The warmth of Jace's arm around her faded into something softer, something unreal.
And just like that… she was there again.
But this time, the dream was different.
The air was thick with mist, like a secret waiting to be whispered.
she stood in a forest—tall trees curved toward the sky like cathedral walls. Moonlight streamed through the branches, painting silver on the mossy ground.
The castle wasn't there. Neither was the bed.
Only him.
He stood at the edge of the clearing, his back turned to her.
His dark coat danced with the wind.
When he turned around, his eyes were glowing—the same deep eyes that haunted her every night.
He looked older… sadder. But when he saw her, his face softened like he had been waiting forever.
"I found you again," he whispered.
Her breath hitched. she stepped closer.
"Who are you?" she asked. "Why do you keep coming back to me in dreams?"
He took her hand, placed it over his heart.
"You knew me before your first breath," he said. "You've just forgotten."
The wind howled. The world began to blur.
"Don't wake up yet," he begged, holding her hand tighter. "Please… don't leave me again."
But the dream trembled… and shattered.
Anna screamed, "What are you doing here, Jace? What the hell am I doing in your arms?"
Jace jolted upright, confused but calm. "Anna, hey—relax. You were crying last night. You asked me to stay. That's all."
She looked down at herself. Fully dressed. The room dim with the soft morning light. Nothing happened… but still, something felt heavy in the air.
"I'm sorry… I just—" Her voice cracked. "I didn't mean to drag you into my mess."
"You're not a mess," he said, his voice warm and grounding. "You just looked so… lost last night. Like you were fighting something invisible."
Her throat tightened. How could she tell him? Even she didn't understand it.
"Did I say anything?" she asked carefully.
Jace shook his head. "You kept tossing and turning. Kept whispering things. Not real words… just feelings. Like someone was slipping away from you."
She nodded slowly, looking away, holding her secrets like a fragile glass inside her chest.
He didn't know. He couldn't know. Her dream world was hers alone—a place where he lived, breathed, touched her, kissed her like she was air and fire at once.
But still, Jace stayed.
And she... she was torn between a fantasy that haunted her, and a reality that kept reaching for her hand.
After Jace left her apartment, the silence grew loud again. She sat on the couch for a while, hugging her knees, trying to figure out why her dreams felt more real than her reality. She picked up her phone and called Raily.
"Raily?" she said, her voice still a little shaky.
"What's up, dream girl?" she answered, half teasing.
She hesitated for a second, then spilled everything—how the night ended, how Jace held her, how she let herself fall into Jace's arms just to forget him, the man from her dreams. She told Raily how she woke up, how she freaked out, and how Jace calmed her like nothing ever happened.
There was a pause.
Then, a shriek from the other side of the call. "Anna! Are you serious? Finally! You let someone in!"
She groaned. "Don't make this a big deal."
"It is a big deal!" she said, bubbling with excitement. "Jace is sweet. And he clearly likes you. What's stopping you?"
Her mind went blank. She didn't want to lie. "Because my heart… it doesn't belong here. Not yet."
She was quiet for a moment. Then, softly, "You're still thinking about that dream guy, aren't you?"
"Yeah," she whispered. "He feels too real. Too familiar."
(To be continued.....)