The Veil of Darkness
Chapter 364: Dream or Reality

Chapter 364: Dream or Reality

Annalise sat next to the fireplace in her bed-chamber with a glass of freshly brewed herbal tea in her hands. Her gaze was fixed on the snowflakes that were showering outside the open window that was warded with a spell to keep the cold wind from entering the room.

It was already the end of the first month of the year and with each passing day, their given period of peace was coming to an end. For the past half year, they all had worked the hardest to make sure they were prepared for the upcoming war, but no matter how much they prepared, it was still not enough to convince them that they would be the ones winning in the end. The only things that were keeping all of them going were their trust in each other and the hope they all carried in their hearts.

She slowly finished the tea before setting aside the cup and snuggling tightly in the warm blanket that Sera had wrapped around her to protect her from the cold weather.

After the long tiring day where she practiced her physical combat skills and weaponry skills, and also drinking the herbal tea in the soothing silence of her bed-chamber, she didn’t even realize as the weariness started taking control over her body and she was slowly pulled into the world of darkness.

~

The Darkness lasted for a while, neverending and overwhelming in every sense possible, but then, it was suddenly disrupted by flickers of lights that came from nowhere.

A winding pathway suddenly appeared as the lights evaded the realm of darkness and it seemed like the inside of a cave or tunnel.

There was a faint shimmering veil enveloping the entire area, a magical barrier preventing any external influence from intruding upon the clandestine operations. The crackling energy of the veil sizzled, safeguarding the actions of these people from the prying eyes of the world.

The stone path led to what seemed like a cave room or clearing and the sight that unfolded there was way out of anyone’s expectations.

A diverse range of people were involved in the preparations. Men and women from different walks of life had come together, their determination and resilience evident in their every movement. Some were forging weapons with meticulous precision, while others were enchanting ancient relics with protective spells. The air buzzed with the hum of activity, and yet there was an underlying sense of urgency that tinged each task with a gravity that one found difficult to ignore.

At the corner of the clearing, there was another little path that led from the clearing to another deeper part of the cave. Twelve hooded figures were standing around a circular stone pedestal with a huge magical globe swirling with extreme power. All twelve hooded figures had their hands outstretched and they were fueling the magical globe with their elemental powers... that were dark purple in color.

"It’s almost done. A little while more and our ultimate weapon will be ready." Someone, probably one of the hooded figures, spoke and the voice was filled with great enthusiasm and joy.

"We have worked so hard and diligently, have waited patiently for centuries, and have lived in seclusion all this time, hiding from the world. It’s finally time for our rise. We will take over the world and rule it." Another hooded figure spoke.

There were murmurs of agreement from others and their powers sizzled with their longing and certitude. They were not only determined to make their dream come true but were also assured that they would achieve it.

Another hooded figure appeared out of the shadows, standing at a distance from the other twelve while he observed them in silence for a while. The silence lasted for a while before the figure suddenly looked up and his dark purple eyes stared straight ahead as he stated - "We are ready. Let’s meet soon."

~

Annalise woke up with a start. Her eyes flew open and she found herself staring into a dark-pitched room. It took her a few seconds to realize that she was still inside her bed-chamber and her heart was pounding like crazy in the confinement of her chest.

Her brain recalled the memories of the dream she just had but somehow she knew that it was far from just a dream, it was real and a clear warning of what was arriving.

The door of the bed-chamber flew open and Damien stepped inside first, followed by Kenric and Valerius. All three men looked anxious, their faces carried worry and fear as their eyes searched the entire room and fell on her.

With a single flick of his hand, Kenric lit up the candles to fill the room with brightness, and the very next moment, all three men were right next to Annalise.

"Princess, are you alright?" Damien was the first one to ask as he approached the heavily cushioned velvet carpets next to the window where Annalise had created a nest for herself.

Having all her mates right in front of her pushed Annalise to let go of everything and she sprung straight into Shadow Prince’s arms as he was the first one to join her on the carpet.

Damien wasted no time as he pulled her into his embrace and secured his strong arms around her protectively. "It’s alright, Princess. I’m here. We all are here." He whispered the assuring words softly into her ear while rocking her body slightly as if he were consoling a child.

Annalise felt Kenric and Valerius’ presence right behind her even before she felt their hands coming to rest against her shoulder and spine respectively. Though the two of them remained silent unlike Damien, they still made sure to comfort her with their presence and soothing touches.

Damien continued to whisper reassuring words into her ears until she had calmed down enough to speak. As she pulled away from his arms to face all three of them, the men were ready to find out exactly what happened to her.

"What happened, Love? We all were in the basement working on strategies when we felt you panicking all of a sudden. Did something happen?" Valerius asked as softly as he could. His fingers were drawing circles on her palm, an action that always helped her relax.

"I... I saw something... " Annalise finally confessed and her brain once again pushed those images in front of her eyes.

"A dream?" Kenric asked as he studied her closely. One of his hands was resting over her folded knee.

Annalise gave a little nod before hurriedly shaking her head in denial, causing confusion to the men who failed to understand what her actual answer was. "It seemed like a dream... but I know it wasn’t. Whatever I saw, it was real. It was a warning... a signal..." She was continuously shaking her head as if to make sense of her own words.

"Annalise... realx... it’s alright. Just relax." Valerius moved closer and cupped his face between his palms while he tried to help her calm down.

Annalise did as he requested and took in several deep breaths to calm herself down. Once she felt she was feeling calm enough, she gave them a nod.

"Now tell us, what exactly happened?"

She thought for a while about how to explain exactly what happened before she woke up and decided to narrate exactly what she saw. She told them everything from how she fell asleep and the scenes that unfolded in front of her in her dream, about the people creating weapons and the hooded figures who were definitely working on the creation of some great weapon. She also narrated the words of the man with dark purple eyes.

"... and I know for sure, it was not a dream. What I felt, what I saw, and that warning, all of that is real."

Before any of the Midnight Princes could have said anything in response, another figure appeared in the room and it was none other than Esmeray. The look on his face said way more than any words could have.

"You know it too, right?" Annalise asked as she took in the King of Darkness’ wild expressions.

Instead of asking how she knew about what he was there to talk about, Aleron just gave a single nod in affirmative.

"Wait! What’s going on here?" Kenric looked totally lost as he looked between her and Esmeray.

"He knows about what I just told you. That was indeed no dream. It seems like our enemies are about to succeed in whatever they have been trying to build for the past several thousands of years. The war... it’s here." Annalise spoke the words softly but her husbands heard them very clearly.

"How much time do we have?" Valerius asked and his question was directed at Esmeray.

"Maybe a week."

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