Cherreads

The boy who dreamed too much arc~ 1

_井崎_652
7
chs / week
The average realized release rate over the past 30 days is 7 chs / week.
--
NOT RATINGS
397
Views
VIEW MORE

Chapter 1 - Arc 1 - The Boy Who Dreamed Too Much

Iroru Shikaen had always been a wanderer

Not of places, but of thoughts.

A boy whose mind often drifted far from the dull, colorless world around him.

He wasn't sick, nor poor, nor particularly unlucky... but somehow, he never

felt like he belonged.

Ever since he was young, he wished he could live inside the worlds of anime

and games those wild, vibrant universes where heroes rise, powers awaken, and

magic isn't just an illusion.

But reality never granted him that kind of freedom.

Each day felt the same. Grey skies, cold rooms, tired faces.

That morning, Iroru sat alone at the breakfast table, quietly chewing his

food, eyes distant. His mind was, as always, lost in imagination

Wishing. Hoping. Escaping.

He left for school like any other day. His legs moved, but his heart was far away.

"What would happen if I died?"

"Would I wake up in a different world... one where magic truly

exists?"

"...Or would it all just end—silence, darkness, nothingness?"

The thought haunted him.

At school, he couldn't focus. The voices around him faded into a blur. He

didn't hear the teacher. He didn't see the blackboard. His thoughts kept

circling back to the same place

A place that didn't exist.

A place he wished did.

By the time school ended, Iroru was completely drained.

He walked home silently.

The moment he stepped into his room, he slammed the door shut behind him. "Thud!"

He collapsed onto his bed, breath heavy. His chest felt strange.

His head was dizzy.

He didn't feel well.

"If I died... would I be reborn in a world where magic is real?"

"If that world exists, I want to go there. I... want to live there."

With that final thought whispering in his mind, Iroru closed his eyes.

And never woke up again.

[Scene Transition –> A New World]

Light.

Warm.

Gentle.

The air felt different. The sky was unfamiliar. There were no tall

buildings, no buzzing traffic, no school bells.

Iroru opened his eyes not as a high school boy, but as a child. A young boy, lying in a wooden crib inside a cozy little house.

He blinked, confused. He didn't recognize anything.

He didn't even remember who he was.

His past life~forgotten.

His name~gone.

But his story…

Had just begun.

(NEXTPART)

>>The Boy Who Dreamed Too Much<<

Arc 1 – A New Life in an Unknown World

Part 2 – A World That Breathes Beyond Logic

Light.

Warmth.

And then, life.

The child who had once been Iroru Shikaen opened his eyes not in a hospital bed, not in a dream but in a world that pulsed with a rhythm unlike anything his old life could explain.

He didn't remember his name. He didn't remember death.

But somewhere deep within, a quiet voice whispered: This is not the world you were born in.

The sky above him stretched endlessly, a deep hue of violet-blue, pierced by twin suns and drifting islands floating mid-air like silent guardians.

It was… beautiful.

But this was no paradise.

This world 'Leistania' functioned like Earth. There were cities, villages, roads, and people. But behind the familiar structure lay something far beyond human understanding.

In Leistania, people were born either normal… or something else entirely.

Some children opened their eyes with glowing shards embedded near their hearts crystals pulsing gently, each hued with an elemental glow.

These were called Element Gems, physical manifestations of the soul's connection to one or more of the Six Great Elements:

• Wind – Swift and dancing, the energy of motion and speed.

• Flame – Untamed and boundless, fire not just of heat, but of wrath, passion, and destruction.

• Void – The so-called "sky element," born of cosmic energy—mysterious, ethereal, vast.

• Dark Matter – A power said to exist within the void. Not even Gods dare touch it. Power from the space between existence unfathomable and infinite.

• Earth – The strength of the land, of protection, weight, and solidity.

• Gravity – The force that binds all, often mistaken as a sub-form of Earth, but in truth, something far more divine.

A person could be born with up to five Element Gems near their heart. These gems were not just symbols they were living extensions of the soul.

They grew. They pulsed.

And more importantly... they fed.

To grow stronger in this world, people needed souls.

The more souls one collected, the more powerful their elemental gems became. But it wasn't so simple.

A gem could only evolve if the soul harvested matched the elemental affinity it represented.

