That night, Shonte dreamed of a book.
At first, it was only darkness.
Not the ordinary kind- the kind that existed only between closed eyes-but something endless and cold, stretching so far in every direction that it made his chest tighten. There was no floor beneath his feet, no sky above him, no sound except the slow echo of his own breathing.
Shonte hesitated before carefully taking a single step forward.
The moment his foot touched the darkness, the entire void exploded with light.
Countless stars ignited around him all at once, stretching endlessly in every direction like an infinite galaxy. Swirling clouds of purple and blue drifted through the darkness while distant constellations shimmered overhead. It felt as though he had stepped directly into the center of the universe itself.
The stars reflected faintly in his widened eyes as he slowly turned in place, completely speechless.
Then the whispers started.
Soft at first.
Too quiet to understand.
Shonte turned slowly, trying to figure out where the voices were coming from, but the void around him shifted unnaturally, almost like it was alive. The whispers grew louder with every passing second until they blended into one overwhelming sound ringing through his skull.
And then the book appeared.
It floated in front of him, suspended in the air with silver markings glowing faintly across the cover. The pages flipped on their own, faster and faster, while black ink covered them like veins.
Shonte stumbled back instinctively, and the whispers stopped.
Silence crashed over him so suddenly that it made his ears ring.
Then a massive figure slowly emerged from the void behind the book.
Shonte's breath caught in his throat.
The entity towered over him like a god standing in the starlit void. Long, glowing golden hair flowed around its body like liquid light. A white cloth gown draped over its enormous frame, moving gently despite the lack of wind.
A cold shiver ran down his spine, and he staggered back under the weight of the entity's presence.
Immediately, Light exploded outward the moment Shonte took a step back.
Golden lights swirled around him, warm against his skin instead of cold. Beneath his feet, shimmering glass- like ground reflected the constellations above, making it feel as though he were standing in the middle of the universe itself.
The towering figure didn't move, yet his presence seemed to expand to fill every corner of the void.
Its face was beautiful. Not in a human way.
It looked perfect in the same terrifying way the night sky looked perfect.
Vast, endless, impossible to truly comprehend.
When its glowing eyes met his, Shonte stopped breathing for a moment.
The entity smiled faintly.
"Fear not, child," It said softly, its voice echoing gently through the stars around them. "For I have not summoned you here to do you harm."
"My name is Luxor."
Then more figures appeared.
Dozens of them.
Some sat upon enormous stone thrones while others floated silently. None of them looked human. Some had too many eyes. Others had bodies made entirely of shadows or silver smoke. One appeared to have no face at all.
And they were staring at him.
The whispers returned immediately.
"He's weak."
"Too fragile"
"The book chose...this one? A human?"
"He'll die first."
Their voices overlapped endlessly until Shonte instinctively covered his ears.
Then suddenly...
"SILENCE!!!."
The entire void shook violently.
One of the seated entities leaned forward from its throne, its deep voice instantly silencing every whisper.
Unlike the others, this one looked almost human. Dark robes covered its body completely, though faint blue flames burned beneath the fabric where its face should have been.
"Let the boy speak for himself," It said calmly.
Every eye turned toward Shonte again.
His throat tightened.
Luxor stared down at him silently before speaking in a voice that echoed.
"Tell us, child."
Its glowing eyes narrowed slightly.
"Why do you believe you are here?"