The Dream is Collapsing

Darkness. That’s what we see at first before a bright shining light enters the room, within those walls are three unknown people sitting in chairs, they’re joined by the sounds of “Miseria Cantare” by AFI softly playing in the background. They’re lined up. Their heads are drooped over, covered with black bags to hide their faces as if they’re asleep or even knocked out, two of them in the finest tailored suits and one a black laced dress. A figure walks into the shot and into the light, of course, that figure being me. Sporting a leather jacket with black fur around the rim of the hood and on my right hand a black glove. The scene set is something familiar to my past work, a dark room with a bright light shining down on me as I talk and hype up my next match, but this set up is unfamiliar. I begin to lift the man on the left’s head up, shaking it a little to awaken him as he does. There’s some muffling from underneath the covers of his head but he cannot move. His hands and feet are tied to the chair and without any access to move, that man begins to struggle a little.

“Welcome, Wraith, to what I would like to call your own nightmare.” I begin to speak with a grin on my face. “This is something I’ve been holding back on for a very long time. This is something I’ve been wishing to do to you for a very… VERY… long time. What you see in front of you will break the man behind the aurora of Wraith. Yes, I am talking about you, Allesandro. I am willing to break you down just so you can experience the fact that you always fall for the bait. You always fall for what is bait. Your ego may think it’s about you but was it ever mentioned - spoken from anyone’s mouth - that it was about you?”

I roll my eyes.

“You’re probably confused,” I scoff. “I can see why you’re confused, I’m being very blunt about what you were baited into. Please, think back for a second and think to yourself about what you said to me. Think for a second on what you might have done or even spoken about to either yourself or to the illumination of Allesandro. Remember the fight you thought was because of you? I’m wondering how you knew about that, Wraith, I know you’re a ghost and all but realistically… How in the hell did you know about this? There’s was no criminal or even police reports that were released outside of Canton. It made the newspapers that following morning in a small article as I’ve been told by Rebecca, who sits back in that Penthouse reading the small print, and it’s barely been mentioned at all throughout that city.”

“It’s really got me thinking here, Wraith. I know you’re trying to portray this mystical being of a g-g-g-ghost but there is no hope in hell that from all the way in the back arse of fucking nowhere in Milan that you found out about this little small fight that happened in Canton fucking Ohio.” Again, I scoff. “I know you didn’t possess this man, I know you didn’t make him attack me and cut me open, why would you want to do that? There wouldn’t have been any other purpose. He was a crazed fool, he had too much to drink, but the fact that you know about this attack makes me wonder what else do you know about? I know what you’re thinking, you were baited by some random attack on me?”

I reach into my jacket pocket and pull out my sleeked black iPhone 11 Pro, unlocking it and beginning to scroll before looking up with a smirk on my face as I stand there, holding the phone up high before touching the screen down on a play button as we hear the sound of Wraith’s voice.

“You truly are losing it, Jason, fighting a random man? Believing I have possessed him? Thinking that I have these powers all while you try and convince yourself and everyone around you that I am just Allensadro Devione? You know better Jason.”

I begin to laugh as I put my phone back into my pocket.

“You fell for it, and then you thought to even mention that it was you that did it. There’s was never a mention of possession, there was never a mention of it being under your powers, this was all in the mind of someone who had too much to drink and then when he realised he couldn’t fight back, he snapped out of what he was doing and cried like a little girl. Like he had seen a ghost. But the thing was… you weren’t around. You never were.” I begin to shake my head. “But you fell for it, a small bit of bait to lure you in and crack you open piece by piece. I told you that you needed the validation from your father that you can be a dominating force, but what will your father think when he finds out that his own son, his own flesh and blood that he raised as a member of the Devione family was nothing more than a farce. A true liar but yet, you had to lie through your teeth… or you were so convinced that it was you that had done the deed.”

“See,” I pause for a second, my hand slightly raised up. “I know what you’re capable of, I know what you can do, I know the things you must do in order to make sure that your presence is felt but here you are, Wraith, having to lie to yourself and others about something you could have only wished you were smart enough to do. For that, you are the one who needs to suffer. You are the one who needs to realise that your own fantasy is not the true reality. You need to realise that not everything is as it may seem.”

