The world I created for my first students was a calm and simple one: a vast, quiet beach under a sky of swirling, twilight constellations. The dream-selves of Zazu and Pip stood on the warm sand, looking down at their hands with a sense of pure wonder.
Zazu looked up from his hands to the impossible, swirling constellations in the twilight sky. His voice was filled with awe. "To know one is dreaming... yet for it to feel so real. What magic is this?"
"Me too," Pip added, poking his own dream-arm. "This is just... so weird."
My voice echoed all around them, not coming from one direction but from the dream itself—a calm, guiding presence.
'Welcome, gentlemen, to the classroom. This world is made of thought. Therefore, your own thoughts can shape it. The first and most important rule is to believe that you can.'
I gave them their first, simple task.
'Your first exercise is to create a comfortable chair.'
Zazu, an elf with a mind naturally attuned to shaping subtle energies, closed his eyes. He concentrated, and before him, a beautiful, elegant wooden chair grew from the sand, its back carved in the shape of interwoven leaves. It was a perfect success on the first try.
Pip, however, was a different story. His mind was a whirlwind of anxiety and self-doubt. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to imagine a chair, but his own paranoia got in the way.
His first attempt produced a chair made of writhing, hissing snakes. He yelped and jumped backward as it dissolved back into sand.
His second attempt looked like a normal wooden chair, but he could clearly see a hidden pressure plate on the seat, linked to a dart trap on the chair's leg. His subconscious was literally building traps.
'Do not focus on what could go wrong, Pip,' I guided him gently. 'Focus only on what you want. What would be comfortable right now?'
"I just want a simple, normal stool!" Pip grumbled in frustration. As he said it, a plain, slightly wobbly wooden stool popped into existence before him. It wasn't pretty, but it was solid. It was a success.
A huge grin spread across the rogue's face. "I did it! I made a thing!"
'Excellent,' my voice echoed. 'Now for the second lesson: sensing others. Close your eyes and don't just look at this world. Feel it. Tell me, are we alone on this beach?'
They both fell silent and concentrated. At first, there was nothing but the sound of the gentle waves. Then, Zazu's eyes opened. "I feel… a presence. A third mind. It's calm and very large. Is that you, Core?"
'It is.'
Just as Pip was about to say he felt it too, a new presence burst into the Dreamscape uninvited.
It was a tiny, sparkling, and very angry pink figure. It was FaeLina.
"What is this place?!" she squeaked, zipping between the two stunned adventurers.
Pip yelped and pointed, scrambling backwards on the sand. "Whoa! A tiny, angry, glowing person just appeared out of nowhere!"
Zazu, ever the scholar, looked at her with analytical curiosity. "It's a fairy. But the question is, how is she present in our shared dream?"
FaeLina put her hands on her hips, looking annoyed. "The rules of perception are different in a mind-scape, you silly elf!" she huffed, glaring at the sky where she assumed I was listening. "That doesn't change the fact that he pulled me in without my permission!" she huffed, glaring at the sky where she assumed I was listening.
Before her rant could truly get going, I decided the first lesson was over. 'Rest now,' I projected, and a feeling of deep, peaceful sleep washed over the Dreamscape.
(The Comfy Corner - Real World)
Zazu and Pip woke up in their private alcoves. They didn't feel groggy from a strange dream; they felt more refreshed and clear-headed than ever before. They sat up and looked at each other, wide-eyed with excitement. The training had been real, and they remembered everything.
Nearby, FaeLina stirred from a light nap she hadn't realized she'd been taking near my core. She shook her head, looking confused.
"Ugh, I just had the weirdest dream about a beach and yelling at an elf," she muttered to herself, clearly not making the full connection yet.
A set of notifications appeared in my consciousness, confirming the success of the experiment.
[First 'Dreamer Sentinel' training session complete!]
[Skill Unlocked for Zazu & Pip: 'Basic Dream Conjuration'.]
[New Dungeon Ability Unlocked: 'Hostile Intent Sensor'.]
[Description: Your sleeping Dreamer Sentinels can now be set to 'watch' for malicious thoughts entering the dungeon, acting as a psychic alarm system.]
The first part of my new active defense was in place. It was time to put my sentinels on duty.