Lord of Mysteries: The Dream That Waits

The room was silent.

Klein and Yeaia both stared at the spiral burned into the door.

It wasn't a sigil.

It wasn't a rune.

It wasn't even a proper symbol.

It was a mistake in reality.

A place where the world had forgotten to exist.

Klein had seen many strange things since becoming The Fool.

He had spoken to gods, unearthed forbidden knowledge, and stared into the abyss more times than he could count.

But this—this was different.

This wasn't knowledge. This wasn't power.

This was unmaking.

And Yeaia knew exactly what it meant.

---

"It's Not a Warning."

Yeaia exhaled slowly, stepping forward.

Their fingers hovered over the spiral but never touched it.

"This isn't a warning," they murmured.

Klein narrowed his eyes. "Then what is it?"

Yeaia's silver-gray eyes flickered with something unreadable.

"A countdown."

The words sent a sharp chill down Klein's spine.

"A countdown to what?"

Yeaia's lips curled into something too tired to be a smile.

"To me."

---

The Dream That Was Supposed to Fade

"You remember what I told you, right?" Yeaia asked, voice light. "I was supposed to disappear."

"The Dreaming Pathway was erased. Every trace of it was wiped out. I shouldn't be here."

"But I am."

Their fingers curled into their sleeves.

"And that means something went wrong."

Klein stayed quiet, waiting.

"The world doesn't allow mistakes like me to exist."

"Something is trying to fix that."

Klein's grip tightened on his revolver.

"And this spiral?"

Yeaia finally looked at him.

"It means reality has noticed I'm still here."

"And it's coming to correct that."

---

"We Need to Move."

Klein didn't waste time.

"Pack whatever you need."

Yeaia blinked, startled. "Huh?"

"We're leaving."

Yeaia gave him a bemused look.

"Klein, you do realize you're a god, right? If you don't want to be found, you won't be."

Klein's jaw tensed.

"You don't get it."

He pointed at the spiral.

"That thing isn't a trace of an attack. It isn't a curse. It isn't an entity."

"It's the world itself acting against you."

Yeaia's amusement faded.

Klein continued, grim.

"If reality has finally noticed you, then that means it's already started."

"You are being unmade."

A long silence settled between them.

Then—

Yeaia laughed.

"You really are different, Klein."

Klein scowled. "How is this funny?"

Yeaia just smiled, but this time, it didn't quite reach their eyes.

"Because you're still trying to save something that shouldn't exist."

Klein exhaled sharply.

"You're here. That's enough for me."

Something in Yeaia's gaze shifted.

Then, without another word, they stepped forward and grabbed Klein's outstretched hand.

"Alright then, Mr. Fool."

"Let's run."

---

The Spiral Follows

They were gone in an instant.

The candlelight flickered. The air stilled.

And in the emptiness they left behind—

The spiral twisted.

Not disappearing.

Growing.

Because wherever Yeaia fled—

It would follow.

---

End of Chapter 8

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