World of dreams and nightmares

Alaric watched the strange creature retreat in fear, his confusion growing. Taking a cautious step forward, he asked softly, "What's wrong?"

The creature flinched, trembling as Alaric extended a hand toward it. Instead of accepting, the creature slapped his hand away and bolted deeper into the forest. "Stay away from me!" it cried, its voice filled with terror.

Moments later, the creature vanished into the thick fog, leaving Alaric standing alone. Slowly, the surrounding mist began to thin, and as it dissipated, Alaric made his way out of the forest. As he approached the edge, voices called out to him.

"Alaric! Where are you?"

Emerging from the trees, Alaric was startled to find a large group of villagers gathered, searching for him. His parents, Gregory and Isolde, ran toward him, their faces etched with worry.

"Alaric, where have you been? Why did you go into the forest alone? You've been gone for hours!" Gregory demanded.

Alaric pointed back toward the forest, his voice steady but uncertain. "I went to get the ball I threw into the woods. But on my way back, I heard someone calling for help. I followed the voice, but I got lost in the fog… Then, this strange creature appeared."

"A strange creature? What did it look like?" Gregory asked, his tone sharp with concern.

"It looked human but… parts of it were missing. It didn't have left arm or eyes," Alaric explained.

The villagers gasped, their expressions a mixture of fear and disbelief.

"Where did it go?" Gregory pressed.

"It ran deeper into the forest, like it saw something that terrified it," Alaric replied, recounting the incident in greater detail.

An elderly man stepped forward from the crowd, the village elder. His face was grave as he listened to Alaric's description. "That… must have been a phantom," he muttered.

"A phantom? But that's impossible! We're within the kingdom's borders. How could a demonic creature like that appear here?" Gregory argued.

The elder turned away, his expression unreadable. "We'll discuss this later. For now, let's return to the village. The sun is setting."

As they walked back, the elder leaned toward Gregory, lowering his voice. "That phantom may have been summoned by heretics. There have been rumors of their activities lately. I will send a letter to the hunter's guild to investigate. In the meantime, warn the villagers not to enter the forest for a few days."

Gregory nodded, his face clouded with concern.

That night, Alaric slept soundly under the soft glow of the moonlight streaming through his window. But from the shadows cast by his body, a dark figure emerged. Its form was indistinct, shrouded in complete darkness. The figure stared at Alaric for a moment before silently slipping out the window.

Moving swiftly through the forest, the shadowy creature stopped in front of the phantom Alaric had encountered earlier.

The phantom recoiled in shock at its sudden appearance. "Who are you? What do you want?!" it bellowed, its voice guttural, like grinding metal.

The shadowy figure stood unmoving, its presence radiating menace. Slowly, it raised a hand and pointed at the phantom. A chilling voice rang out. "Be silent! Your screaming will wake him."

The phantom growled, enraged by the command. "I've already had a miserable day, running into that terrifying human brat. And now you dare to threaten me? Die! Demonic Magic: Land of the Dead!"

Dark magic erupted from the phantom, transforming the surrounding area into a desolate wasteland where every living thing withered and died. Undead creatures clawed their way up from the ground, encircling the shadowy figure.

But the dark figure remained unfazed. Raising its right hand, it unleashed a wave of pitch-black energy. "Darkness Authority: Nightmare's Grasp."

In an instant, a suffocating darkness engulfed the area, stretching for dozens of meters. Within the void, the phantom found itself powerless. Despite its undead nature and heightened senses, it could no longer feel the flow of mana or move its body. It was as if the darkness itself was choking it.

The shadowy figure closed the distance effortlessly. With a single motion, it obliterated the phantom and its summoned undead, reducing them all to ash.

As the darkness dissipated, a glowing orb of light appeared behind the shadow. A soft, feminine voice emerged from the orb, carrying an otherworldly authority.

"What have you done? You were not supposed to use your power. Stay dormant within the boy."

The shadowy figure turned slightly, its voice laced with defiance. "That creature threatened his life. You expect me to do nothing?"

"I did not tell you to do nothing," the voice replied sternly. "But using your power here will draw the attention of those above. The boy will be fine. Even in his current state, lower-tier demonic creatures like that phantom will cower in the presence of his soul's pressure alone."

The shadow figure fell silent.

"Return to your slumber. The seal remains intact. When the time comes, he will summon you willingly. He must grow stronger on his own. Let him face these battles and learn."

The glowing orb shattered into fragments of light and disappeared.

The shadow turned back toward Alaric's home. Re-entering the boy's room, it reached out to touch his hand. "You must grow stronger. The destined day is approaching." With those words, the shadow melted back into Alaric's own shadow, vanishing completely.

---

A few days later :

A party of hunters arrived in the village, sent by the guild to investigate the incident. They introduced themselves to the villagers: Kaelen, the warrior and leader; Theron, the rogue; Lysandra, the mage; and Seraphina, the ranger. All were ranked C-class hunters.

Under the elder's guidance, the hunters ventured into the forest, retracing Alaric's steps.

"Lysandra, use your magic to scan the area," Kaelen ordered.

Lysandra nodded, casting a detection spell. After a few moments, she found faint traces of the phantom's mana. "About 500 meters north," she reported.

The group followed her lead, eventually reaching a patch of forest where the vegetation had withered unnaturally.

"This is the place? But there's nothing here except these dead plants," Kaelen said, frowning.

Lysandra looked uneasy. "The traces end here, as if the phantom vanished completely. I can't sense anything else."

The hunters exchanged uneasy glances, their instincts warning them that something far more dangerous than a phantom had passed through these woods.