There she stood in a brilliant red dress.
Sean was ready to pop the question.
Next thing he knew he found himself in a brightly lit room.
His world changed forever.
No more was he preparing for marriage but was surrounded by a world of angels, demons, and war. Being forced to move forward or perish forever he steps into an unknown future, the confusion of his past haunting him.
With the guidance of his guardian angel Samantha, he learn to navigate his new reality as a champion of those being dominated by demons. As Sean continues to grow into his new destiny will the mysteries of his past come to light? Will those answers build him up or destroy him? How many layers of deception must he overcome to find the truth?
"All of those who seek the truth must know it comes with a price." - Samantha
There she stood in a brilliant red dress.
Sean was ready to pop the question.
Next thing he knew he found himself in a brightly lit room.
His world changed forever.
No more was he preparing for marriage but was surrounded by a world of angels, demons, and war. Being forced to move forward or perish forever he steps into an unknown future, the confusion of his past haunting him.
With the guidance of his guardian angel Samantha, he learn to navigate his new reality as a champion of those being dominated by demons. As Sean continues to grow into his new destiny will the mysteries of his past come to light? Will those answers build him up or destroy him? How many layers of deception must he overcome to find the truth?
"All of those who seek the truth must know it comes with a price." - Samantha
Where am I? What is this bright light? He was surrounded in darkness, distant thoughts he knew were important flickered at the edge of his mind. What are they? So far away⊠A hazy white started to come to him.
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âOh, you're awake. If I waited any longer, excessive measures were an alternative,â a female voice spoke.
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Blinking, he tried to bring the world around him into focus. âWho?â He winced, still blinking, lifting an arm up to block some of the light unsuccessfully. âWhat are you?â the male voice asked.
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âOh, Sean, I'm your Guardian Angel. Welcome to the afterlife.â The voice warmed as it spoke.
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âThe afterlife? Where is Tabatha?â I can't even remember. He rubbed his eyes, still attempting to get them to work.
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âTabatha? That is your past, and we need to concentrate on the present,â Sean finally got his eyes to focus enough to catch the Angelâs gentle smile.
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Sean sat up in the bed, letting the cover slide down his chest and pool by his left arm. He looked around the tiny white room. Lifting his gaze past the pristine white walls, there was a midsized rectangular window that stood vertically, giving him a small peek into the world beyond the room. Outside the window was a crystal, near emerald-blue ocean that had waves cresting and shimmering beyond his reach. The smell of the salty water was refreshing in the sterile environment. Though if he were to be stuck in this place with only the view and the scent, in time, it could drive a man nutsâŠDidnât she say something about after life? Did he go to a place of torment? No, no, he must be in a hospital room⊠without equipment⊠He turned his attention to the woman standing at his bedside. She appeared to be seven feet tall, and her wings were tucked behind her gray business suit. Aww, a lawyer⊠there must have been an accidentâŠ
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âNice wings.â The compliment escaped his mouth without thinking. Turning his head to look himself over, seeing if he could find the reason he was here. âSo, what happened? Are you here to help me with a case so I could get some cashâŠâ He trailed off, frozen for a couple of beats as his mind started to try and reason through what he knew and had seen. Wings, afterlife, didnât she say something about being an angel? Lifting his head to eye her, he swallowed. âSoâŠâ He licked his lips sucking them gently. âYouâre my Guardian Angel?â He waited a beat to see if she would react like any sane person on Earth would, but she just stood there calmly and composed. âBut You, youâlook like a 1980s businesswoman!â He gestured widely at her clothing. âWhy are you wearing a power suit?â Seanâs eyes furrowed as he waited for her answer. Maybe this is a wild dream⊠yeah, a dream.. what did I have for dinner last night? Steak, wine, mashed potatoes⊠maybe a wild dream⊠Wake up, wake up, wake up!
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âWhatâs with the snarky look? The Goddess Anastasia told me I could pick any outfit I want.â The angel crossed her arms, and if Sean didnât know any better, he would say that she was almost pouting. âThis one spoke to meâŠâ She whipped her head around to look at him, sending her cotton candy traces fluttering. âDon't make fun of it.â Sighing and letting the tension drop out of her shoulders, she then winked at Sean and smiled before twirling slowly.
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Sean shook his head for a moment, his thoughts racing. He was still here⊠not a dream then. So he didnât want to start negative⊠âI'm in the afterlife?â He gripped the blanket to give him some sense of security. âAm I in heaven, paradiseâŠâ His grip tightened. âOr somewhere else?â It was taking everything he had to remain calm.
