The Dream That Felt Too Real
The night had been peaceful. The fire in the cottage had burned low, its glow soft and warm. Kai slept curled close to Lucien, the weight of the day finally quieting in his chest. For once, he didn't feel like running. He didn't feel scared or angry. Just… safe.
Then something changed.
A strange wind passed through his dreams. The warmth of the fire faded. The air became still—so still it made his skin tingle. His breathing slowed, and the world around him shifted.
Suddenly, he was standing.
Not in the cottage, not in bed, but in the middle of a glowing forest.
The trees around him were tall and pale silver. Their leaves shimmered with tiny flecks of light, like stars caught in the branches. The ground was soft under his bare feet, covered in glowing moss and quiet magic. Everything was silent. Not dead—just holding its breath.
Kai turned in a slow circle. "Where am I?" he whispered.
He reached out to touch one of the trees. It was smooth and warm. Alive.
Then he heard footsteps.
Turning quickly, he saw Lucien walking toward him from between the trees. But Lucien didn't look the same. His dark hair fell longer around his shoulders, and his eyes glowed—like flames hidden behind a curtain of shadow. His body moved like water, graceful and strange.
"Lucien?" Kai asked carefully.
Lucien stopped in front of him. His voice was calm, but stronger than usual. "It's me. But… this place isn't just a dream."
Kai blinked. "Then what is it?"
"It's part of our bond," Lucien said. "Old magic lives here. It's been waiting for us."
The trees shimmered again, then slowly faded into mist. The silver glow turned darker, deeper. And when the mist cleared, they stood in the middle of what looked like an ancient temple.
Stone pillars surrounded them, cracked and broken. Runes covered the ground, half-glowing, half-faded. It felt sacred—like a memory from another time.
Kai took a slow step forward. "This place feels familiar."
Lucien nodded beside him. "Because we've been here before."
Kai turned to look at him. "In a dream?"
"In another life," Lucien said quietly.
Kai's heart jumped. "What do you mean?"
Lucien walked toward a stone platform in the center of the temple. Two carved statues stood on it. One was a tall Alpha with fire-like markings on his arms. The other, a smaller figure—an Omega—with a soft, glowing aura around his chest.
They were holding each other. Their foreheads touched, just like Kai and Lucien the night before.
Kai's breath caught in his throat. "That's us…"
"Yes," Lucien said. "Long ago. Before the curse. Before everything was torn apart."
Suddenly, the air around them shifted again. A cold wind blew through the broken walls of the temple. The runes on the floor began to glow brighter, flickering like warning lights.
Then, a voice echoed across the space—deep, distant, and sharp as broken glass.
"You have found each other again. But love alone cannot save you."
Kai flinched. "Who was that?"
Lucien's face had turned pale. He looked around slowly, his body tense. "We need to leave."
"But—"
"Now, Kai."
The world began to tremble. The temple cracked further. The statues started to break apart. The dream was falling apart like a puzzle losing its shape.
Lucien grabbed Kai's wrist tightly. "Wake up. Now."
Kai gasped as he sat up in bed.
The fire was almost out. Shadows filled the corners of the room. His chest was tight, his hands shaking.
Lucien was already awake beside him, breathing hard, eyes wide.
"You saw it too," Kai whispered, his voice rough.
Lucien nodded, brushing hair from his face. "Yes. The temple. The voice. The statues. It wasn't just a dream."
Kai wrapped his arms around himself. "It felt too real. Like we were really there."
"We were," Lucien said. "That place exists inside our bond. Maybe even outside of time."
Kai looked down at his palm. His mark glowed faintly in the darkness, like golden ink beneath his skin. "I didn't know dreams could feel like that."
Lucien looked at the dying fire. "They usually don't. Not unless they're tied to old magic."
They sat in silence for a while, only the soft crackle of burning wood filling the room.
Finally, Kai spoke again. "You said it was a memory. That we've been there before."
Lucien nodded. "Yes. I've seen glimpses before. But never so clear."
Kai frowned. "So… we've done this before? Us?"
Lucien turned his head to meet Kai's eyes. "Yes. I think we've loved each other before. In another life. Maybe more than one."
Kai's heart fluttered in his chest. "Then what happened to us?"
Lucien's jaw clenched. "The curse. It didn't just bind me. It broke the path between bonded souls like us. It tore them apart."
He looked down at his hand, the same hand that had reached for Kai so many times now. "I think we died. I think we failed. But the bond… it doesn't forget."
Kai's throat was dry. "So we're getting a second chance?"
Lucien nodded slowly. "Maybe. Or maybe the bond is trying to fix what was broken."
Kai was quiet, processing all of it. The dream, the magic, the voice, the bond, the curse—it all wrapped around him like threads of fire and fog.
Finally, he whispered, "I'm scared."
Lucien didn't speak right away. Then he slid closer, his shoulder brushing Kai's gently. "So am I. But I'm here. With you."
Kai looked at him, eyes stinging just a little. "I don't know how to be strong for something like this."
Lucien gave him a small smile. "You already are."
Then, gently, Lucien reached out and took Kai's hand in his. Their marks glowed together—quiet but steady.
"I won't let the past repeat itself," Lucien said, voice soft but firm. "Not this time."
Kai didn't say anything. He just leaned his head on Lucien's shoulder, and they sat like that until the fire was nothing but warm ash and faint smoke.
Outside, the sky began to lighten. Morning was coming. And with it, new questions—and maybe, new danger.
But inside the little cottage, for just a moment, it was enough to hold hands and share silence.
And somewhere deep in the woods, the old curse stirred.