Somnium

Walter Griggs was an ordinary man by all accounts. A retired schoolteacher, he lived alone in a quiet apartment, his days blending into one another with the rhythm of the mundane. But Walter’s nights were anything but ordinary.

For as long as he could remember, Walter dreamed vividly—so vividly, in fact, that his dreams felt more real than his waking life. They weren’t mere fragments of imagination; they were entire worlds, intricate and immersive. In his dreams, he was a different person every night: a warrior battling shadow beasts, a sailor navigating endless seas, or a poet crafting verses in a grand, ancient city.

At first, he dismissed them as a curious quirk, perhaps a side effect of his solitary existence. But one night, everything changed.

Walter found himself in a vast, shimmering desert under a sky filled with twin moons. The sand sparkled like crushed glass, and the air hummed with a strange, melodic vibration. In the distance stood a colossal archway, its surface carved with symbols that seemed to shift and rearrange themselves as he approached.

A figure waited for him beneath the archway, cloaked in silver, its face hidden.

“Walter Griggs,” the figure spoke, its voice echoing in his mind, “you have crossed into the Somnium Realm, the domain of dreams. You are no longer a mere visitor. You are a Dreamweaver.”

“A what?” Walter asked, his voice wavering between awe and confusion.

The figure explained that the Somnium Realm was not simply a product of his subconscious. It was a dimension that existed beyond reality, accessible only to those who could navigate the delicate boundary between waking and dreaming. Dreamweavers, rare and powerful, had the ability to shape these dreams, to explore their depths and uncover hidden truths.

Walter’s ordinary life began to unravel. Each night, he returned to the Somnium Realm, where his presence grew stronger. He learned to control the landscapes, summon objects with a thought, and communicate with other Dreamweavers. Together, they explored the realm’s mysteries: a floating library where every book contained someone’s forgotten memories, a forest where the trees whispered secrets of the universe, and a city built on the clouds, inhabited by beings of light.

But the Somnium Realm was not without danger.

One night, Walter found himself in a dream darker than any he had ever experienced. The vibrant colors of the realm had faded to shadow, and a cold wind whispered warnings in a language he couldn’t understand. As he ventured deeper, he encountered a twisted figure known only as the Shade, a force that fed on fear and doubt.

The Shade sought to corrupt the Somnium Realm, turning dreams into nightmares and trapping Dreamweavers in endless loops of despair. Walter felt its pull, the weight of his own regrets and loneliness threatening to consume him.

But he wasn’t alone.

From the luminous city in the clouds, his fellow Dreamweavers arrived, their combined presence driving back the darkness. Walter realized that his role wasn’t just to shape dreams—it was to protect them, to ensure that the Somnium Realm remained a sanctuary for all who entered.

As the Shade retreated, the realm began to heal. Walter stood beneath the twin moons, feeling a newfound sense of purpose. His waking life, once dull and lifeless, now held a quiet anticipation. Each night was an opportunity to return, to explore, to weave dreams that brought hope, courage, and inspiration.

In the waking world, Walter became a storyteller, sharing tales of fantastical realms and heroic journeys. His words touched those around him, sparking a sense of wonder and curiosity. Though they saw him as a man of vivid imagination, only Walter knew the truth—that every story was real, a fragment of the Somnium Realm, a testament to the infinite possibilities that lay within dreams.

And so, Walter lived two lives: one in the quiet reality of his small apartment, and another in the boundless expanse of the dream world, where every night was a new adventure.