The room was dark. Again. Subtly different than the dark dreams before, where she had twisted and turned in a world that did not want her to know where she was going. Here in the darkened room which had no ceiling or walls, it felt more like her domain. Calm. Unobtrusive. She could move freely through the air – it was neither heavy nor hot nor cold, and did not hinder her, parting easily with the slightest movement. The darkness was not frightening – she knew there was nothing lurking there, her eyes seeing only as far as they needed to see, only as much light as she needed. It was merely a boundry-less abyss, solely for her.

From the dark, smooth floor, a cube appeared just behind her, and she turned to look at it idly, knowing it had not been there before. And yet she felt it had. She sat.

In front of her, the form of another girl sat a mere few feet away, facing her, sitting in the exact same position as she. Her hair was long, falling in waves down her back and over her shoulders, a beautiful strawberry blonde that brushed midway down her back, while her own barely brushed her shoulders. Where she wore her crystal uniform, the other wore a gown of white, teal and gold adornments decorating the white silky material. White wings rested gently on her hip, folded neatly where there were none by her own.

Gold eyes met blue-green.

‘So.’

“So,” the other mimicked, sounding calmer and more patient than her own voice had been, not at all condescending.

Neither moved. For an endless period of time, the two stared at each other, thoughtless and wordless, merely comprehending, each acknowledging the existence of the other. They knew and didn’t know. It was instantaneous, the understanding, yet each moved through the motions. For politeness sake.

‘Who are you?’

Her voice was her own, as it was before – harsh, even to her own ears, and colder than most would find comfortable. The one that responded was lighter, understanding and patient and feathery soft. It was not hers.

“Helios. Priest of Elysion, guardian of the Golden Crystal, reborn into the body of Reanna Marshall. Yourself.”

‘Why.’

Helios’ smile widened just a little, almost unnoticeably.

“Your dream.”

‘Is?’

“To protect people with beautiful dreams.”

‘It is.’

“It’s akin to mine.”

They paused. Another breath of silence.

‘And?’

Helios’ expression changed. Sobered a little. In those golden eyes, a determination sparked, her features shifting just a little, her expression firm.

A determination she related to.

“I have to find him.”

‘Who?’

“My Prince.”