I cannot help but let out another laugh. The thoughts going through my head are evil enough that could even easily break a man down. As I think of these thoughts, I move down the line of seated people. The second of the three to awaken is the woman in the middle, who is violently grabbed by the head and slapped around as she is now beginning her struggle to break free from her roped chains. The woman is the one who struggles the most out of the two, continuing to try and break free even after being physically assaulted.

“Look at her,” I silently chuckle. “She’s just like you, Wraith, struggling to grasp onto anything. Like yo, trying to grasp at anything to make this more personal because I brought up your family. The thing is that you think you know my weak spots, you know how to push me, but trying to get on a more personal note with me by even mentioning Beck’s name does nothing. You know how many people try to use Rebecca to get to me because they’re supposed to be the bad guy and that’s what they do. It’s pathetic and to see you try and stoop so low, Allesandro, is quite a shocking detail I’ve noticed. Hell, shit like that has always deflected off of me for years. I’m a wrestler with a girlfriend, I’m fairly used to the fact that there are opponents that’ll go after the love of your life for the sake of trying to get into your head. For those beginners, they can easily get caught up on that and get completely suckered into it but someone like me, it doesn’t phase me.”

“I could really do the same to you if you had a lover, Allesandro, but I wouldn’t even dare because it’s a petty act to even try and knowing how much respect you have for yourself, it’s taken me back a little that you’d stoop so low with your image to attempt pettiness when getting an upper hand on me or even getting into my head. I never thought of it to be like you, Allesandro,” I grin. “I guess when you’ve nothing you counter me with, you hit the - as some would say - low hanging fruit and wait for a reaction. Typical, I know, but that’s what happens when you try to mess with me. You might think you have the mind games won, but I come back swinging with deflectors and you are left confused. You’re left scratching your head. You’re wondering how in the hell do I think about to make sure he’s crippled and coming into this match with an angst heart and a mindset to kill so I can channel all of his anger and use it against himself?”

I scoff.

“You don’t, Allesandro, and you never will.” I shake my head once more. “You need to realise that because of you, I’ve become stronger. I’ve been able to fight back, I know that the nightmares come out of nowhere but they’re coming at me sparingly now. You’ve lost your touch, you’ve lost control, you’ve reached your full potential and now you’ve wasted it all up. You’re recharging and I know you’re willing to make sure that you’re fully recharged for the final blow but there’s one thing that you’re mistaking here, and that’s the fact that when I’m in that zone… that zone to pound away and not stop until the damage and the deed is done… I will not stop until you are down and out. I will not stop until you are left with blood trickling down your face, down your body… and down your corpse.”

“Look at me,” I exclaim. “Allesandro, you are nothing more than a weak-minded individual who can do nothing more but to give false hope to those who support you and I know there are people out there that support you. I know there is, and I know they’re wishing for my death but it’s not that simple. I know you’re willing to kill. It’s in your blood, it’s in your nature. I know what’s going on in your head. There’s so much that’s happening inside that thick skull of yours that you don’t even know how to fight it! You’re collapsing, you’re crumbling, the dream is collapsing, Allesandro. Ask yourself. Are you able to fight it? Are you able to complete the mission you’re willing to make sure happens? Are you able to walk into Dreamworld with a cleared mind?”

I chuckle as I once again move down the line until I find myself behind the third person sitting in the chair, he seems to be half-awake but still unaware of where he is or what is happening around him. I soon grab the man in a chokehold, wrapping my right arm around his neck as he begins to struggle for breath. With his arms and legs tied, he can’t do anything else but sit there and hope to not pass out again but I release the chokehold before he does. He breathes through his nose loudly, it can be heard from underneath the black bags.

“Cleanse yourself, Allesandro, you need a clear mind to face me. If not, I’ll tear you apart and make sure you realise how much of a joke you are.” I pause for a moment and stand behind the woman, thinking and then chuckling to myself. “Jokes. How ironic. You were the joke of The Underworld, it had to have been you. You were a man portraying a ghost, a shell of Allesandro Devione, a man who everyone just had to believe was the real thing of what you said you were before we could ever understand you. Hell, you use projective holograms of yourself just so you can sell the fact there’s two of you. Come on, Allesandro, you can’t fool everyone forever. I know that you’re going to deflect that, I’ve let you away with an easy one. It’s what you’ve been doing, but for how long can you do that for? How long can you think to yourself that you cannot keep up the farce? If anything, the day that Wraith becomes a champion is when you name yourself Allesandro Devione again, right? That’s what it’s all about, it’s about the gold you put around your waist and knowing you, you’ve not had a time of your life with those.”