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âYou're in none of the above.â Her voice was smooth and clear, a tone that suggested she was not playing a joke on him⊠she seemed serious. âYou are in a spiritual battleground.â The angel stood upright, towering over him, and locked her caramel orbs onto his hazel ones.  Â
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âA spiritual battleground,â Sean parroted softly.
âYes.â Samantha nodded. Her right hand reached over toward her left as she fidgeted with the purple metal charms that rested there. âRight now, we're in between the realm of Heaven and Earth. Anastasia created a checkpoint here for us to fight the demons.â Her delicate fingers traced one of the star-shaped charms, the light catching it and reflecting from the gem therein⊠it was dazzling. âFor you to make it to the afterlife, you have a choice to make.â
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âA choice?â Sean stared, mouth hanging open. There was no choice; he had to go back! âI was about to propose to my girlfriend. The stage was set.â He lifted a hand to his head and rubbed his temples, hiding his eyes, and he tried to calm himself⊠âWhat happened? I need to know,â Sean persisted.
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âIn time you will understand.â She dropped her right hand back by her side before gesturing upward. âDo you want to go to Pardise?â Moving her hand out to the side she asked, âDo you want a second chance?â The angel looked sternly at Sean.
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Sean shifted as he rose up more in the bed. It caused the white blanket to slide more to the left, revealing his black and red plaid jammie pants that did not in any way match his blue dolphin shirt. Sean paused in his movement, realizing he couldnât just goâŠ. Another realization popped into his head; he didnât even know what to call her⊠âFirst of all, what's your name? You look like you can handle yourself.â His eyes traced the sword on her hip, which mirrored the length of his body. âYou could impale me before I even move.â
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âAs your Guardian Angel, I am given certain powers by Anastasia to kill demons, but yes, if it means keeping you in this room, I could kill you ten times over and send your soul away.â The angel put her hand on the hilt of her sword tilting it. âLike I said, this is a new spiritual testing ground. We are trying to see if humans can be redeemed a different way.â
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âWhen you say redeemed, you mean a different way other than Anastasia?â Sean looked at the angel cautious, trying to decide whether he could make a break for the door.
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âNo.â She shook her head. âAnastasia is still the one and true way to redemption. Humans reject her. This experiment, or shall I say the new mission is to give humans a different chance at improvement.â Turning her head away slightly, she looked at Sean out of the corner of her eyes. âI will say no more.â The angel put her left arm out the purple and gem stone covered star charm bracelet swayed with movement as she used her right hand to brush off an imaginary critter or dust from her clothing. âWhat is your choice?â
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Sean frowned, his eyes sliding to the door and back to her. âFirst your name, then choice.â Sean crossed his arms, appearing unfazed by her persistence.
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The angel frowned a bit. âMy name is irrelevant, your choice?â
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Sean shook his head. âI need your name before I can answer.â He wasnât about to budge on this.
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âHuman!â She drove her right leg into the ground shaking the room violently. âMy patience grows thin. My name cannot be pronounced by your tongue. You can call me Samantha.â
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Smirking, Sean rose up and took her left hand in his bringing it up to his lips, âWhat a pretty name,â Sean said.
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Samantha pulled her hand back as if she had been burned. âThat charm of yours is ever-growing. People were enamored by you.â She looked at him and his mix-matched clothing. âYou could have done great things on Earth. The party lifestyle you adopted ruined you. All of those low-income jobs. Your parents paid for your Roth IRA. They also made sure you had a place to stay. Your mom worried all the time.â She eyed him sharply. âShall I go on?â
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Sean shrugged his shoulders rolling them forward. âBrilliance takes time to produce. Don't people party in hell?â Sean looked at the angel with a mischievous grin.
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Samantha snapped her fingers as screams filled the room.
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The young man put his fingers cupping his ears. âMake it stop!â Sean bellowed.
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Samantha snapped her fingers as the screams dissipated from the room. âHell is not an endless party. You cannot have sex when you want. You are tortured from now to the end of time. Most humans would have decided by now. You have ten seconds, or you will be cast into The Void.â
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âOkay, okay, whatever you want me to do, I agree to it,â Sean said. âDon't let me hear those screams ever again. I heard a person say they were pulling out their fingernails. One woman had her eyes gouged out. She was naked and being raped by some sort of demon.â Sean laid face down on the bed, his head buried into the sheet. âIt sounded awful. Please have mercy. I will do whatever it takes.â
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âThat is a good choice.â Samantha clapped her hands twice, turning around. âAnastasia does have mercy on humans. There are occasions where we must scare you into the right decision. Iâm sorry I had to show you the other side. Your free will is also your greatest fall. What are you waiting for?â
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Sean lifted his head. Putting his legs over the side of the bed, he cautiously stood up. His body felt lighter than usual. It was a weird sensation. If he could describe it, it would be like being on the moon but with weights on his arms and legs. He jumped for a moment and felt like he jumped twice high as he could on Earth. It wasn't quite what people described the afterlife to be. He was scared, but he knew The Void was not a place he wanted to go.
