The candlelight danced along the walls of the Royal Garden Hotel, casting a warm glow over velvet drapes and polished glass. And there he was—her dream, waiting in the flesh, patient and still.
Anna's breath caught in her throat. She was afraid… not of him, but of what it meant for a dream to step into her reality."
That face. That jawline. Those ocean-deep eyes she had seen a hundred times in her sleep.
Her lips parted, but no words came out.
The man stepped forward, his gaze never leaving hers. He was calm, confident, yet in his eyes, there was something raw. Vulnerability. Like he had been waiting too.
He smiled. "You came."
Anna swallowed hard, still unsure if she was awake. "W–who are you?"
He stepped closer, "The better question is… who have we always been?"
Her breath caught. "I—I've seen you before. In my dreams."
"I know," he said softly. "And I've seen you. Every single night. I thought I was going mad, seeing a girl I couldn't find in the real world. But then… I came to California. And there you were."
Anna's hands trembled. "You sent the invitation?"
He nodded. "I had to know if you were real. If this was real."
She couldn't stop herself—she reached out and touched his face, like she needed to prove he wasn't a mirage. His skin was warm.
"I don't even know your name," she whispered.
He leaned closer, his voice a soft promise. "Tristan, prince of Scotland. But tonight, I am only Tristan—the man who's been falling in love with a girl he's never even touched."
Her knees weakened.
And then, almost instinctively, she whispered, "Why me?"
He cupped her face gently. ""Because we've met where reality and dreams blur, Anna. In that place where your heart goes when it can't find peace."
Anna's breath caught in her throat. The ballroom felt quiet, like the world had gone still. Her gaze locked with his—the man from her dreams. Real. Standing just feet away. Wearing a navy suit with a gold crest near the pocket. Regal. Composed. Devastatingly handsome.
He looked at her with eyes full of stories and longing.
Anna's voice trembled as she asked, "How do you know me?"
Tristan stepped closer, the candlelight catching in his ocean-blue eyes. He reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"Maybe," he whispered, "we met before the Lord created the world. Or maybe… we were destined to find each other, no matter the lifetime."
Her heart thundered. The room faded. All she could see was him.
"Then why now?" she asked, barely able to breathe.
He leaned in, his voice softer, more vulnerable. "Because fate has a cruel sense of timing... but it never forgets."
The moment was broken by the sharp ringing of Anna's phone, startling her. She glanced down and saw Jace's name flashing on the screen. Her heart skipped a beat.
"Jace," she muttered, her voice betraying the sudden rush of emotion. Tristan noticed the tension in her posture, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Can I answer it?" Anna asked, her hand hovering over the phone.
Tristan's gaze softened, his lips curving into a half-smile. "If you must."
With a hesitant sigh, Anna swiped to answer the call. "Hey, Jace," she said, trying to steady her voice.
"Anna, I've been worried about you," Jace's concerned voice came through, urgent and filled with care. "Where are you? I called earlier. Is everything okay?"
Anna looked up at Tristan, her words lost for a moment. The connection with Jace felt so different now, but she couldn't deny the bond they shared.
"I... I'm fine, Jace. Just... needed some time to think."
Tristan watched her, his face unreadable as he waited for her to continue.
Tristan's gaze softened, his eyes glimmering with a mix of understanding and something deeper—something ancient. He took a step closer, his presence warm, yet distant in a way that felt almost unreal.
"Everything starts the moment your soul awakens," he said, his voice low, almost like a whisper meant only for her, "The dreams you've had—they are more than just dreams. They are echoes of our past, of what we've shared in a different life, a different time."
Anna's breath caught in her throat. The way he spoke, with such certainty, made her heart race. She had always felt there was more to her dreams, a connection that went beyond imagination.
"But why me?" Anna asked, her voice trembling slightly, "Why now? Why are you here?"
Tristan paused, his gaze never leaving hers. His fingers brushed the back of her hand in a brief, intimate gesture. "Because fate, Anna, has never let us go. Our paths were meant to cross again.
And this time, I won't let you slip away."
His words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of destiny.
Anna's heart pounded in her chest. She wanted to ask more, to understand everything, but a sudden feeling of being torn between the reality of Tristan's presence and Jace's concern for her made her hesitate.
"But Jace... He's my boyfriend, my connection to the world here," she murmured, almost to herself.
