[Their efforts mean nothing, like pebbles glancing off a fortress. Stephen flings his magic over and over again, but the entity is beyond their prowess -- that Ren was able to do this in any waking reality is something of a miracle, one that he can question at a later time. When reality isn't fading away, when Ren hasn't just fallen over when the massive thing had lay claim to a book-]
Ren! [Seeing him fall is what finally makes Stephen break his onslaught, destroying his concentration in an attempt to make his way over, to put up a shield around them to halt whatever may be coming-
And then, reality comes swiftly, yanking them out of the dream, like fish caught on a fisherman's line.
He starts, confused and still harried with alarm and the fresh-knowing of death, before he realizes where he is: ADI's library, seated at a computer, with the screen long gone to sleep due to his idleness. Stephen rubs his face; he can feel the indent of the keyboard's corners as a divot in one cheekbone.]
Ren?!
[Glancing around... and nothing. The next few moments are filled with him sending the young man's phone a text.]
no subject
Ren! [Seeing him fall is what finally makes Stephen break his onslaught, destroying his concentration in an attempt to make his way over, to put up a shield around them to halt whatever may be coming-
And then, reality comes swiftly, yanking them out of the dream, like fish caught on a fisherman's line.
He starts, confused and still harried with alarm and the fresh-knowing of death, before he realizes where he is: ADI's library, seated at a computer, with the screen long gone to sleep due to his idleness. Stephen rubs his face; he can feel the indent of the keyboard's corners as a divot in one cheekbone.]
Ren?!
[Glancing around... and nothing. The next few moments are filled with him sending the young man's phone a text.]
tell me you're awake now