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Samantha walked forward, her wings tucked behind her back, opening the door before her. âSean, welcome to the Dreamweaverâs Society.â
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Sean stepped through the door. His eyes surveyed books on shelves high as the eye could see. He saw people of all sizes and angels that looked like humans with supernatural abilities. They were floating flawlessly, pulling books out and putting them back on the shelves at an alarming rate.
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âHumans are dying at a rapid rate, and we don't have enough time to process them all. Why can't we get some help here?â An older angel with a double chin floated above them grabbing a book quickly scrolling through its contents.
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Samantha walked by, looking at the angel who shouted. âYou know most of the warrior angels are fighting advance level demons. We don't have angels to put toward this project.â
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The older angel glided toward Samantha. He had a dwarf like appearance with a long beard. âYou speak the truth, but it's hard to keep up with how fast they are coming in. We can't catch them all and some of them are going straight to The Void without a chance.â He put his wrinkled finger up pointing it at Sean. âLike that one. I saw your conversation through the observation mirror. He almost didn't make it.â
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Sean looked up and at the pint-size creature. âYou're one to talk; you barely come to my waist.â He put his hand on his hips, bending over his eyes glaring down at the angel.
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Samantha put her hands up, slapping them tougher as if brushing off dust from a good cleaning. âIgnore him. He's confused. I am taking him to the briefing room so he can understand what all of this is about.â
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âHope so. Alexis can put him into shape. I hate being here, and she dragged us with her.â The grumpy angel twitched his neck to Sean. âI miss the cooks in paradise. These chefs here are good but I consider them rejects.â
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âTheyâre not that bad,â she stated, turning away from him smiling. Samantha waved her right hand, continuing down the long path.
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Sean put his hands in his pockets and gave the angel a head nod. He followed Samantha out of the extensive library area. So, this area is where people are processed. âThose doors connect to the world or our subconscious?â
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âAt the moment, it is beyond your comprehension,â Samantha said. âAlexis, who's in charge of the program, will enlighten you. There is no turning back. This is your path to redemption, and don't blow it.â Samantha opened the door, and they walked out into a giant mall of sorts.
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There were shops and stores with people running to and fro.
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âThis looks like where I'm from. What is this?â Sean looked bewildered as they walked, noticing escalators and stairs and people flying. If there are people with magical abilities on display, why do they take contraptions like elevators or stairs for a situation instead of flying?
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âGuardian Angels want to feel close to you. We want to know what it is to live in your shoes. We were created by Anastasia, so our existence is different. We have lots of power. But you were made in the image of Anastasia, which was different from how we were made. So for us to best relate to you, we dress like you and created a home similar to yours.â
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 Sean nodded closely, following Samantha. He saw what appeared to be clothing stores, entertainment facilities. There was also music playing. It sounded like rock music with harps and violins. It was a unique sound that he'd never heard before. âFrom what I gather, this looks like a hangout spot for humans. You said welcome to the Dreamweaver Society. What is a Dreamweaver? Are all of these people Dreamweavers?â
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âYou do catch on,â Samantha said, looking back at the tiny human behind her with a smile. âYou were always intuitive when I watched you as a young child. Why didnt you become an engineer?â
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âThe old man pushed a lot on me. He wanted me to be good at everything. I got tired of it. I still do have a knack for that skillset.â Sean looked at the ground, thinking about his father, who died before he could see him reach his full potential.
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âI'm not going to show you all of our society, but the door we're about to go through leads out to the extraordinary chambers to where Alexis resides. You will do well to mind your manners. She holds the key to your salvation and your success here.â
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Sean nodded, taking a big gulp as two large golden doors open to a brilliant staircase with large pillars on each side. He could barely comprehend what was before him. The physics of the earth played no part in the supernatural area. When the doors closed behind him, it looked like he was walking in the clouds, the stairs were translucent, and he stepped up beside his Guardian Angel.
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âContinue onward,â a loud voice said.Â
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âShe sounds scary,â Sean whispered, looking over at his Guardian Angel.
