wanted to see what was going on.

Lindsay, Ella and Kwin soon joined Kai and
Alastor, and with their arrival everyone seemed to understand that things would
be getting under way soon. Kwin glanced at the groups of people standing
nearby, clearly impressed.

“I didn’t think we would have even half these
numbers. We’re off to a much better start than I thought we would be,” she
remarked.

Within just a few minutes Resona arrived, and
close behind her walked another dark-skinned girl who appeared to be roughly
Resona’s age, but stood about half a foot taller. She had straight hair that
fell to her waist; the right half was colored a vivid blue, and the left was
midnight black. The black hair was pinned up over her ear with a feather
identical to Resona’s, and her eyes were the same electric blue as her hair.
She was dressed in slightly less extravagant clothing than Resona: she wore
dark blue jeans, black boots with silver buttons and a black blazer over a
stunningly blue blouse.

“Hey guys! Sorry we’re a bit late, we were
trying to get a few last groups to Aqua. Turns out lots of people are bad with
directions even in their dreams. Anyway, this is Echo.”

Echo stood slightly behind Resona and nodded
politely as the group greeted her, though she did not speak. Lindsay gave Kai a
very pointed look and nudged his shoulder, and he rolled his eyes.

“A pleasure. Now, how many do we have?” Kwin
asked, looking eager to get down to business.

“Ninety two. Most of them are here because
they’re angry at Semyaza but don’t know what to do about it,” Resona explained.
“I’ll be sending one of them to Golden to stir up some trouble to keep Semyaza
occupied in case she feels like leaving.”

“Only one?” Kai asked. “That doesn’t seem like
much.”

“Oh, don’t worry. You won’t find anyone better
at causing a scene.”

At these words Kwin looked at Resona
suspiciously, but before she could say anything, a familiar voice called out to
them from the crowd.

“Aha! Somehow I knew you would be behind all
this!” Hercules exclaimed excitedly as he jogged over. “My, what a group we
have here today. The infamous saviors of two different worlds, and now they
have recruited the lovely Resona and Echo! I am truly honored to be taking part
in this event.”

Resona beamed, looking quite proud of herself,
though her expression slowly shifted to concern as she noticed everyone else’s
faces. Kwin’s eyebrow twitched, and though she regained her composure quickly,
her civil tone was strained.

“Hercules, how… pleasant to see you again.
Taking a break from working with the Shuski, I take it?”

“Indeed! They’re managing affairs in the
mirror world quite efficiently, you know. Said they could handle it just fine
without me and that I could leave. They were quite insistent on that last
point, actually. But now I’m here to serve a greater purpose once again.”

“Sounds great!” Alastor said jovially. “When
do you leave?”

“Right now, actually,” Resona said, quickly
picking up on Hercules’ prior relationship with her friends. “Remember what I
told you. Find Semyaza and do not let her leave the gates to come after us.
We’re counting on you to provide as much of a distraction as you can.”

Hercules saluted her, looking incredibly
serious.