In the dream
"It's time."
After hearing those words, there were 7 bright flashes of light, each a different color that filled the void. Lincoln covered his eyes to stop himself from going blind. Slowly, he looked toward the sources, and what he saw made his eyes widen—because in front of him were 7 other people who looked like him, but they were different.
Starting from the right was one with black hair and dark black eyes, wearing a black long-sleeve shirt and ripped blue jeans. He seemed to be staring at Lincoln with a bit of contentment.
Next to him was one in long grey robes like a priest, with mildly longer grey hair tied in a small ponytail, looking at him with a small, kind smile.
Next was one with grass-green hair that covered his left eye, only the right one visible—bright emerald green. He wore a white t-shirt with a green blazer the same color as his eyes. He had a large smirk on his face that reminded Lincoln of when Luan had one of her more dangerous pranks ready.
Beside him was one with royal blue hair and dark ice-blue eyes behind thin rectangular glasses. He wore a high-collared, long-sleeved dark blue trench coat, left unzipped from the waist down. Around it, a black belt with a gold-colored buckle strapped the two pieces together. His face held a kind smile, though his eyes made him look like he was studying Lincoln.
The next version of him looked like a gang leader. His red hair was short, ruffled, and spiked, with two strands hanging over his face and distinct sideburns. He wore a black leather jacket with a fur collar, a white V-neck underneath, dark denim jeans held up by a brown belt with a silver chain, and black shoes. On each hand, he wore a silver ring with a cross and a ruby embedded in the center. He also had a small smirk, though it felt more friendly than threatening—like one you'd give an old friend.
The last two were different. Though they appeared the same age as the others, their eyes made them seem older.
The first had blonde hair that looked woven from pure gold. His eyes shone like deep golden pools. He wore only a long black kimono with gold trim and matching black silk pants. A large smile was on his face, as if he'd been waiting for this moment.
The last one looked similar to Lincoln at first glance, but the longer you looked, the more the differences showed. His hair was a shining silver, with matching silver eyes. He wore a navy blue Japanese school uniform over a white shirt, with a high-collared jacket, loose pants, and brown shoes. His red tie hung loosely around his neck. His small smile and calm gaze made him seem the oldest—as if he'd seen the world over and over again.
"W-who are you guys, and why do you all look like me?" Lincoln stuttered, clearly shocked.
"I am the 7th king, the Colorless King. But call me Colorless," said the furthest on the right.
"I am the 6th king, the Grey King. You may call me Grey," said the next one.
"I am the 5th king, the Green King. Call me Green."
"I am the 4th king, the Blue King. You may refer to me as Blue."
"I am the 3rd king, the Red King. Call me Red, okay kid?"
"Ha ha ha, I am the 2nd king, the Gold King. You can call me Gold," the one in the kimono laughed.
The last one took a step forward.
"I am the 1st king, the Silver King. But please, call me Silver," he said. Then all seven took a step forward and spoke in unison:
"We are the 7 Kings, vessels of the Swords of Damocles."
Lincoln just stood there stunned, then slowly laughed.
"Okay, this is by far one of the weirdest dreams I've ever had," he said.
"Hey kid, don't go saying this is a dream! Don't you know how long we practiced that introduction?!" Red yelled, clearly upset.
"Red, no need to be like that," Silver chided. "If any of us were in his situation, we'd act the same. We just need to show him this is real."
Red thought for a moment, then got an idea. As he walked toward Lincoln, Blue moved to intervene, but was stopped by Gold, who shook his head.
When Red reached Lincoln, he punched him on the head.
"Ow!" Lincoln exclaimed, rubbing the lump.
"See? Not a dream," Red said smugly.
Silver sighed, Gold laughed good-naturedly, Blue and Grey facepalmed, and Green and Colorless were laughing their butts off.
"Okay, okay, it's not a dream. But did you have to hit me?" Lincoln asked, deadpanning.
"Yes. It was the fastest way to make you understand," Red replied.
"Now, as we are on a time limit, we will explain why we pulled you here, which in turn will answer your questions. Now, please have a seat," Silver stated, snapping his fingers. Lincoln suddenly found himself sitting in a simple wooden chair.
"We, Lincoln, are you," Silver began. Lincoln's eyes widened, jaw dropping, making Silver chuckle.
"Yes, I know it's quite a shock, but it's true. Each of us is you from a different world and time. We've made it our goal to watch over all the possibilities, and there seem to be three distinct paths."
Three spheres of light appeared.
"You could become the greatest hero but suffer many losses, or the world could shape you into the worst possible evil," Silver said.
Lincoln took a deep breath, shaken.
"And what about the third possibility?" he asked, hoping for good news.
"The one we want you to take—live a happy life," Gold replied.
"That's why you're here. Your body has formed natural inhibitors, both physical and mental."
"We plan to remove them and leave you some gifts—magic items and abilities, gifted from your other selves," Grey finished.
"Wait, there are more versions of me helping out?" Lincoln asked, surprised.
"Ha ha ha, we're just the welcoming committee. Why else have you had those headaches lately? You'll be fine after you wake up," Colorless commented.
"Hmm… so that's why," Lincoln said, relieved. Then his eyes widened.
"Wait, did you guys mention magic?"
"Yep," Green grinned. "But you'll only be able to use the skills we give you or unlock yourself. You can't learn full magic without a teacher. Don't worry—we've got you covered with magic and translation books from other worlds. Only you can read them. When the time comes, you'll advance fast."
"Is there anything I should know before I wake up?" Lincoln asked.
"Your body's been holding you back. The way you move, think, behave—it's not how you're meant to be," Blue explained.
"Be prepared for a growth spurt in the next day or two. When you wake up, you'll behave differently. You've basically been half-asleep until now."
"Okay… I think I got it. But there's one more thing I have to ask," said Lincoln.
Red rolled his eyes.
"What is it now, squirt?"
"Why are you all going this far for me?" Lincoln asked.
They all went silent.
That's when a new voice spoke out.
"Because you deserve it."
Behind the 7 kings stood another version of Lincoln. This one practically screamed emo—messy jet-black hair, glowing neon-dark purple eyes (which faded to obsidian), a black leather jacket over a black t-shirt, black pants, spiked leather bracelets, and barefoot.
"Who are you?" Lincoln asked, thrown off.
"Name's Shadow, but you can call me Shade," the new version replied.
"Lincoln, Shade is your other half," Blue explained.
"Like a coin—you're heads, he's tails. He's the part of you made from your fears, hate, and feelings of powerlessness."
"Basically, I'm the part that keeps it real," Shade said with a wide smirk, which softened to a kind smile.
"So when I say you deserve this, I mean it. Not all of us started nice, including me. I tried to take control of some versions of us. But after feeling their pain and fear, I changed. We all feel that way because, at our core, we're all connected. I decided to help those who just need a little push."
Lincoln was speechless.
Then his body started to flicker.
"Looks like you're waking up," Silver said.
"Will I see you guys again?" Lincoln asked, panicked.
"Of course. Our job is to watch over you and help when needed. We'll check in from time to time," Gold said.
"Then I can't wait to meet the others someday too," Lincoln said with a smile.
"Thank you."
And then he vanished.
They stood there silently for a full minute before Silver spoke:
"Well everyone, phase one is complete. Now we move on to phase two—start contacting the others and begin observation of possible candidates."
"Ha ha ha ha ha," Green laughed.
"Time for the most hilarious—and rage-inducing—part of this job: betting on his love life."
The others started to grin. It was all in good fun. Sadly, Lincoln was clueless when it came to romance. Combine that with him being kind and reliable?
Chaos.
"Oh, this is going to be good. I can feel it," said Shade.