Lucid Veins

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CHAPTER 8

THE ADVANCED CIVILIZATION

The house was finally quiet. The air smelled faintly of dinner and comfort.

Nicolas lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Anya had already fallen asleep,his eyes also closed

Now Nicolas Enters the Dream World Again

The moment Nicolas blinked into sleep, the world shifted.

He stood once again in the dream world—but it wasn't the same as before.

The skies above swirled with colors—deep purples, glowing blues, streaks of gold like flowing paint. The air shimmered like glass.

In front of him stood the familiar clocktower, tall and ancient. Its hands struck 12:00 exactly.

From behind the tower, the Head emerged—cloaked in glowing robes, their face hidden in light.

Head (gently):

"Nicolas… I watched your day. I felt your struggle. You did well. But now… things begin to change."

> The Head raised a hand, and a strange black book appeared, hovering in the air.

Head:

"It's time you stepped further. A new dimension awaits. One not bound by our rules."

Suddenly, a screen unfolded before them, like a floating window in space.

On the other side, Nicolas saw a city unlike any other—sleek silver towers, people dressed in translucent fabrics, walking calmly. They looked human, aged between 20 and 25, glowing faintly.

One figure stood in the center of the screen and spoke as if addressing him directly:

Unknown Being:

"Hello, visitor. We are the remnants of a once-grand civilization. We've conquered death, time, pain… even meaning. Now, all we want—is to end."

Nicolas's eyes widened. He looked back at the Head.

Nicolas:

"They want to die? But… why don't they just end themselves?"

Head (quietly):

"Their time runs differently. They're in the 100th century of existence. They've evolved past all weaknesses—even the instinct of destruction.

They eliminated all threats, all viruses, all decay. In doing so, they erased their own end."

Nicolas steps forward, more curious than afraid.

Nicolas:

"So what do you want me to do?"

Head:

"You must deliver the one thing they lack—a seed of imperfection. A virus. Not to punish, but to set them free."

> The black book opened by itself. Its pages glowed with symbols and language until one page turned blank and formed a familiar word:

"Choose."

The Head extended his hand, and in his palm appeared a small glass bottle. Inside it swirled a strange, glowing liquid—shifting between silver and violet.

Nicolas looked at it, confused.

Nicolas:

"What is this?"

Head:

"It is the virus. The one they need. It will help them… to die."

The Head's tone was calm. Final.

Head:

"Now go. When you arrive… they will give you something in return. A skill. An item. A gift of their choosing."

Nicolas's eyes lit up with surprise and excitement.

Nicolas:

"A skill? Or an item?"

The Head watched him for a moment… then smiled faintly.

Head (softly):

"You are still a child."

Then he raised his arm toward the sky. The world around Nicolas began to fade once again.

Head:

"Now go."

Nicolas looked at the glowing word Choose floating in the air in front of him. Slowly, he reached out—and touched it.

The moment his fingers brushed the light, everything around him exploded into motion.

Colors burst from the ground. Time bent. Nicolas felt like he was falling and flying at the same time. His heartbeat echoed in his ears, but then even that disappeared. For a brief moment, he was weightless, surrounded by a glowing tunnel made of stars, memories, and thoughts.

He wasn't just moving through space—he was passing through realities.

Tiny voices whispered around him. Some laughed. Some cried. Some called his name.

And then — everything stopped.

Scene: Arrival

Nicolas landed gently, as if gravity had slowly returned.

He was standing in a strange, clean room—walls shining like mirrors, but without reflections. Machines floated quietly in the air. A soft hum buzzed around him.

In front of him stood a man—young-looking, calm, and dressed in a long white coat. His eyes were glowing faintly, like silver glass.

Man:

"So… you're Nicolas?"

Nicolas:

"Yes. I am."

The man smiled slightly, almost playfully.

Man (in a light tone):

"Well then—welcome in."

He stepped closer, folding his arms behind his back.

Man:

"Actually, we're all glad to see you. But… we've become so advanced, we don't know how to show emotions anymore. Strange, right?"

Nicolas gave a small nod.

Man:

"Please. Hand me the virus."

Nicolas held out the glowing bottle.

But before he could ask anything, the man raised a hand.

Man:

"Wait one second."

Suddenly, the bottle disappeared from Nicolas's hand—and appeared in the chest of another man standing silently nearby. It went inside his body like a ripple through water.

Nicolas (stunned):

"So… how are you going to die? Just by using it?"

The man looked at him with a faint smile.

Man:

"You already know why we need the virus, don't you?"

Nicolas:

"Yes… I know."

The man turned slightly, glancing at the silent people behind the glass walls.

Man:

"Long ago… we were like you. Human. But we kept growing—so much that we became the gods of our own dimension.

With so much knowledge, we defied destiny. We removed death. Removed time. We removed our own end."

He looked back at Nicolas, expression still gentle.

Man:

"But that knowledge had a cost. Our dimension's god—the one meant to watch and protect us—faded away.

We no longer believed. Our science replaced faith. And when he vanished, he gave us a curse."

Nicolas listened quietly, heart beating harder.

Man:

"A curse that we cannot die… and cannot interfere with other dimensions.

A fair curse. If he hadn't stopped us, our curiosity would've destroyed everything."

He gestured with a wave of his hand, and suddenly—

the air shimmered.

Dozens of dimensions appeared like floating windows in the sky.

Some showed lands filled with glowing machines, others showed peaceful fields. One showed a land filled with robots. Another…

Nicolas stared.

It looked just like Earth—but broken. The sky was gray. Rain poured endlessly. The ground was cracked, and a fog hung in the air.

Something about it made his skin crawl.

The man saw his face change—and smiled faintly.

Man:

"I see you feel it.

Yes… that one is terrifying. Just seeing it shakes the soul."

He paused, then added softly:

Man:

"We can't tell you more about that world. But you will go there… one day."

Before Nicolas could speak, another person entered the room—his robe glimmering like light.

New Man (calmly):

"It's ready."

The first man's face brightened.

Man:

"Nicolas, now it's time for your reward."

He stepped forward, holding out his hand.

Man:

"I knew you would ask. So I prepared it before you even arrived."

He reached out and gently touched Nicolas's chest.

Man:

"First—we give you a body that can copy anything. Any material. Any object. Any form of art.

You see it once—you can recreate it."

Then he stepped back and clapped his hands twice.

Two small items appeared, floating in the air in front of Nicolas.

Man:

"And here are your two items"

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AUTHOR THOUGHT

Hehe… so Nicolas just got a body that can copy anything? Materials? Art? Objects? Come on—that's insane!

Now here's the real question…

What do you think those two mysterious items will be?

A weapon? A key to another world? Or maybe… something totally unexpected?

And let's be honest—if we had that copy-anything ability in real life, wouldn't that be awesome? Imagine touching a diamond once and making ten more! Or learning a song and instantly mastering it. Crazy, right?

Okay, enough from me. Let's see what comes next

Ready to guess?

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