Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 480: Fabricated Report ()

Jian’s eyes snapped open, and for a long moment he did not move, he just sat in the same position he had been, leaned against a tree with his gaze fixed ahead of him.

His mind still reeled from the gut wrenching pain he had just experienced and his heart was still tightly constricted, like it was tied up in a knot that just would not unravel.

Calm as Jian appeared, his heart rate was greatly accelerated and he was barely containing the gasp that would already have made it’s way out of him the moment he awakened.

In the same clearing Jian sat, Cassian stood some distance away, his attention had been drawn over to Jian the very moment Jian had woken up.

"My Liege...are you alright?" Cassian asked in concern, walking over to Jian.

Jian gave no response and Cassian truly did not expect any, he crouched down beside Jian, placing two fingers by his neck to study his pulse. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Scales!" Cassian exclaimed as he noticed just how fast Jian’s heart rate was going.

"Jian... Jian... Hey, you are with me... " Cassian called Jian’s attention, placing his hands on his shoulders in a tight grip.

Cassian tilted Jian’s head so he stared straight into his eyes, the distant look in Jian’s eyes deeply worrying him.

"Jian... focus!" Cassian hissed.

Jian blinked, his brows twitching slightly but that was enough to let Cassian know that Jian’s attention was back with him.

"It was that dream again..." Cassian said knowingly, he did not have to ask to know what would have resulted in Jian spacing out the moment he woke up.

’A dream...’ Jian thought to himself.

Indeed, that was what it was. It was just a dream, was it not? So why then had it felt so real? Why did that terror trail him even up till his waking moment?

Why was his heart still so tight in grief after every episode of his mind playing tricks with him? Why did he feel such burning rage surging through his veins and a bitter thirst for vengeance?

How could a mere dream completely disorient him and leave him unable to find his focus without help?

Jian was one who rarely slept and so when he did find sleep, it was a comfort to all his brothers.

However, it was not the same anymore. For the past year, Jian had been plagued by a reoccurring dream, every single moment he closed his eyes in sleep or even in meditation.

He would be sucked into a realistic dream that would leave him in a dazed state even when he finally broke free from it.

At first, Jian had kept it to himself and so his brothers had not known exactly when it begun happening but they had soon taken notice.

Ever since, the Dragon King was not allowed to sleep by himself without the company of one of his brothers to watch him and rouse him at any moment that it was needed.

It was done in such a discreet manner that other than Everon and the King’s guard, not even a single soul knew of this condition that now plagued the dragon king, just as they had known nothing of his chronic insomnia.

What was worse, it had not gotten any easier for the dragon king to sleep, of the one in a dozen nights Jian would actually find sleep, he would be plagued all night long by that dream.

It had gotten even harder to sleep now, since Jian now loathed sleep.

And once Jian had begun avoiding sleep intentionally, the dream began to plague his every moment of prolonged silence and calm, so even meditation had become a difficulty.

"Jian... this cannot continue." Cassian asserted.

"I am fine." Jian dismissed in his usual monotone.

"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You have not had a moment of sound sleep in what? A year? You are the only one who still thinks you are fine." Cassian deadpanned.

Jian passed Cassian a cross glare and Cassian sighed quietly.

"Listen brother, there is only so long we can keep this from getting out. It was still okay when you could hide the insomnia, a sleep once a week could suffice and meditation was a stand in for sleep."

"But now, you are not able to meditate in peace. Strong as you might be, there is only so long you can go without a basic necessity of life. Your eyes tell you have not slept in a long...long time." Cassian reasoned.

Jian understood what Cassian was worried about. At first, they had all believed it to be a phase, something that would pass in no distant time.

But it was already a year and it still had not passed. Everon had tried and exhausted all options, still he could not provide a solution to whatever it was that ailed the dragon king.

But Everon was not one to give up and so he had made a bold suggestion, a suggestion Jian had completely shut down without even giving it a second thought.

Now, staring into Cassian’s eyes, Jian knee exactly what Cassian was getting at and he did not appreciate it.

"Jian...we are just a short distance South of the White Dunes. Which means, we are already a day’s flight from the Myriad Forest...we should seek out the nymph oracle of the Myriad Forest as Everon suggested." Cassian reasoned.

"I have already said I have no interest in having my thoughts invaded and my future divined! We are only out here to confirm the sightings of another golem... nothing more." Jian replied firmly, glaring straight at Cassian.

Cassian winced at Jian’s words, diverting his gaze from Jian’s intense stare which was all Jian needed to figure Cassian out.

"The report ...it was fabricated...to lure me out here..." Jian realized from the look in Cassian’s eyes.

"My Liege..." Cassian began to explain but Jian cut him off.

"Who came up with this idea and just how many of you are in on it?" Jian demanded in a chilling cold tone.