I grin with a small chuckle.

“Remember your reign as OWA Cruiserweight Champion? I do, I’ve read all about how that reign went for the now Openweight Championship. The shortest of the bunch, that’s cute. Actually, you with a Cruiserweight Championship reign under your belt is just cute. It’s just fucking cute. Let me tell you something, Allesandro, when it comes to prestige - when it comes to accomplishments that you could never touch - I am on another fucking level than you.” My expression changes from a smile to a more serious demeanour. “You’ve always been the one to talk a big game, you’ve always talked about how you’ve become this great man and how you can promise that you can out beat me in anything! Well then, show me how much you’ve won. Show me how much people take you in seriousness. Show me, Allesandro. Are you afraid to show me or are you aware of how higher of a class I stand on compared to you? It’s not hard to find out that I am a three-time World fucking Champion. I hold one right fucking now! Can you show me a prize- oh wait, you’ve just got that blue briefcase. Well then, that’s a shame really. Oh, let me guess, are you going to tell me how you’re going to end Dreamworld with the American Dream Championship around your waist?”

I scoff.

“Allesandro, you know damn well that you’re not going to become American Dream Champion when Claudia holds the title in her possession, you know that already but if someone else does, then go ahead. We’re not going to stop you. If either Stephanie Matsuda or even April Song win the prize, then have your chance to cash in, nobody is going to stop you and this whole charade of putting The Underworld down as you cash in will be nothing because - as I’ve said so many times now - we will not stop you in any way.” I shake my head again. “All of this to be made to look like a joke again, isn’t this just how things go for you? You win a title and you begin to made to look like a joke for it? I mean, when I read up about your Cruiserweight Championship reign, I just began to laugh because whoever was editing those Wikipedia pages made you look like a complete fucking fool for it.”

I pull out my phone again, unlocking it and swiping until I look down and begin to burst out laughing at the sight before my very own eyes.


I place my phone back into my pocket and continue to laugh.

“Just fucking look at this! This is amazing! In all of my time in professional wrestling have I ever seen such a rib like this and I’ve been caught in plenty of harmless ribs. Do you not see how serious people take you? How are they meant to take you seriously when you’re just portraying a ghost because you’re trying to forget…” I pause as I think of the image in my head again. “...about your past which made you look like a fucking clown - or in this case - that thing the Wikipedia pages show you as. When people look at me, they treat me with the utmost respect and they should because they already know how serious I am, how serious I can get, and how serious I will be when the cards are down and the bets are all in. They know my history, they know how decorative I am with top prizes, awards and even skill. They know what it looks like to be a young prodigy because I am the embodiment of a prodigy. I am what people look up to when they are new to the business and know what a role model looks like. Hell, look at this match we’re in right now. This is a feud nobody expected to see coming out of Kingdom Come, this is a feud that nobody would have expected to be so heated coming out of the box of their first encounter one on one, and you know it’s all because of me.”

“Take it this way, Allesandro, there are four matches that have The Underworld involved and this match - this Outlaw Rules match with nothing up for grabs but just two people wanting to beat the fucking shit out of one another - is the most talked-about match, the most hyped-up match out of them all. Remember, this includes the main event between Claudia, Matsuda and April. A five-year-long blood rivalry between Lannister and Ares Vendetta. A feud that’s lasted for almost a year with The Professional and Nobi. And even Cash, Jay and Drago aren’t even peaking the interests they deserve! I don’t say that in a disrespectful way either, I love Drago to fucking bits, he was the best tag partner I’ve ever fucking had in my whole career but I still get more hype out of any and all of them combined!” I exclaim. “You’re just here for the ride, you’re just here to ride the fucking coattails here. Because of me, you’re more popular than Claudia. You’re more popular than Ares or Lannister. You’re more popular than Nasir Moore who’s coming back to Wrestleworld in what seems like forever. You’re bigger than any of these fucking people and I am the one you need to be thankful for but I won’t get that, will I?”