Slay a beast aligned with wind, and your wind gem would grow. Defeat a fire-born monster, and your flame would rise.

Even more disturbing some chose to harvest human souls to ascend faster. It was cruel, forbidden… but not impossible. In some corners of this world, it had become common.

People called it "Soul Feeding."

And in dark places, children were raised not to live… but to be fed upon.

Yet above all stood the gods.

Six great gods, one for each element.

Worshipers believed that if you prayed, fasted, and followed their path, you would receive a blessing a divine push, a gift of unparalleled power.

But no one knew how blessings were granted. No priest, no book, no temple ever gave a true answer.

The system remained a mystery divine, unreachable, intentional.

Still, people believed.

They believed in the gods... because they feared the Devils more.

Yes, this world had devils too. One for each element, mirroring the gods. Perhaps they were once gods who fell. Perhaps they were born from the void itself.

Their followers were fewer, but terrifyingly loyal.

Because unlike the gods, the devils gave power fast. Brutally fast.

The cost?

Human sacrifice.

No prayers.

No fasting.

No waiting.

Offer a soul a real one, a thinking, breathing one and your gem would pulse with wicked light.

You would evolve.

That is why the war between gods and devils never ended.

They weren't just fighting for the world.

They were fighting for souls.

And in the middle of this world a child now slept peacefully in a tiny wooden home, unaware of the war, the powers, or the shadow that was slowly waking within his blood.

He had no memory of the past.

No knowledge of the world.

Only a quiet heart... and a dream too big for this world to understand.

>>The Boy Who Dreamed Too Much<<

Arc 1 – A New Life in an Unknown World

Part 3 – The Family That Lives in Shadow

In the heart of a mountain-cloaked province in Leistania, there existed a noble house cloaked in silence the Tenmen clan.

They were not kings.

They were not priests.

They were craftsmen. But not ordinary ones.

The Tenmen family bore a legacy known only in whispers. Their skill: forging weapons that defied understanding blades that could split time, bows that bent the wind, and instruments said to cut through the soul itself.

Their creations were not for war, but for wonder.

And yet...

The world would never accept such power peacefully.

So the Tenmen lived quietly. Wealthy but unseen.

Mysterious but still part of society.

Their secret arts hidden not for pride, but survival.

It was into this ancient house that a child was born.

A boy whose tiny breath marked the first ripple of a coming storm.

His name - Izaki Tenmen.

To most in the clan, his birth was just another chapter in their careful lineage. But to his parents, something felt different. The midwife gasped, not at the child's face, but at the glow beneath his chest.

When the infant opened his eyes, five Element Gems pulsed faintly near his heart.

One for wind.

One for flame.

One for gravity.

One for earth.

And the final... dark matter.

His father, Mijoru Tenmen, looked at the newborn silently. His own body bore four Element Gems, and even he had never seen such a complete alignment in one soul.

Yet he said nothing not to the family, not to the elders. Only his wife knew.

His mother, Shikashi Kigoya, stood still as if paralyzed.

"Dark Matter..." she whispered. "No... not him too..."

Mijoru nodded calmly, but her voice trembled.

"You know what they say. The ones who carry it don't live long. That power... it's not made for us. It consumes."

"I know," Mijoru replied. "But he's our son. And I will not let this world take him."

Dark Matter~ an element so rare that only 2% of known elemental beings possessed it. And even those few... were often erased before adulthood. Not because of what they did But because of what they could do.

The Tenmen were masters of secrecy. That day, the truth of Izaki's gems was sealed behind walls and silence. No servant spoke. No scroll recorded it.

Even among their own clan, Izaki was believed to have only three gems.

But truth has a way of leaking.

And somewhere out there... in the shadows beyond the borders of the Tenmen estate...

There were those who hunted children like him.

Not to worship.

Not to save.

But to harvest And offer to the devils.

Still, unaware of what awaited him, Izaki slept in peace. His tiny chest rose and fell, a faint glow pulsing through the fabric of his blanket.

And thus, the boy who had once dreamed of another world...

...was now part of one that would dream of him.

>>The Boy Who Dreamed Too Much<<

Arc 1 – A New Life in a World Unknown

Part 4 – Not Again... A Dream?

It was late at night. A gentle moon bathed the Tenmen estate in silver. The quiet air, the soft rustling of trees, and the rhythmic breathing of a sleeping child filled the room.

