Slumber had felt unusually warm. Arcturus wasn’t even sure what slumber truly felt like, but it felt warm to him. It was like he was drifting away in a meadow underneath a cloudless blue sky. A warm breeze enveloped him. This moment felt like bliss.

“Arcturus, wake up.”

Arcturus immediately opened his eyes when he heard Nova’s voice. Just as he imagined, he had been sleeping in a meadow under a cloudless blue sky. Castle Lavender was nowhere in sight. Nova was next to him; he reached a hand out to help him up.

Nova’s clothes were different; he traded his ragged sweater and pants for a formal outfit. He wore a lavender satin shirt accessorized with a ribbon that was fastened with a gold brooch. Above the shirt was a dark purple waistcoat that had a swallowtail coattail and golden buttons. He wore dark purple trousers with  black laced combat boots. His hair was tied in a low ponytail. His outfit made his beauty stand out more; Arcturus thought he looked very elegant.

“Where is this place?” Arcturus scanned his surroundings. When he turned around, the sight of a bewitching majestic tree awed him. It was so big. The leaves were a deep green and he could see apples growing from the branches.

“Welcome to the Realm of Desires,” Nova bowed respectfully towards Arcturus. “I am your guide, Nova. This world is manifested from your memories and desires–the true form of your soul in a way. It allows the guest to look into their memories to find what it is they truly want. In turn, this allows a wish to be formed and once it’s decided, I can take you to Souhait to have it granted.”

No matter how beautiful the world is, the thought of it being created from his memories was unpleasant to Arcturus. He placed his hands on Nova’s shoulders. “How much of my memories have you seen?”

“All of them.”

“Let me out of here. I don’t want to be in this world.”

“If you leave, you die.”

Hearing those cold words made Arcturus shiver. He wondered what he had gotten himself into. Knowing that he willingly grabbed Nova’s hand did not make his situation any better. Although he was reluctant, Arcturus knew he had to keep moving forward; he did not want to die.

“How does this work?” Arcturus asked complacently.

With a satisfied smile, Nova grabbed Arcturus’s hand and dragged him towards the tree. Arcturus saw a large red door at the bottom of the trunk. Nova pointed a finger towards the door. “We go through that door and look through your memories. These are what I call ‘trials’. I need to see if you are worthy enough to form a wish and have it be granted by Souhait.”

Arcturus gulped. “If I open this door, the trial starts?”

“Correct.”

Arcturus reached a hand out. He hesitated when he felt the metal knob. This world was made from his memories; he was currently asleep. The door felt real despite being in a dream. With confidence, he turned the knob and opened the door. A black void had greeted him. He knew that he had to enter for everything to start, to which he did by taking a step forward.

In a flash, the void was no longer present. Instead, he found himself in a quaint library. Books rested on wooden bookshelves. The quiet atmosphere had calmed him. Soon, one of the books on the shelf nearby started glowing. He ran towards it to take it out. The book shined bright, which caused him to close his eyes.