Aeron was deep in sleep when it began.
At first, it was faint, a distant noise. But then it grew. Voices. Screams. The cries of men, women, and children all mixed together in a terrible chorus. He could hear feet pounding against the ground, people running for their lives. Somewhere far away, he heard wood breaking and cracking. The sound of fire filled the air, and the smell of smoke and burning flesh seemed to stick to his skin, even though it was only a dream.
In the dream, he found himself walking toward the chaos, even though every part of him wanted to turn away.
The closer he got, the louder it became, screams turned into painful cries, and the fire roared so loud it was all he could hear.
His chest felt tight, and it was hard to breathe.
Suddenly, he woke up.
