The chains are tightening their grip around my wings and I can't break free. My Celestial instincts shout alarm and I start panicking. Because I don't feel the gravitation pull anymore, I try to stand up and position my wings to somehow slip out. However, the moment I do so, heavy shackles appear on my back around my wings, squeezing me even more painfully. I collapse back on the ground.
I don't feel temperature and my lungs don't need air here. Yet, the pain is as real as it gets and I feel my wings as I would feel them in the real world. I feel every single feather and I dread my wing bones getting crushed. My brain refuses to believe that this is just a dream.
"Your inner mental image is strong," my father says calmly, undisturbed by my sufferings. "You think of yourself as a Celestial, therefore you look Celestial even in your dream and rely primarily on your wings. You have to shift that paradigm. Unthink."
Unthink that I'm a Celestial? That very idea is strangely alien to me and I used to like pretending that I'm someone else when immersing in fictional gaming worlds before. Not anymore. Ever since I transformed, I never wished to be anything else than I am now.
"Difficult, I know," he shrugs. "Especially for a Draconian. You're supposed to be proud of who you are after all. We made sure of that."
"Made sure?" I try to hold my head straight at least, bravely facing him.
"We couldn't have had people dissatisfied with the race they turned into, could we?" he explains. "Those personality tests all players had to undergo to make their avatar weren't just for fun. Our best psychologists were working on them and, later in the game, we were carefully instilling much-needed racial awareness and the sense of pride."
I twitch and the chains squeeze my wings tighter, but when I'm still, the shackles don't react. That gives me a second to (metaphorically in this case) catch my breath and try channelling my mana. I do feel my mana circuit reacting, but nothing happens. A transfiguration symbol doesn't appear.
"You feel your body's mana in the real world, but that isn't transferable here," my father says when he notices what I'm trying to do. "Forget that you're a Celestial and use your inborn powers. This is just a mental construct, so use your brain."
I try to push him telepathically with all my might, but he doesn't even waver. It's as if he isn't here at all.
"This is just as I want you to see me," he sighs, disappointed by my attempt. "But I can appear anywhere."
Suddenly, his body multiplies and surrounds me. There are dozens of him.
"This is your dream, not mine, yet I rule over it," he says, his voice echoing as it comes out from each projected body. "Seize control or you will never get rid of those chains."
But how? I've never manipulated dreams before because I had no idea that I can. Sure, I'm able to peek when my partners are sleeping and I can even stimulate them to deepen their sleep and make it more pleasant and restful, but that's about it.
"Pathetic... pathetic... pathetic..., my father's voice echoes. "Are you really my son?"
"I'm starting to hope that I'm not!" I retort.
"Disappointingly, you are," he clicks his tongue and his multiple projections merge back into one. "I've confirmed it."
"So it was you who stole my feather!" I accuse him.
"Of course, I needed to be sure," he shrugs. "Back then, I couldn't know that you're a telepath, but it was publicly known who your mother was and your age overlaps with the time we were still together so I decided to investigate just in case. Honestly, I was convinced that she found another lover and had you."
"Because she would never want to have a child with such a sicko?" I want to spit on him, but I don't have any saliva.
"Because our genes aren't compatible," he rolls his eyes ostentatiously. "Yet, here you are, a hybrid that shouldn't exist in the first place. Under normal circumstances, you would be considered an abomination."
"I can't imagine normal circumstances, you're an alien or something," I frown, trying to hold still so that I can focus on the conversation. I need to get some information out of him.
"Or something," he repeats after me mockingly. "Do you want to know what am I? What you are? Get out of these chains."
The grip tightens again even though I'm perfectly still. He was manipulating the chains the whole time, giving me the illusion that there was some pattern. I cry because the pain becomes excruciating. He certainly knows how to torture a Celestial.
"The wings are both your asset and your weakness," he leans down and grabs my feathers. "Even a slight injury and you're immobilised. Harness your telepathic power instead. Nobody can take that away from you."
I realise that I finally feel something from him. His touch, however unpleasant, creates a tangible connection between us. I muster my remaining strength, put all my frustration into it and mirror it at him. It's obvious that he wasn't expecting me to succeed because there's an astonished expression on his face. He staggers, lets go of my feathers and the chains around my wings get loose.
"An empathic attack," he raises his eyebrows. "Exploiting direct touch, you used emotions to hit me?"
I quickly shake off the chains and anxiously flutter my freed wings to the sides. Forgetting that there's no actual air, I wave them mightily and actually manage to float. I expect him to get angry and try another of his mind games, but he just laughs.
"See? You can fly even though there's no air to hold you," he says, content. "You can fly because you strongly believe you can. Your mind is convinced that there's no way you wouldn't be able to take off when you flap your wings."
I don't know if he's giving me a hint since I can't imagine someone like him being careless, but I don't care. I'll take every opportunity I can get.
"Then I believe that I can do magic here," I hiss and materialise twelve transfiguration symbols at the same time.
I hit him with my full arsenal of spells, but it just goes through him as if he's a hologram.
"Impressive," he transports behind me.
I quickly turn around and find him hovering in the air. I didn't seriously think that my attack would be enough to expel him from my dream, but I'm disappointed that there's not a scratch on him. Despite everything, he doesn't look concerned. He doesn't look like someone who's about to lose.
"However," he shakes his head, "using magic wasn't in the assignment. Magic won't help you when...," he stops himself.
"When what?" I narrow my eyes. "I got out of your stupid chains, answer my questions now."
"I'm a man of my promises," he smiles, but there's no warmth in it. "Ask away then, but think carefully. I'll answer only one question a day."
"A day?" I widen my eyes, terrified by what it implies.
"Your mind is hopelessly unguarded, you lack even the most basic telepathic training," he states, crossing his arms. "From now on, I'll be training you every night until you're able to expel me from your dreams."
"And then what?" I frown.
"Then I'll have no other way than to finally meet you in person and we continue your training in the real world," he reveals. "By the way, I suppose that counts as a question. Our session is therefore concluded. See you tomorrow, my son."
Our surroundings are starting to get blurry and I feel like my body is waking up.
"W-wait! What do I...!" I shout, but I'm losing control over my dreamy body.
"Just a piece of advice," he says, his body already transparent. "I suggest you don't say anything to your subjects just yet. I see how they behave towards their precious Emperor, protecting you but also limiting severely. We don't want to freak them out, do we? Think about what you would like to know next time we meet and I'll answer you honestly after you finish another assignment."
Everything dissolves and I'm disoriented for a few moments before my eyes open and I'm staring at the ceiling of our Japanese suite. Gotrid is hugging me from the front and Erik is squeezed between my wings from behind.
They are sleeping soundly, suspecting nothing and I plan to leave it like that. I don't want to listen to my father, but he's right. Telling my partners would only freak them out and they can't protect me in my dreams anyway. This is something I have to face alone. It's just between me and my fatherâa battle of two telepaths.