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âShe's only scary if you get on her bad side. She is a loving angel, but she has a limit. Thankfully I'm one of her favorites, so everything should be well.â
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Sean nodded as he continued to walk up the stairs. He came to the top; it appeared to be large golden drapes and velvet chairs everywhere. They were three maids cleaning up the room, and a desk with an oversized chair turned toward the bookshelf behind where the influential voice echoed.
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âYou must be the new recruit,â the voice said. âSo, you say you want to earn your salvation back. You didn't seem so sure when you talked to Samantha.â
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âAlexis.â Sean let out a small squeak as he faced the woman in front of him. âI was nervous and scared. I still am. I have no idea what's happening to me; I know I feel safe, and I followed Samantha here to you. My eyes cannot comprehend what I see. If you could please give me guidance and wisdom, I would greatly appreciate it.â
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âSo, you do have potential.â Alexis swung around to reveal her small stature. She appeared to be three feet tall, and beside her, a staff golden in color with the initials A on it.
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Sean tried to keep in his laughter, his cheeks flared red. He turned around. âThough I need to keep my composure, I don't want to be sent to hell for laughing at the leader of this domain. I could be dreaming in hell if I'm not careful.â
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âAre you done? I could send you to The Void for that. I know my small stature elicits a certain reaction from your kind, but I am a high-ranking angel, and with a snap of the finger, you could be turned into dust. So do not mock me again.â
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Sean, looking over at Samantha, wanting comfort.
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Samantha stared forward, her blue eyes looking at the bookshelf behind Sean, paying no mind to Seanâs antics. âAlexis, Sean would like the ability to become a Dreamweaver?â
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âIf I may ask, what does a Dreamweaver do?â
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Alexis sat back in her chair, looking at the man before her. âDreamweaverâs here in our society are those individuals with special privileges to enter the dreams of humans on Earth. You would be, as you would say it in your language, a ghost. People with high spiritual nature may be able to see you. But you go out at night on missions to enter dreams and stop the demonsâ attacks.â
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âYou mean I would be fighting demons. I have no skill.â Sean hissed, turning his neck to the right.
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âYou humans are an exciting lot,â Alexis said with a frustrated look. âWe do love you, but you can be dumb as rocks. You will be sent to go on several missions with a trained and more experienced Dreamweaver. Most Dreamweavers travel alone, depending on the type of demonic presence present. You will be given a gauge where you can read the demon's sinister nature. Eventually, you would develop a sixth sense to understand how demons operate in your physical realm. In time, you may be able to earn your way into paradise. This is not a guarantee; you can be tempted like anyone else can in the dream world. It is not for the faint of heart. Demons have the power to destroy your soul.âÂ
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Sean thought of all the superhero movies he saw as a child and what type of outfit he would have. The part about dying and demons left his mind, and all he thought about was to slay them quick with whatever training he would receive.
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âYou seem to be awe-struck.â Alexis looked at Sean with a slight smile. âDon't worry, the training won't kill you, but it'll feel like death. Demons are a fierce adversary, and we have to save as many humans as possible.â
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âSave humans, I mean, what will that even look like?âÂ
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âYou enter dreams, and you save them. The demons die. I have nothing else to say. Samantha will guide you to your rest area, and you will start training immediately. That is all.â Alexis looked down at the book in front of her using a pencil in her right hand to scribble something down.
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Samantha nodded as she looked over at Sean, standing there still flabbergasted, glaring at the tiny angel. Samantha let out a short cough.
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âThank you, Alexis,â Sean said in a hurried tone. âIt is an honor to be here to do our best to serve in whatever capacity, don't expect much for me; I'm a feeble human. I've never helped myself in my life, and this is different for me. I am prideful.â
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âI like this.â Alexis looked up for a moment and back at her paperwork. âSamantha, take care of him, please.â
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Samantha nodded as she turned quickly, and Sean followed suit. They went through a door to the right.
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Sean's eyes once again felt as if he was in a daydream of sorts. The door led back to the room from before, and it seemed like he had just woken up. Looking back, he saw the door vanish as they hit the ground back in front of the cranky angel from earlier.
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âI see Alexis didn't kill him or send him to The Void, so he's going to be one of those Dreamweaverâs. I can see a loser from a mile away.â The cranky angel shift his left shoulder a loud crack resonating around the magical room.
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âI have hope in him,â Samantha says. âI've watched him his whole life though I wish you would be more attentive. But if this is a chance for redemption, I'm going to make sure he's trained up with the best people we have here.âÂ
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The old angel scoffed as he flew back up, opened another book, and wrote with a quill in a language Sean couldn't understand.
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âWhen I get power, I think I'm going to take that guy on in a fight.â Sean put his fist together.
