Forbidden Part of the Universe
"Why did you help me?" Ron demanded with hidden anger.
"You should be thankful." Wulkranoth said
Ron was about to say something but Wulkranoth spoke first, "Follow me. We need to talk."
The air was heavy with silence as Wulkranoth strode ahead, his dark figure casting jagged shadows across the barren ground. Ron followed, tense, his hand brushing against the hilt of small knife. The thought of striking Wulkranoth from behind flickered through his mind—quick, decisive, and maybe his only chance.
But before he could move, Wulkranoth's voice cut through the stillness.
"Don't you dare try anything. Even if you did, it wouldn't bring a scratch on me. And the beings here…" He tilted his head, a grim smile tugging at his lips. "…they would erase you as if you had never been born."
Ron's grip loosened. He swallowed his intent and asked instead, "So, what are you doing here?"
Wulkranoth pushed open a creaking door and stepped inside. Ron followed, unease prickling at his skin. Only when the silence had grown unbearable did Wulkranoth speak again.
"You'll find out soon enough. But first, there's something important you must hear."
His voice carried an unsettling calm, a weight that pressed against Ron's chest.
"I will soon face the Watcher," Wulkranoth said, eyes glowing faintly in the gloom. "Beneath his throne lies the absolute power of Omnipotence. With it, I will shape a new world. Join me, Ron. Together, we will be unstoppable. I can bring Dream back. I can give you your two daughters again. Dream, after all… is my daughter. And your children…" He paused, pride and sorrow twisting together in his tone. "…are my grandchildren. Carter and other will the happiest life straight out of Fantasy."
Ron's chest constricted. His mind rebelled. my wife… his daughter? My daughters… gone, yet promised back? The words cut deep, but they stank of manipulation. Still, a dangerous flicker of hope whispered inside him, tempting him to listen.
"No. Never." His answer came sharp, but his own voice trembled.
Wulkranoth' s eyes dimmed with disappointment, though his words sharpened like knives.
"You are being used by those you trust. DA… he's powerful enough to destroy the Watcher, yet he lingers, always at your side. Why? Have you never asked yourself? To him, it's a game. And you… you are a pawn. As am I. And Mr. Gonzalez?" He leaned closer, lowering his tone to a hiss. "That man holds dominion over all. With a single thought he can erase everything—your world, your name, your very existence. Open your eyes, Ron."
Ron's fists tightened. His thoughts spun, a storm of denial and dread.
Then came the words that froze his breath.
"Your Hero Town… those very people murdered your mother before your eyes. They butchered your father. They cursed you to sleep for hundreds of years. And they killed your unborn child. And yet, you still protect Hero Town."
Ron staggered back, eyes wide. Memories clawed at him—flashes of fire, of screams, of blood. But how much was truth? How much was poison dressed as revelation?
No… no, Dream never told me this. He's twisting me. He must be. But… what if…
"That happened 800 years ago, a little before you went into slumber. After your marriage. Seeing you and my daughter happy," Wulkranoth's voice softened, almost pained, "that was all I ever wanted. I want to build a world worthy of you both. But for that… three beings must fall. The first is the Watcher. The second—Ricky Racon. And the last, the most dangerous—Mr. Gonzalez."
Ron forced the tremor from his voice. "I don't know this Watcher. Or this Ricky Racon. But Mr. Gonzalez… how do you expect to kill someone like him?"
"Perhaps we can't kill him," Wulkranoth admitted. "But we can strip him of his power."
Ron searched his face, every instinct screaming not to trust him. "How?"
Wulkranoth's gaze bore into his. "The question isn't how. The question is… are you with me, Ron?"
A silence stretched, thick and suffocating. Ron's heart hammered, his thoughts torn between suspicion and the impossible promises hanging before him. He remembered Dream's smile, her warmth. He remembered loss. But he also remembered lies.
"No," Ron said at last, his tone like steel. "Now tell me how to get out of here."
For the first time, Wulkranoth looked away. His shoulders sagged. When he spoke again, there was sorrow in his voice.
"Fine… as you wish. Whenever I look at you, you remind me of that little Ron. In my heart, you hold the same place as Dream."
With a slow, deliberate gesture, he tore open a swirling portal. Its light spilled across the dark chamber, pulling Ron into its depths.
The world collapsed into color and shadow. When Ron finally landed, he found himself in front of his house.