Tristan's eyes darkened with a hint of something unknown. "Jace is your reality, Anna. But I am your truth. And truth, no matter how much you try to run from it, will always find its way back to you."
The air between them thickened, charged with an undeniable force. Anna felt both overwhelmed and strangely calm at the same time.
Anna's heart pounded in her chest, a whirlwind of emotions swirling within her. Her hands trembled as she clutched her ears, trying to block out his words, but they seeped through, echoing in her mind.
"Don't call me Sunshine," she repeated, the words coming out almost as a plea, a desperate attempt to break free from the gravity of the past he was trying to pull her into, "I can't trust a stranger. Jace is my present, my future."
Tristan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, yet impossible to ignore. His gaze never wavered, and his voice, though soft, carried the weight of centuries. "You can shout, Anna. You can fight it, but it won't change what is written." His eyes darkened slightly, a flicker of sorrow hidden beneath the surface. "You can try to bury the past, but I am your past, Anna. I am the one who has always been beside you, in dreams and in reality."
Anna took a step back, her breath quickening. "Why now?" she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion, "Why show up now, after everything with Jace?"
Tristan reached out, his hand grazing her cheek in a way that felt both comforting and painful. "Because fate is never bound by time. And you, Anna, are never meant to forget me. Our souls are tethered, and the more you try to fight it, the more you will feel the pull."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she shook her head. "I don't want this, Tristan. I don't want to hurt Jace. He... he's been there for me, for all of me. She wiped at her eyes, feeling a tightness in her chest. "How can I choose between you and him?"
Tristan's face softened, but his voice remained resolute. "You don't need to choose, Anna. I'm not asking you to forget him. But remember this—no matter where you go, no matter who you're with, you will always carry a part of me. And I will always be part of you."
Anna's mind was racing. Her heart ached, torn between the reality she had built with Jace and the undeniable pull of the past she had buried. She could feel her world shattering in slow motion.
Tristan's expression grew darker, his jaw tightening. "Jace doesn't know the truth, Anna. He doesn't know that you and I… we've always been connected, in a way he could never understand."
His eyes pierced hers, and Anna felt the weight of his gaze like a silent plea. "You can't see it now, but he is the one who is standing between us."
Anna took a step back, her stomach churning. She could feel the tension in her body, the stress building with every word he spoke. "I don't want to hear this, Tristan. I can't choose between you and him," she said, her voice trembling. "I don't want to be caught in your rivalry."
"Then you're not choosing," Tristan replied softly, his tone now more pleading. "But he's the one who's in your way, Anna. You and I are meant to be, not him and you. He is your present, but I am your past, your fate."
Anna felt a wave of nausea crash over her, the weight of everything—her past with Tristan, her future with Jace—pressing down on her like a heavy burden.
"I'm not feeling well, Tristan," she whispered, her voice strained. "Please, just leave me alone for now. I need to think."
"I can't leave you alone," he insisted, his voice growing urgent. "I can't let you keep living in this fantasy with him, Anna. You are mine. You always have been."
Anna shook her head, her emotions a whirlwind inside her chest. She reached for her phone, desperately wanting to contact Jace, but her fingers froze. "Call Jace, please," she begged. "I need him now."
Tristan stepped forward, his hand gently holding hers. "I won't call him, Anna. He will only confuse you further. You don't need him to make you whole. You already have everything you need here, with me."
Anna could feel the clash inside her, her heart and mind torn between the two men who both seemed to hold pieces of her soul. "Please, Tristan. I can't take this anymore."
As Anna's vision blurred and her body grew weaker, she collapsed into Tristan's arms. Her last thoughts were a jumble of confusion and fear, unsure of what was real and what was a dream.
"Anna..." Tristan's voice called out softly as he caught her, his strong arms enveloping her before she could fall to the ground. His touch was firm but gentle, like he was afraid she might break if he held her too tightly. "I'm not letting you go," he whispered, his words more to himself than to her.
With Anna still unconscious, Tristan moved quickly, carrying her out of the apartment and into the waiting car. As the car sped through the city streets, Tristan's eyes remained fixed on her, unable to tear his gaze away from the woman who had haunted his dreams for centuries. He knew what had to be done, and he wasn't going to let anyone—especially Jace—stand in the way of what was theirs.
(To be continued…..)