The Survivor Becomes a Dungeon

Vitmori POV

I made my way back to my core chamber after escorting the others back to the Haven, deciding to bide my time alone until tonight in order to learn this dreamwalking magic. Overall, I really don't know what to do with myself. I didn't want to start anything in particular on the off chance that I get too distracted or reach a point I'm unable to properly stop.

In the end, I find myself fortifying and cleaning up my pedestal; really just taking my time with it since I wasn't making anyone wait as Zasutir had originally been when I made the pedestal in the first place. I went about smoothing everything down, making the surface of the pedestal faces look like one solid piece. Though once that was done, I got the feeling that the pedestal looked rather plain so I decided to carve the family rose into the front face of the pedestal. If it was good enough to go on an Empress, then I figured it would be good enough to use for my pedestal.

Before I knew it the cubs were clambering over me, Freyli and Basmori scaling my back to cling to my shoulders, their claws digging into my wooden flesh painlessly to keep themselves steady. Sekha forced her way into my lap while Hephtio was curiously studying what I had done to my pedestal. I didn't even sense them coming in, or rather, I think I zoned out enough that I didn't register that they were there until they were literally right on top of me. "Hi, hi." Freyli cheerfully meeped out once she was settled and balanced on my shoulder.

A smile was already on my face once I realized it was them, leaning in and nuzzling Freyli and then Basmori with my chin before bringing my left hand around to stroke Sekha's back and using my right hand to scratch Hephtio's chin. "Hey guys, what's up?" I asked as I looked around at them. While Freyli doesn't verbally respond this time, I get the impression that they were missing Basti and wanted to spend the night with me tonight. At first, I'm not sure what to do to help them, but then I remembered that I at least had a physical body to keep them company until they dozed off. "Of course, you kids can stay the night, you don't even need to ask." With that said, I can feel a mix of joy and relief bubbling over within them.

Before I got too distracted by their good mood, I looked over at my pedestal and checked out my handiwork. What I saw was a single rose surrounded by a ring of thorny vines. It looked nice if I do say so myself, but I can't help but feel like something was missing from it... Right, there used to be a name written around this symbol, but for the life of me, I can't remember it. Maybe it had something to do with roses? It was my family name if I remember anything about it correctly. I don't know why it's bothering me so much, but maybe because it's right here in front of me; a last name that had something to do with roses. But what was it again..? What was my old name? What... What was I thinking about again? Ah right, the symbol looks incomplete, but I suppose I can always add some more to it later.

I feel a paw pressing against my cheek and suddenly I'm reminded that I've got four cubs waiting patiently for bedtime as they lounge around on my seated figure. "Alright, alright. I get the hint, time for bed kiddos." I muse to them while moving to stand, scooping Sekha off of my lap and walking carefully as Basmori and Freyli remain perched on my shoulders with Hephtio following along on foot. I walked up to Basti's sleeping area, figuring it was the only bed up here big enough for all of us; after a moment of thought I took a knee, gently setting Sekha down before helping Basmori and Freyli get down as well. Once I'm free of cubs, I step into the deer-skin-lined bed and settle in, laying flat on my back and settling my head down on my right arm to use it as a kind of pillow.

Once I stopped moving, the cubs took that as their cue to rush me. The quartet shoving each other around as they collectively find places to settle on me. By the time things quiet down, Freyli and Sekha have cuddled around each other on my chest and stomach, Hephtio scooted himself between my chest and left arm, and finally Basmori settled along my right side, laying his head against my right arm while cuddled up to my face.

I can feel their warmth, the air slowly being inhaled and exhaled from their small bodies, the little shifting and squirming they do as they gradually get more comfortable and relaxed. Before long, I can sense that they're sound asleep and I find myself being rather jealous of them if I'm being honest. I miss sleep... If only as a means to simply pass the time. Ever since I came to this world, I've always been awake, every single second and minute since I died to that swarm.

Even as I lay here, in what is most likely the safest, most comfortable place that almost anyone from my old world would envy. I'm as relaxed as I could possibly be, as still as this wooden body would allow, and far away from any sort of stress. Despite this, I'm unable to just close my eyes and fall into sleep, being forced to be ever present and aware of my surroundings despite myself. The closest thing to sleep that I've gotten are the few moments where I can just lose myself to my work, zoning out on a task that can keep me busy for hours and hours on end. I wonder what I miss more... Eating a hot meal, drinking with a friend, or sleeping?

Before I can ponder the desires of a body that I no longer have, I'm suddenly aware of a couple pairs of eyes watching me, and a mental voice echoing in my mind. 'Is now a bad time?' Asks Reyvyre as she stands at the entrance to my chamber with Rita, offering me a small smile as she watches me lay with my kids in their mother's bed.