“You’re going to use that massive fucking ego of yours to claim it to be all because of you because the Devione name speaks volumes and it brings so much into any match they step in, right? Isn’t that how it goes for you? I mean, it’s a bit ironic when you think of who I have here right in front of me.” I gesture to present the three that sit in front of me. “You had a feeling I’d go one step further, and you knew that I’d do anything for the better picture but look into my eyes when I say that I am not sorry for what I am going to show you. You were the man that went personal, not I. You were the one who tried to go that one step further, not I. You were the one who asked for this, not I. Their fate is resting in your hands, not I. So, the question lies in who are these people? Well, take it this way, you know exactly who they are but taking one sight of them with me, then I can finally make you snap.”

As I finish speaking, I smirk as I walk to the man on the left, grabbing at the bag that covers his face before pulling it off and revealing it to be a younger man with white hair, chiselled jawline and some rope wrapped around his mouth to stop him from saying anything. He’s at first blinded by the bright light that shines into his eyes.

“Hale Caesar Devione…”

I slowly walk over to the woman in the middle, pulling at her bag and revealing a blonde woman with black lipstick around her lips. Around her neck is a choker with the words “WHORE” in metallic gold being front and centre of it. She too is also blinded by the bright light.

“...Valkryia Devione…”

Finally, I reach over for the man on the left and pull at his bag, revealing a much older man with long dark brown to grey hair and a scarf around his mouth. He, along with the others, are blinded with the light but he looks to his right and sees both of his grandchildren tied up like him and begins to struggle some more before I grab him by the face and deliver a right hook that stuns him.

“...and Salvatore Leon Devione.”

I look at Valkyia and spit right in her face, slapping her in the process before walking around and standing behind her before presenting the three of them again.

“You cannot top this, Allesandro, and I know you want to. I know fucking well you want to out beat me in this mind game but you can’t run the same old trick twice. You cannot run the same old game twice, you cannot plagiarise my own doings to your own image. It doesn’t work like that.” I exclaim. “I know you’re a man who loves to play games and this game has gotten more intense than before. More intense than it has ever gotten and you’re standing there wondering what the next game plan is. Shit, you might have had it all planned out in your head for the final blow but now, you’re rethinking and now you’re the one outmatched, outnumbered, and out-fucking-gunned. What have you left? What else is there for you to do? I’ve gotten that fire started, and now, I’ll be the one to put it out for good.”

I chuckle.

“I told you, Allesandro, their fate was in your hands and now, you’ll get to watch them suffer.”

I slowly begin to smirk before putting the bags back over their heads and reaching to over by Hale’s side to find a water jug by his feet. I lift it over my head before pulling Hale’s head back and pouring the water over his head and to the mouth area, he begins to struggle even more than before. The water jug empties and Hale lift his head back up, coughing loudly. I then reach for another water jug by Valkryia’s feet and pull her head back, pouring the water down onto her face and feeling the same fate as her brother just felt before. She struggles the same as her brother does, muffled screams come from under the bag as the water finishes pouring down and she lifts her head, coughing the same as her own brother but she seems dazed as her head begins to swivel. I finally reach for the jug by Salvatore’s feet and pull his head back, I begin to laugh in a crazed manner as I reach for Valkryia’s bag and pull it off of her head and do the same for Hale. They both watch in horror as I pour the water down onto Salvatore’s face and mouth, letting all of the four litres of water pour out down onto the old man’s face who begins to struggle… until he slowly stops struggling. He’s not moving. As I let the last drop of water pour down, I still laugh as both Valkryia and Hale watch and scream for Salvatore, who still hasn’t moved an inch. I pull the bag off of his head and see his eyes wide open, they don’t blink and his head stays in the position I once held it by. Valkryia and Hale try to kick their way out of the ropes that have them tied down but it’s no use, they’re stuck there as they fear the worst for their grandfather.

“That’s a shame,” I take a few steps back from Salvatore. “This is your doing, Allesandro, this is what you brought onto yourself. You wanted things to be personal? Well, there is nothing more personal than to kill your own grandfather, your own family heritage. But like I said before, not everything is as it may seem."

I click my fingers, and within that instant, they are gone. Disappeared like it was a vision. I smile from ear to ear and chuckled once more.

“Allesandro, this is on you. At Dreamworld, your dream collapses and it will be all over for you.” I smirk. “I guess you could say…”

I once again begin to laugh before looking directly in front of me with that smirk gone and left with a more serious demeanour like before.

“Dream over.”

And with another click of my fingers, I quickly fade away and leave everything with the darkness.