Chương 35: 035

"You went out and got yourself into trouble again, didn't you, Nikolas?" The voice wrapped around me like a half-remembered dream. Lavender filled my senses, warm and familiar, tugging me deeper into the soft cocoon I floated in. I curled closer without thinking. Nothing bad could happen while she was here. A distant instinct screamed that something was wrong, but I buried it. If there was a problem, I'd deal with it later. I hadn't felt this safe in years, and I wasn't ready to give it up.

Her quiet laugh brushed my awareness like silk. She held me closer.

"My brave little Nikolas," she murmured.

"Always rushing into danger to save someone else." Cool, graceful fingers slid into my hair, massaging my scalp until my thoughts melted into hazy bliss. Somewhere beneath it all, I heard myself speak, my voice too light, too young, but I didn't care.

"I had to. I couldn't let them hurt her." Her. The word slipped through my grasp. Everything felt wrong in that distant, floating way, like trying to hear something underwater. A warning bell rang faintly, muffled by warmth and comfort. I was forgetting something important. I needed to be somewhere else. Do something. But… couldn't it wait? Just a little longer? The safety rocked me, smothering every forming thought before it could sharpen. I burrowed deeper into her arms, chasing the feeling instead of the truth.

Her fingers continued their slow, soothing path through my hair.

"Those bullies are such a menace," she crooned.

"Look at you, bruised again. The second time this week." Bullies? The alarm snapped louder. The girl I saved hadn't been hurt by bullies. There had been an army of undead-. No. That wasn't right either. I'd been lied to. I'd slaughtered hundreds before realizing the truth. Maya's father among them. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I'd called Time to fix what I'd done. The realization crashed through me like ice water. The warmth evaporated. The fog tore away.

The arms around me tightened—not protective now, but crushing. Pain bloomed where fingers dug into my skin, bruises already forming. I knew that voice. Something deep and unyielding in my soul refused to forget it. I tore myself free and stared into the face of my mother. Her expression flickered, just for a moment, between the gentle mask she'd worn once and the twisted sneer I knew far too well.

"You always stick your nose where it doesn't belong," she hissed.

"Everything would've been perfect if you'd just minded your own business that day." I turned and walked away. This wasn't the first nightmare she'd haunted me in, or the first time I'd relived the moment that landed me in the group home. But the sting never dulled. Usually, remembering who she was woke me instantly. Not this time. Her voice followed me, sharp and delighted.

"Running away again, Nikolas? How predictable." I stiffened but didn't turn back. Arguing with a nightmare was pointless, and I didn't have time for this. Show me what she saw, and that she was not wrong to choose you. Time's words echoed through me, steadying my resolve. I'd slept long enough. Ignoring her continued taunts, I slapped both hands hard against my cheeks. The world snapped. I lurched upright with a gasp, the nightmare dissolving like smoke. Relief surged, then faltered.

Something gritty slid from my hair into my lap. I pinched it between my fingers, frowning at the black sand clinging to my skin. The castle had been surrounded by grass. I looked up, and froze. This wasn't Nexus. Endless dunes rolled beneath a vast sky, stretching farther than the eye could see. I took a cautious step, and watched the sand beneath my boot turn black. Kneeling, I scooped up a handful. Gold bled into pale yellow, then gray as it streamed through my fingers.

When I stepped back, the sand slowly returned to its original hue. Fascinating. The sky stole what little breath I had left. Above me, blue-gray sand swirled in a vast, flowing mass, moving like liquid light. It shimmered and shifted, slow and graceful, its rhythm hauntingly similar to the Northern Lights. I walked beneath it, craning my neck, changing angles as the colors slid and folded into one another. The motion tugged at my balance, dizzying and mesmerizing. Until the ground vanished beneath me.

I sank to my knees, barely catching myself before pitching forward. Where golden dunes had been moments before, an ocean of dark purple and silver sand stretched endlessly. It felt heavier, cooler… alive beneath my touch. In the distance, waterfalls of sand flowed upward, binding sea to sky. My breath caught. Without thinking, I reached out. The sand rippled beneath my fingers instead of clinging to them. I laughed softly and tried again, a grin spreading across my face as the surface settled. Incredible. But…

where was I? Time was supposed to rewind Nexus, put me back at the beginning. This was definitely not Nexus. Clearing my throat, I spoke aloud.

"Time?" Silence answered. Unease twisted in my gut. Had he left me here, in this acid trip of a world, as some kind of payback for cursing him out? A snort echoed from nowhere, and something brushed my shoulder, there and gone in an instant.

"Be at ease. Nothing will harm you while I am here." Relief washed through me as I spun toward empty air. A tired chuckle followed.

"We are still connected. I can speak to you without manifesting." Right. That. I gestured helplessly at the shifting sands.

"So… where exactly am I?" Warmth softened his voice.

"This is the Inbetween. The realm where spirits dwell. You are not far from Karma and my home." Understanding clicked into place. The sands. The colors. The endless change. The sands of Time. I exhaled slowly. One answer down. Only a few thousand questions left.