I couldn't help but smile, squashing away my musings as I thought back to her. 'Go ahead and come in, just don't be too loud, they only just dozed off.'

With the go ahead in place, Reyvyre waves along Rita as they cross into the chamber, stepping into the stone sand instead of the path before sitting beside my core.

I go ahead and separate myself from my avatar, deciding to make a small show of it as I conjure a green ball of light to rise up from my avatar's chest before making it float through the air and enter the light of my core. 'So, how does all this dreamwalking stuff work?' I ask, speaking into both of them at once.

I watch as Reyvyre goes to speak, opening her mouth before thinking better of it as she glanced at the cubs. In the next moment her thoughts come through and I can sense her using our bond to speak to both me and Rita. 'I had to do some thinking on that Vitmori, as I said, this magic can willfully be done in one's sleep, but that is of course not the only way to dreamwalk. As you can imagine, a magic where you are required to be asleep would be rather inconvenient, so there are alternative methods that don't require the user to be asleep.' She readily explained.

Though as she did, I could sense Rita wondering why Reyvyre was explaining something she thought was rather basic for any mage to know, but opted to not interrupt Reyvyre as she was here to learn more about dreamwalking as well.

Reyvyre then adopted a more unsure expression as she tilts her head side to side. 'With that in mind, the problem we're facing now is how we're going to help you access your own memories, as usually, one can only access their own memories while they're asleep. But I do believe I've come up with a workaround for that.'

All of this is still greek to me, which admittedly I know decently well, but the phrase still stands since I have no real frame of reference to how difficult certain magics are or what can and can't be done. But it sounds like Reyvyre has put a lot of thought into this. 'Alright, so how are we doing this?' I ask, encouraging her to expand on her thoughts.

Reyvyre nods intently, looking between my core and Rita before continuing. 'Through our bond with you, we seem to be able to easily access and view your memories. The idea that we're able to easily do so with little to no difficulty, or the fact that you were not aware of the repeated access of your mind is troubling, at the very least it would be if it were a human mind.' She explained, taking a moment for that idea to sink in before continuing. 'Despite you originally being a human, Vitmori, it should be more than clear that you are much more than that now, and you likely work in ways we won't ever fully comprehend despite the years of research we have on dungeon cores in general.'

'Okay... Great, all that is fascinating but what's your solution?' I press, I've already had the whole I'm no longer a human, what am I? philosophical debate and mental breakdown, and I'll likely have it again when I'm alone with my thoughts once more. But for now, I want solutions.

I only realized a moment later that I may have been a little too impatient as I watched Reyvyre's cheeks flush with mild embarrassment. She takes a moment to mentally collect herself before continuing. 'What I suggest is that we access your memories in our sleep; more specifically we shall have Rita fall asleep, and I'll guide you in accessing Rita's mind while she sleeps. I believe that while Rita actively dreamwalks in your memories, we'll be able to see what she sees and access your mind in an admittedly roundabout way.' She explains, maintaining a more proud and confident expression on her face as she managed to properly voice her idea.

Rita maintained her silence throughout all that, glancing between me and Reyvyre and I could tell she was struggling with comprehending that whole concept. Something about something or another doesn't really click, but in the end she settles with trusting the mage who has centuries of experience on her. ‘Okay… So all I need to do is sleep and dreamwalk into Vitmori’s memories, anything else?’ She asked, an edge of uncertainty in her mental voice as she looked between Reyvyre and my core.

Reyvyre seemed to sense Rita’s unease through our shared bond and offered a kind smile before thinking aloud to us. ‘Yes, that’s all you need to do. Let me worry about the tricky parts.’

With that, Rita nods before looking at the stony sand and moving to lay on her side. Doing her level best to try and rest despite the audience.

Reyvyre looked back to my core and smiled a little once more. ‘Alright Vitmori… Let’s try that breathing exercise you showed me the other day. We’re going to need to center ourselves and reach out with our minds to connect with Rita. Luckily enough, the hard part of actually forming the connection is taken care of, due to our bond. However, it’s better to start from the beginning without skipping any steps, especially as you’ve never done this before.’

‘Sounds good to me.’ I think back to her before focusing on my breathing, even if I don’t actually breathe, I have a feeling it’s the process of clearing the mind and focus that she wants me to achieve. So I do my best to do just that, focusing on the idea of breathing in, and breathing out. Slowly getting into the rhythm, even as I hear Reyvyre’s mental words echoing vaguely in my mind.

I gradually feel myself growing distant from even my own thoughts, and before long it feels as if I’m floating on my back in the middle of a still ocean. My vision starts to fill with the green glow of my own light until it suddenly fades to black.