12/2/3470,
Dream Scape,      
White Void,

I could see light. It wasn't a blinding light, it was more subdued. Slowly, a man crept out of the shadows. He was wincing in pain, and limping, from a severe leg wound. When he looked up, I immediately recognised him as Raphael, although his black hair was matted with dirt and blood.

He coughed into his hand, and when he brought it away, it was scarlet with blood. His voice was sandpapery, weak from malnutrition and dehydration.

"Sca-Scarlet?" He mumbled, almost incoherently.

"Yes. Raphael! What happened?" I replied worriedly.

"N-no. Scar. No. Y-you need to run. Plea-please," he panted. His eyes were wild and feverish, but he was not insane... not yet. I feared he was on the brink of madness.

"But you're hurt! I can't leave you!" I cried.

"Run Scarlet. They're coming. Ma-mareng's. They'll tear down your walls, until you're a b-broken husk, you've got to run. Run, run, run, little Scarlet. We're coming for you!" His voice suddenly turned maniac, and he advanced towards me, pulling out a glittering knife. I stood paralysed, as he threw it right at my heart. "Stabby, stabby..." He whispered, just as my mind filled with fleeting visions.

My Mum, fighting the Mareng's, holding a baby to her chest, protectively, shielding it from the bullets. The child had a small head of silver hair, and I realised it was me. But, when she looked at me, Mum's - and the babies - eyes, were black and soulless. They both had a brand mark on their right arm, and from the flesh peeling off, I knew it was new. It read six-six-six: traitor.

Raphael and me were playing in the Glitzern park. It was summer, and we were enjoying the warm weather. I noticed bandages on mine and Raphael's right arms, just where I'd been branded before. We were on the roundabout, grinning happily, like carefree six and eight year olds should. Whilst we spun dizzyingly, our bandages ripped off, revealing the same message.

Six-six-six: traitor.

Traitor.

Traitor.

Traitor...

***

12/2/3470,
Fear Landscape,
Scarlet's House,    

Slowly, I regained consciousness. I blinked a couple of times, and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. When I finally took in my surroundings, I realised it was much too early to be awake at. Jason was watching me worriedly, his emotions open like a book. I quickly jumped out of bed, and stared at the arm carefully, checking for a brand mark. I traced where it should be, and then I felt it. A slight bump in the skin, and as I traced them, I realised that it was the inscription from my dream.

Knowing Jason was there, made me bite back my tears, and look into his anxious eyes. I smiled at him apologetically, and he sighed. I was wondering where Raphael was, as I wanted to see how much of my dream was true. 

Suddenly, Jason cut into my train of thought, supplying the fact that I was screaming. Apparently I was screaming traitor. And crying too. I swallowed worriedly, but he didn't prod.

"Umm, sorry for waking you up... Where's Raphael, I need to... talk. It's urgent," I  soughed.

"He's setting up an area for you to practice your knife throwing. You were murmuring his name too. Yelling about traitors, and how much you hated Mareng's. He was really quite perplexed, and didn't particularly want to deal with repercussions," Jason sighed, a hint of annoyance coming through.

"I was? Jason... what do you know about Mareng's?" I asked curiously.

"Not much. They don't really interfere with us, as we're on the opposite side of our world." Jason smiled.

"Well... they don't particularly like Glitzern," I said, my words dripping with scorn and sarcasm.

"Oh?" He asked.

"They sometimes steal our resources, make fights for no reasons, and kill people. Even little babies, like my little brother Tim." I whispered sadly.

"I-I'm sorry for your loss, Scar..." He mumbled.

"It's okay. I'm going to clear my head, I will be back after lunch. I still have these mentor sessions with Naomi and the gang." I smiled.

"Oh. Okay. This is from Raphael, by the way." He shrugged indifferently. He passed me the note, and I read it in my head.

SCARLT,

MET ME AT TH FONTIAN AT OEN PM, FOR TRANING

RAPHAEL

I looked at Jason confusedly, and he smiled, explaining that he was dyslexic. I quickly thanked him, and then head out of the door, rubbing my eyes, to contemplate my strange dream, and my brand.

~DreamCatz, and DarkSky1910