Dive to the Heart - 3 Ways
He was standing in front of a mirror. It was full-length and freestanding, but it's design was strange. In place of a frame, the glass was framed by brilliantly shining silver crystals, seemingly grown to the purpose. It had an intentionally-chaotic feel to it.
Stranger still was the room it was standing in, or rather, the lack of one. He could see nothing else, not even a source of light. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all the not-quite-black color that lurks behind one's eyelids. He could feel that the floor was firm and smooth, but could get no other input through his boots.
Within the glass was just as odd- though he saw himself, it was not his reflection. The version of himself in the glass was younger, still wearing the uniform robe of the University. He was straddling a wooden chair, it's back facing the mirror, and his face was propped on one hand.
"Finally, you got here. I was beginning to think you'd just fall under without resisting at all." It was so odd hearing his voice coming from the man in the mirror. Did he actually sound like that? "Listen, there's not much time."
Option 1
The quality of the air changed- suddenly it felt thick, like when trying to run in a dream. The voice from the mirror sounded like it was underwater, or a hundred miles away. The man in the glass jumped up from his chair, pressing his hands against the surface and screaming. Rian saw a flash of red in the mirror's surface- -then the entire world shattered into mirror shards, and he fell into deepest blackness.Option 2
"You're dreaming, and you've got to wake up." "What? Who-" "I'm you. At least, the subconscious part of you. We might be in my domain but only you can get us out of this." "How-" "There's really no time for all of that," the mirror's voice was beginning to sound fuzzy, like the sound was suffering from electrical interference. "They are breaking through-" the words were almost completely unintelligible now, "-... can't... out... longer..." The reflection's face looked strained, like he was struggling through a migrane. The sound was fading, now gone, but Rian could still read his mirror's lips: WAKE UP. WAKE UP. WAKE UP. [jumpcut to first dreamtrap]Option 3
Rian's reflection straightened up and counted off on his fingers: "One: I'm your subconscious. Two: I've made a dream where we can talk, because we need to. Three: Someone Outside is trying to trap us in an endless dreamscape. Four: I can't hold them out forever. Five: Only you can get us out of this." He closed his mouth, took a moment to review his list of questions, then nodded sharply. "Got it. I have other questions, but they can wait until we're no longer in danger." The subconscious Rian nodded back. "Good. Crisis mode. We'll need that, keep your mind sharp." "How do I get us out of this?" "It looks like they're building a series of nested dreams, trying to find one that will make you want to stay forever, or else give up trying to get out. It'll feel like a vivid lucid dream, where you can be aware of what's happening if you focus. You have to resist and keep waking yourself up until you break through completely." "How will I know when I'm actually awake?" "You won't be able to will yourself awake anymore. They're trying to trap you in a pit of honey, not a stone cell- you can get out if you try. So try, dammit." The two traded nods again, then the reflection turned his eyes upward. "Looks like I have a minute more..." He reached out his hands and gently moved them apart, and the frame of the mirror stretched out and upward until it was more of a scale with a grand royal portrait. Rian could now see behind him a kind of study-laboratory hybrid. A wide worktable sat to one side, covered with notes and odds and ends and not a small amount of chemistry equipment. Most of the rest of the room as dominated by uneven bookshelves packed full of tomes of all descriptions. The floor was polished wood, but mostly covered in soft, mismatched, well-worn rugs. It seemed homey to him and he realized he was catching a glimpse of his own mind. Then Rian saw him, leaning back against the shelves behind his subconscious' reflection. The golden eyes were nervous for an instant when they caught his, then the avian smiled. "You can do this, Harian. Your will is stronger than hers." "Valkan-" Then the world shattered, the room becoming shards of black against a consuming white light.#3 is way too exposition-y, and is too explicit in the Valkan reveal. #1 is too fast, there's really no reason to stop off here if that's all Harian's going to get. For final, probably mix #2 and #3. Add more info to #2 as well as some kind of allusion to Valkan's situation without being too direct. That speeds up Harian's healing arc too much.
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