Dream magic was one of the most esoteric branches of the arcane.
Even in the Greater Universe, almost no one practiced it. The knowledge required to understand that was rare, fragnted, and poorly recorded.
Few scholars could even define its principles, let alone wield it safely.
It did not rely purely on mana. It operated at the intersection of thought, mory, spirit, and subconscious will. It blurred the line between illusion and reality.
A skilled practitioner could enter another's mind, reshape perception, suppress mory, or construct dreamscapes that felt indistinguishable from the real world.
Its dangers lay in its subtlety. There were no obvious spells or blazing energies, only influence. By the ti one realized that they were under its effects, it was often too late.
Mind Dragons, however, were natural masters of this art.
Their physiology and spiritual structure made dream magic intuitive to them. What others considered forbidden or impossible, they treated as a fundantal discipline.
"What're you doing?!!" Valerian blurted out in shock and fear.
One mont, Endi had been standing before them, speaking to Adam. And the next mont, he had already moved behind Adam, placing him into a deep sleep, and gently lowering his unconscious body to the ground.
Valerian grabbed Endi's sleeves and tried to pull him away.
"Get off of him!!"
But he barely managed to budge the dragon.
"Your Highness, please calm yourself," Endi said in an even voice. "I've only placed him into sleep. I have not hard him in any way."
He glanced down at Adam briefly.
"In fact, I have guided him into a pleasant dream."
Valerian finally stopped scratching Endi's hand. He turned to his big brother and noticed that the latter was breathing calmly and had a peaceful look on his face.
He turned back to Endi and hissed. "Why would you do that!"
Endi calmly said, "I apologise, Your Highness. But I must ensure he has not transplanted your blood into his own body. Forming a familiar bond with you is already a serious matter. If he's even gone further than that-"
Valerian sharply interrupted him, not bothering about the fact that the dragon was several ranks higher than he was.
"He hasn't!" he scread. "He's never hard ! Brother has always protected ! If it hadn't been for him, I would have been dead!"
Zagho and the rest of the dragons had awkward looks on their faces. They'd never witnessed a young wyrmling disrespectfully screaming at a Regent before.
Even the young dragons directly descended from other Elders within the clan spoke respectfully to their elders.
But Prince Valerian was a little too... feisty.
Endi remained composed. Of course, he knew that Valerian wasn't versed in the traditions of the Somnia Clan. Besides, he respected the young dragon's mother far too much to get annoyed over such a small matter.
"I understand, Your Highness." He displayed a gentle smile. "But I hope you can also understand my position. I must be absolutely certain that nothing beyond a familiar bond has occurred before I return you to your mother and siblings."
All the frustration and anger in Valerian's heart instantly vanished when he heard Endi's last words. His pupils dilated, and his small figure trembled ever so slightly.
"I... have a mother?" He murmured. "I have siblings?"
Endi secretly heaved a sigh of relief. "Yes," he said. "And they all miss you dearly."
Valerian's eyes teared up. "They... miss ?"
"Yes." Endi smiled fondly. "They never stopped looking for you, especially your mother and your eldest sister. They care for you deeply, and they love you very, very much."
All this while, Valerian always wondered about his family, his ho. He didn't even know if he had a family - except Adam. Now, hearing the confirmation from Endi, his heart was overwheld by emotion.
Pearls of tears trickled down his furry face. He finally relented a little, but not before asking, "What are you going to do with Brother?"
"I shall only check his blood," Endi answered. "That is all, Your Highness."
"Mm." Valerian nodded. As long as Endi didn't check Adam's spirit sea, it was fine with him.
Endi smiled. "Thank you for understanding."
He then reached out with his hand, but suddenly...
Clasp!
A firm grip caught his wrist midair.
Endi's eyes widened ever so slightly, his pupils shrinking.
And then, Adam's annoyed voice echoed in the silent chamber.
"Don't you know it's rude to pull soone into a dream without their permission?" he said in a lazy voice. "Haven't you ever heard of privacy?"
Endi glanced at the raven-haired youth with disbelief.
anwhile, Zagho and the rest were also stunned.
They were unable to believe that Adam, a re Mana Core Magus, was able to escape the dream woven by Endi, who was equivalent to a Transcendent
Magus!!
At a loss for words, they simply stared at the groggy raven-haired youth as though they had seen a ghost.
Even Endi was montarily speechless. As Adam yawned and slowly pushed himself upright, he couldn't help but ask:
"How did you... escape the dreamscape?"
Adam snorted. "I was wondering why everything was going my way. The dream
was too perfect. Too good to be real. Hmph!"
Once again, Zagho and the other dragons were left speechless. They could not help but wonder what kind of miserable life Adam had lived to distrust even a
pleasant dream.
Of course, Endi was not fooled. He knew Adam was hiding sothing.
For the first ti, there was a flicker of solemnity in his gaze when he looked at
the young Magus.
"Brother! Brother!" Valerian jumped atop Adam and excitedly said, "I have a mother! I also have siblings! This man said they all miss very much!" Adam's gaze shifted between Valerian and Endi several tis as he slowly rose
to his feet. "I don't doubt it, Val," he said as he pussed the little guy inside his
robes once again.
He deeply looked at Endi, who was staring back at him strangely, and said, "I hope you weren't planning to take back to your ancestral ho while I was
asleep.
Endi's eyes narrowed as he slowly stood back up.
"Now that we have found the prince, it is our duty to return him to his family,"
he said in a low and even voice. "And since the two of you are bound, you'll be
coming with us as well, Constantine."
Valerian was thrilled at the thought. He could finally see his family.
But Adam... his heart sank.
His expression hardened. His lips parted, and he firmly said:
"I refuse."
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