Submission (#6656) Approved

In the depths of night, Persephone's originally peacful slumber was thrown into the horrifying throes of turmoil. The peacefulness in her sleep that she sought was completely shattered, replaced by the haunting fusion of Zevija's fiery, rocky landscapes, intertwined with the frozenness of Strynhalde. She had seen this before it was just like the pocket dimension she was almost lost in the other day.

Lost in the twisted combination of the two very different worlds, she wandered through this confusing and surreal landscape. Rocks blistering with molten heat stood adorned with the uncharacteristic snow and ice. Trees, defying logic, sprung from the rocky crags, their branches weighed down by the burden of icicles.

"Where am I?" Persephone's voice trembled, her words swallowed by the eerie silence all around her. Her breath hitched in the frigid air, a huge contrast to the searing heat that radiated from the ground beneath her feet. It was like her outside was warm, but her inside, her lungs, were frozen.

Clutching at the snowy tipped trees near her for stability, she tried to calm down, attempting to anchor herself. "This can't be real. It's all wrong, twisted… Breath in, breath out"

The combination of heat and cold waged war within her, unsettling her to her very core. The familiar yet alien terrain twisted her perceptions, each step full of uncertainty.

"Focus, Persephone, this can't be real…and even if it is, you've been here before,” she urged herself to calm down, her words echoing and bouncing around the emptiness. 

As she pressed forward, the landscape shifted, becoming an ever twisting maze of different elements. Panic threatened to overtake her as the weird and horrifying union of Zevija and Strynhalde refused to yield coherence.

"Stay calm. Find a way out," she murmured to herself, her voice tinged with desperation.

In the throes of this disorienting nightmare, Persephone battled to try and discern reality from the fragmented and twisted world before her. Each step felt like it lasted an eternity, the fusion of Zevija and Strynhalde haunting her every move, leaving her lost in a labyrinth of enmeshed elements.

Persephone's heart raced, her breaths coming in short, frantic gasps as the Daeva, made of dark violet anime, covered in black scales and armor, with rings like halos covering its arms, emerged from the landscape. Its presence sent shivers down her spine, and a terror that rooted her to the spot.

The sinister creature stalked her, its motions a fluid as it walked through the dissonant world, beckoning her forward as if guiding her towards an unknown destination. Panic surged within her as she fled, the creature's pursuit unrelenting.

Cornered at the precipice of jagged rocks, Persephone trembled, her gaze fixated on the seething lava below. The Daeva advanced, its silhouette casting a foreboding shadow over her. With nowhere left to retreat, she stumbled backward, her footing faltering on the unstable ground.

The rocks crumbled beneath her weight, a gut wrenching sensation of free falling engulfed her. Terror seized her senses as she hurtled towards the molten inferno below, a deafening roar filling her ears.

And then, an abrupt jolt shattered the nightmare's hold. Persephone's eyes snapped open, her body drenched in a cold sweat. Gasping for air, she found herself in the familiar bedroom of her own house, the nightmare's remnants dissipating.

Relief washed over her as she clutched at her chest where her heart was racing, the vivid horrors of the dream still haunting her thoughts. It took a moment for reality to settle in, the nightmare, the Daeva, the perilous fall, mere figments of her subconscious imagination.

As the remnants of fear faded, Persephone's breaths steadied. It was just a dream, she reassured herself. Yet, the unease lingered, a reminder of the impression left by the twisted fusion of Zevija and Strynhalde, .

"It's not real," she whispered hoarsely, her voice shaky yet resolute. She repeated the words like a mantra, each syllable a lifeline back to sanity.

Drawing in deep breaths, she focused on the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest, willing her racing heart to slow its frantic tempo. Persephone's pulse steadied, her rapid breaths gradually synchronizing with the calmness of the night.

Leaning back against her pillows, she closed her eyes, willing herself to embrace the reality that surrounded her; the soft rustle of the wind outside her window, the gentle glow of moonlight filtering through the curtains, the reassuring familiarity of her room.

"It was just a dream," she murmured softly, the words an affirmation to dispel the lingering echoes of fear. Slowly, she cataloged the details of her room, the comforting weight of her blankets, the peaceful stillness, the gentle ambiance that enveloped her.

With each passing moment, the residual dread faded, replaced by a sense of assurance. She reminded herself of the discordant fusion of Zevija and Strynhalde, similar to the pocket dimensions she had encountered the other day.

As calmness seeped back into her veins, Persephone drew another deep breath, feeling the tension melting away. She tucked the memories of the nightmare into the corners of her mind, a distant memory to be acknowledged but not allowed to dictate her reality.

With a steadier resolve, she settled back, letting the night embrace her once more. The nightmare's tendrils dissolved away, leaving her anchored in the sanctuary peacefullness of her room, reassured by the undeniable truth: it was not real, she was safe and at home.