The Dream Master's Curse
Once upon a time, in a mystical town nestled between the labyrinthine fingers of an ancient forest, lived a group of people known as 'The Dream Weavers'. The Dream Weavers were not common folk. They rather had an uncanny knack of manipulating dreams, infusing them with magic, an inherited gift from their ancient ancestors.
The townsfolk sought the Dream Weavers whenever they were troubled by toils and turmoil in their subconscious during the night. Dreams, after all, were deemed as omens, as warnings or messages from the unseen world. However, there was an unwritten law, the Dream Weavers could only help to interpret dreams, to guide, but never were they allowed to weave dreams for mortal minds or alter them.
Their leader was the oldest and most powerful, Master Eldrion. He was a stoic, tall figure with a penetrating gaze that harbored a cosmic wisdom. He was revered, not just in the town but beyond the forest as well, for his immense wisdom and understanding of dreams.
Eldrion had a son named Eliron, a brilliant, ambitious young man. Unlike his father, Eliron longed for more than just interpreting dreams - he aspired to create dreams, to craft his own worlds for others to experience.
Ignoring his father's warnings and the ancient law, Eliron started weaving dreams into the minds of those who sought his counsel, giving them joyful, pleasurable experiences. But with every good dream he wove, he also unknowingly weaved in a piece of his soul.
One day, a woman named Eilina came to Eliron. She had recurring dreams of losing her loved ones. Eliron, unable to watch her suffer, promised her happiness in her dreams. That same night, he wove dreams of joy and happiness into Eilina's mind. It was a beautiful dream, yet when Eliron completed the weave, he felt part of his soul disappear. He dismissed that feeling as mere exhaustion.
The following day, Eilina was found dead. The suddenness of her death baffled everyone. They found her with a serene smile on her lips, yet lifeless. Eliron was shattered, guilt gnawing his conscience. The townsfolk were more horrified when they started losing more people in the same manner. They connected their fates to their recent consultations with Eliron. Unfortunately, it wasn't a mere coincidence.
Master Eldrion, realizing the horror his son had unleashed, intervened. He confessed Eliron's folly to the townsfolk, an act that meant Eliron could face exile for breaking the ancient law. Eliron was held accountable and was labeled as 'The Dream Master's Curse'.
Facing the consequences of his actions, Eliron was devoured by guilt and despair. Yet, he vowed to correct his wrongs. Eliron and Eldrion joined their forces, pulling every bit of their magical abilities, to weave a spell that would break Eliron's dream weaving and free those who were trapped in the 'forever sleep'.
After strenuous days and nights, they finally unraveled the cursed dreams. Those who were trapped woke up, remembering nothing but blissful dreams. Eliron, unfortunately, had given up too much of his soul energy. He woke up from the spell, weaker and older.
However, Eliron was not sad. He had learned a valuable lesson: meddling with natural balance could come at a steep cost. The beautiful town was peaceful again, and Eliron was allowed to live there though he couldn't dream weave anymore.
From that day forward, the Dream Weavers, led by Eldrion, served the people with even more caution, decisively reminding them: Dreams were not to fabricate but to guide. And Eliron, humbled and learned, lived his days sharing his journey, serving as a living marker of The Dream Master's Curse.