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Samantha walked forward, looking at Sean with a smile. âEven the weakest among us can take a novice Dreamweaver. You would do well not to challenge him. In his heyday, he was a great fencer in Paradise. None can match his strength or his speed. He struck with precision, but age does affect us all.â
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Sean tapped his thumbs together. âYour age. I thought angels lived forever. I believed the Goddess Anastasia made y'all infinite to be here forever to watch over us. It makes no sense to me you can die.â
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âRemember what I told you,â Samantha said. âThe way a spiritual being can be killed by someone of a similar nature. We can die because demons have the power to kill us. But we are firm in our own right, and a good goddess has given us strength to fight against the monsters, and most of all, to care for fragile humans. And she created humans from mana. Mana, is what you're going to use to draw out your power. Now that you are a spiritual body, you are connected to mana more than ever.â
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Sean nodded slowly. âMana, I heard about it in church. The priest would always talk about the Goddess Anastasia and her love for us.â
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âYou would have done well to listen more to the priest,â Samantha said, walking forward from the library near the entrance location.
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Samantha opens the door, once again astonished at what he saw. There were a variety of apartments and single-family homes. They werenât incredibly lavish, but they did have a particular charm about them. They looked like medieval-style homes but with modern conveniences. He looked up at what he thought was the sun. The ground beneath him was silver mixed with cobblestone. It was smooth to the touch and almost perfect in a sense.
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âDivine Angel,â a woman said, bowing and looking at Samantha. The woman also cut a slight smile at Sean.
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Sean smiled back at the woman, trying not to blush. Man, she was a looker.
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âYes, there are attractive people here. But love is not your focus. I want you to know about love as part of the Dreamweaver Society. Many people get married but having children here is impossible.â
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âCan I have sex?â Sean put his two index fingers together, waiting for an answer.
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âI guess you'll have to find out,â Samantha said, walking forward. She let go a slight giggle before walking toward the corner to a small condo.Â
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Sean looked up, and he saw the sign in front of him changed his name. Sean Willton. Something invisible had written his name under a small piece of wood beside the door.Â
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âWelcome home, Sean.â Samantha gleamed back at him, who was almost in tears.
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Sean wiped his eyes. For the first time in his life, he felt someone cared about him. I'm going to work hard to be worth saving.
âSalvation is going to take work.â
A Dreamweaver is a spiritual being who is given special privileges to get into the dreams of Earth people to save their souls from the clutches of demons. Sean wakes up one day to find himself thrust into the path towards becoming oneâinitially against his own will and with not much goal to keep him moving other than the threat of getting thrown off into The Void.
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I found the premise of Dreamweaverâs Awakening very intriguing, the book blurb even more so. I am, however, left feeling underwhelmed by Seanâs supposed adventure towards becoming a noteworthy Dreamweaver. For, although, he keeps thinking about how heâs going to do everything he could to be worthy of the title, and in the process also find the answers to all the questions in his head, I wasnât really feeling much effort coming from him.
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His introductory training took all of one day. He lost his supposed guardian for some unexplained reason the next day. And not even a week after waking up in the spiritual realm, he is suddenly sent on his first mission. I mean, I get that he is specialâhis Guardian Angel said soâbut surely, he canât be that specialâŠ?
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He did make a major decision that changed the outcome of an important mission. And at that moment, he did also redeem my faith in him. But then in the final scene, he was suddenly being handed an answer that was really more of a question mark, opening up a whole new can of worms without offering to tie even just one of those many loose ends that have been left dangling in the wind.
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Granted, that revelation may be enough to convince me to read the next installment, with hopes of Sean taking more of an active part in his own story instead of just some character tagging along for the ride. But I donât think answering one of the many major questions that have already been introduced wouldâve hurt either.
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What the book does well is putting together the concept of Dreamweavers and how they operate in accordance to the will of the Goddess Anastasia. This part of the story was well thought out and the information about it was also carefully incorporated into dialogue so that it didnât get overwhelming.
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However, some things about this spiritual realm seemed to still be subject to the whims of the story and the direction it wanted to go: a character working the postal services one day is suddenly a Dreamweaver the next; Sean is told his connection to his Earthly past is what keeps him weak, but in many other scenes, it is the memory of his fiancĂ©e that helps him harness his strongest powers. Â
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Perhaps all of these contradictions may yet find clarity in the next installments. Perhaps we shouldnât really be judging Sean too soon. He does need to do some major stepping up in the next book to make up for the weaknesses of the first one.
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I think I would still be signing up to see that happen.â„