[@Stylobilly]

[color=cyan]“Hrrm…”[/color] Jacob let’s out as he takes in the strange environment he finds himself in. Under his feet, the ground seemed to be much like a giant mosaic. A giant mosaic that apparently contained a large, seemingly sleeping version of himself taking up a large portion of it. Other, familiar visages seemed to appear on the surface, the most prominent being those of his family. 

"So much to do, but so little time..."

Breaking from his thoughts, Jacob glanced around as the voice entered his mind. Confusion ran through him as he couldn’t see where it was coming from. 

"...Take your time."

Weirdly, at best he could tell… it was coming from inside him. As if speaking through his very heart. A curious feeling, to be sure. 

"Walk forward..." 
"Can you do it?"

Though an odd question, he felt no reason to go against what the voice had asked of him. With a slow stride forward, he approaches the center of the floor below him. As his foot fell upon the center, three pillars appeared around him. Upon each one held a particular item, which the voice confirmed as his eyes fell on each one. 

A sword. A shield. And a staff.

“Choose.”

Hearing this, he takes one more look at each item. Jacob's eyes passed over the sword and shield quickly, but once they landed upon the staff, he found himself locked on the strange rod. Like it called to him the most. He reaches out, and takes the staff into his hands, his eyes catching the other two seeming to vanish with his choice. 

"There will be times you have to fight."

As if to make it apparent that time is now, five small beings of shadow rose up out of black like ooze that had appeared on the floor. Instinctively, Jacob moved into a fighting stance with the staff. He held a more cautious stance, waiting for the creatures to make the first move. On cue, one lashes out to try and claw him. Reflexively, he takes a small side step before slamming the staff into the side of the creature’s head. Defeated, Jacob sees the little shadow dissipate in its defeat. Adrenaline pumped through him, as both worry and a bit of excitement filled him. Again and again, the creatures tried to bring him harm. A few times, their claws would scratch into him. But even then, he would return these wounds with a strike of his own. Luckily, he seemed to be made of sterner stuff, as with but a few good hits each, they would fall and disappear into black mist. 

"The closer you get to the Light, the greater your shadow will become."

Jacob could only watch as his own shadow seemed to expand, becoming bigger and bigger until it towered over him. It’s yellow eyes glared down at him, as it raised its hulking fist back. [color=cyan][i]Well. That escalated quickly.[/i][/color]

"But don't be afraid."

The hulking beast of his shadow slammed into the ground. Dark seemed to spread out from the fist, cascading across the floor all around him. From this darkness, more and more of those smaller ones rose up, surrounding him. To make matters worse, he felt his balance falter as his body began to now sink into the dark abyss below him. 

"And don't forget.
"You hold the mightiest weapon of all."

And as the darkness was just finishing taking him completely under, he heard one final bit from the mysterious voice in his heart. 

"You are the ones who will open The Door."

————————

His eyes shooting open, Jacob finds himself in his room, laying on his bed as the light seeping from the window indicates it’s a dawn of a new day. He raises himself up out of his bed, rubbing his eyes as he thinks upon the dream he awoke from. [color=cyan]“What a weird dream. It felt so… real.”[/color]

A rasp at his door indicates that his sister is wanting him awake. Likely to inform him breakfast was soon to be ready. Shaking his head, Jacob throws on a set of clothes for himself, as he heads downstairs. 

With the smell of sausage and eggs entering his nostrils as he enters the kitchen, he sees Julia busy getting everything together. 

[color=cyan]“Morning Juls,”[/color] he says. He takes out a carton of orange juice from the fridge, before grabbing a couple cups from the cabinet, in case she wants one too. [color=cyan]“Did you get enough rest?”[/color]