Izaki lay curled up beside his mother, his small chest rising and falling peacefully~ until his eyelids began to flicker.

His breath grew uneven.

And then… the dream began.

[In the Dream Realm...]

The world around him was dark~ pitch black, like the very edge of the void. Yet he was conscious, awake... aware.

"Huh… where am I?" Izaki whispered, his voice echoing in the endless dark.

Suddenly, a shape appeared, cloaked in cosmic shadows, glowing softly with an ominous purple hue.

A voice spoke~ calm, deep, and strangely kind.

"Hello, little soul."

"I know you're wondering if this is just another dream. It is. But unlike others... this dream didn't come from you. It came from me."

"I am Riozi Ishizaki, The God of Dark Matter."

Izaki took a step back, confused, frightened.

"What do you mean this dream came from you...? Why am I here? What's happening to me?"

The god smiled gently.

"You have questions. I'll give you answers. But first... look at yourself."

Izaki looked down at his hands. His fingers… were small. Fragile. The body of a child.

He shivered.

"What happened to me...? Why do I look like this?"

"This is your real form. You're still just a child. But inside you... is power that no child should possess."

"Look near your heart."

Izaki placed a hand over his chest. Suddenly, five glowing gems shimmered into view, each floating just beneath his skin.

Red. Blue. Brown. Silver. And finally... purple.

"That purple gem,"

the god said, "is your connection to me, The Dark Matter Element."

"It is one of the most powerful forces in this universe. But power always demands a price."

"To use it… you must pass my test."

Izaki's heart raced. But before he could ask more, the god continued.

[! The Forgotten Past... Recalled]

God said- "You asked why you are here... why you were born into this world. Let me show you."

And in a flash, memories poured into Izaki's mind like a broken dam.

He saw… his past life.

A boy who used to walk empty streets with headphones on, lost in thought. A quiet breakfast table. A lonely heart. A question whispered to no one:

"If I died… would I be reborn in a world where magic is real?"

He remembered the dizziness. The ache in his chest. Lying down, never to rise again.

"That dying thought reached the edge of the universe," Riozi said.

"And for reasons even I don't fully understand, the universe answered. You were reborn in Leistania… because you wished it. You created your own miracle."

Izaki's eyes widened.

"So… this world is real?"

"Yes. But it is not a fantasy. It is dangerous. And the gift you've been given the Dark Matter Gem comes with a curse."

{The Test Begins}

"Now... let's begin."

Suddenly, the god's voice faded.

Darkness swallowed the dreamscape.

And in the real world—Izaki screamed.

[Back in the Physical World...]

Blood. It began to seep from his chest, right from where the Dark Matter Gem glowed furiously.

Izaki's scream pierced the silence. His mother jolted awake, panicked. When she saw the bleeding, she screamed:

"Mijoru! Come quickly!"

His father rushed in. His eyes went straight to the glowing wound.

"It's happening…" he muttered. "The god's trial."

"We need to act now. Get the healing potions!"

His mother ran, tears already falling. Mijoru knelt beside his son, lifting him gently. The gem pulsed violently beneath Izaki's skin, like it was trying to break free.

"Keep breathing, Izaki. Stay with us."

She returned with a dozen potion vials, opening one after another, pouring the glowing liquid into Izaki's mouth.

The bleeding slowed. The gem dimmed.

His body went still.

"Is he going to be okay?" she whispered.

Mijoru nodded slowly. "I don't know. But I've heard of this test. It happened to me once too. My father told me... when the Dark Elemental God chooses a child, they must endure this. If they survive, they become worthy."

"Worthy of what?"

"Of power. Of fate. Of darkness itself."

"Will it happen again?"

"...Once more," Mijoru replied. "But next time, it won't be the god. It'll be the Devil of Dark Matter. And that test… will be far worse."

{ Aftermath: The Second Dream}

Later that night, after the bleeding stopped and his breathing returned to normal, Izaki drifted back to sleep.

This time, there was no god.

Only silence.

And a single voice—his own.

"I can feel it now…"

"The energy inside me. It's dark… and it hurts."

"But it's also... mine."

And with that, the boy slept again.

Quiet. Dreaming.

Unaware of the destiny that was just beginning to awaken.