“Did you despise me? Do you still?”
Three years ago, Olen Doe woke up with absolutely no memory of his life prior to then, only an unbreakable conviction that Ileana Grace — formerly active as the magical heroine Stardust — saved him, though from what, exactly, he’s never been sure of. Ileana and her companions made it clear at the time that this was a gift, a second chance at life, but Olen soon found that a so-called “normal life” as an average human child really wasn’t as great as people made it seem. These days, he can only dream of something greater.
That is, until dreaming itself is threatened, and a memory sparks.
Stardust may have soundly defeated her enemies three years ago, but a new threat is on the rise, something that’s sucking out people’s dreams — and with them, their hopes and desires — leaving them as empty husks. With the power of Stardust gone for good, Olen takes it upon himself to investigate, while also experimenting with the strange powers that are returning to him together with his memories.
The power to weave nightmares into reality… It might just let Olen get everything he’s ever wanted. Still, as he remembers more about exactly what he was before his salvation, and as the danger grows from without and within, Olen must come to terms with his old life and decide who he really wants to be in this one…

(Takes place in the same continuity as my first attempt at web original fiction, Shattered Stardust; it follows from the planned ending, but no knowledge of Shattered Stardust is needed to understand this story, as Ileana's story is gradually told via flashbacks and dialogue. This story is also posted to Royal Road and its dedicated WordPress site. Cover art by SP on SKIMA.)