The Astral Paradise of Taji;

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A realm that thrives off vivid dreams and a good night’s sleep. Its inhabitants, dubbed the Astral People, are resigned to suffer from bouts of insomnia as frequently as The Moon changes phases. With eyes heavy from sleepless nights, the Astral People look out for The Stars that decorate The Fabric of the Sky. As The Stars peek out through blankets of clouds, the Astral People pray that they can settle into sleep comfortably.

Yuma remembers how cryptic his grandmother was when discussing The Stars. “Between cloth, Taji cannot see. Taji had to sprinkle the ground with seeds. Then, she sees through many eyes.” It isn’t until he’s a little older that Yuma understands the story of the Goddess Taji and Her plight. 

“Stars are a rare sight; The Fabric of the Sky often obscures them, leaving the Astral People exhausted, yet unable to sleep. Upon her realization, Goddess Taji plucked her front tooth out and ground it to dust. She sprinkled it over soil under a starry night and born were the Descendants of the Stars. In her place, the descendants commune with the stars, beckoning them into the night sky.” 

After prayer at The Planetarium, Taji’s home, The Stars grant beautiful, grandiose dreams. Some people mention whimsical activities like skipping across large piano keys to create a dainty melody. Others describe more heartfelt, peaceful moments where they speak with deceased loved ones at the coffee table of their home. Everyone always has the most wondrous dreams. 

Everyone except Yuma. 

Yuma is always aware of when he is dreaming, and as a result, he can never come up with dreams as vivid as the rest of his peers. He remembers how it bothered him at first; staying awake with thoughts while everyone else gets to sleep peacefully. 

However, the controlled dreams provide him more time to think. “What if we found a way to increase the likelihood and quality of the dreams we receive?” he asks himself. Within the confines of his own dreams, Yuma writes and calculates. When he leaves his dreams, he experiments. After years of intense study at the Magical Institute and conquering his own struggles attuning to sand magic, Yuma finally finds a way to grant pleasant dreams. 

An incredible sandstorm, glittering like gold, sweeps over a restless town and grants those with insomnia a chance for slumber. When news spreads of a young magician bringing people good dreams with nothing but sand, they immediately call him The Sandman. 

Through his travels to different sleepless cities, The Sandman happens upon a solemn-looking woman staring into The Fabric of the Sky. By her green and blue hair, The Sandman notes she is a Descendant of the Stars. When he makes conversation, he’s surprised to learn that she is Lyra, the current Representative of Stars who desperately needs a break from The Planetarium. 

One night underneath The Stars is only a coincidence. Many nights underneath The Stars feel intimate. Years underneath The Stars bring the Sandman and the Representative of the Stars a starry-eyed baby girl named Maia.

According to Maia, no one can compare to her favorite person in the entire realm; her father. She can’t stand being apart from him so much that she clings onto his leg as he tries to leave for work. With a sigh, The Sandman realizes he cannot shake her, so the two spend nights traveling together as he manifests sandstorms through cities. 

After a long night of work, The Sandman and Maia settle into a cozy little motel to rest. The Sandman sits quietly in the empty spaces of his dream for a long while until he hears his daughter shout: 

“Daddy~♡!” 

The Sandman never dreams of other people unwillingly. His brow creases, but he doesn’t question it. He’s only grateful to spend more time with his daughter. They joke and laugh as he braids her hair into pigtails. When they awaken, Maia wears her two braids just as she does in his dream. But before bed that night, he remembers her hair was loose.

At this moment, The Sandman realizes Maia is special. Her body can enter and exit the dreams of those around her. As a child, it happens by accident. She frequently finds herself in another dream after having a lucid dream of her own. Her parents, awed by her powers, wonder if Maia is another answer to help treat insomnia.

The thoughts of his daughter’s talent occupy the Sandman’s mind even after a night of spreading good dreams in a couple of bustling cities and quiet towns. The next morning, Sandman and Maia watch a news report amidst the crowd; a small town just a few miles over receive blessings from “The Sandman.” 

Instead of sweet dreams, many report nightmares. A few of the victims don’t wake up, trapped in their slumber. 

The Sandman has never been in that town, but his face is plastered all over the news as if he is the culprit. Everyone is looking for him. Everyone wants explanations. Even the lovely Representative of the Stars crosses her arms and glowers at him, demanding answers. 

But he doesn’t have any. 

The months go by and by, but the Astral People continue to sleep. A few begin to perish from the terror they experience. Despite this, the Sandman has no answers and cries out, “This isn’t my doing!” The Representative of Stars argues his excuse isn’t good enough. It stings. If she truly sees him as such a monster, The Sandman has no choice but to pack his belongings and flee. 

To his surprise, Maia pops out from the trunk of his car and begs him to take her along. He wrestles with the decision as he watches tears stream down round cheeks. As much as he loves to have her around, she needs to stay with her mother. 

“How can I stay with someone who doesn’t believe in my dad?” Maia protests. She knows her father’s done nothing wrong. She wants to help; they both know she can.

Without hesitation, he puts her in the back seat, and they hit the road. They travel underneath The Stars incognito, but he can see by the jaded look on her face that driving through the open roads isn’t the best for his little girl. To cheer her up, The Sandman thinks about crafting a pendant for Maia’s 10th birthday. He tells her it will assist in walking between dreams and reality without trouble. 

The pendant doesn’t quite suit her, so Maia requests a sword. The Sandman doesn’t feel comfortable giving a child a sword, but when she begins to whine about it, he yields. Upon receiving the sword, however, Maia notices its edges are not sharp. It feels more like a blunt object. 

Mildly annoying, but it isn’t so bad. While visiting dreams, Maia notices she can manipulate the sword at will. The edges can become sharp. Sometimes, she wills it to be a shield. Other times, it’s a spear. Or a baseball bat. Or even a butterfly net! The possibilities in dreams are endless.

Over the years, Maia grows to learn how to work with her powers while The Sandman works to uncover the true culprit. But they don’t find this imposter anywhere. Instead, on her 20th birthday, Maia watches as The Authority clasps their golden handcuffs around The Sandman’s wrists and toss him into the back of a van like a vicious animal. 

Dubbing herself The Dreamwalker, she sets off on a journey between illusion and realism in order to exonerate her father, The Sandman. 

This is where her story begins…