Dreaming again?

As Sereena woke up, she rubbed her eyes bleary, still half-convinced that she was dreaming. The room she found herself in was unlike anything she had ever seen before - it was lavish, with tapestries on the walls and a four-poster bed surrounded by curtains.

Sereena looked over everything with a mixture of awe and disbelief. She pinched herself, trying to convince herself that she was still dreaming.

But it was all too real. She could feel the softness of the bedsheets beneath her fingers, the cool air against her skin. She took a deep breath and took in the scent of the room, a spicy, earthiness that was both familiar and foreign at the same time.

Sereena sat up in the luxurious bed, taking in her surroundings with surprise and wonder. She slowly climbed out of the bed, feeling the plush carpet beneath her feet. She walked around the room, taking in the details - the finely carved chest of drawers, the ornate mirror, the crystal vase of fresh flowers on the windowsill.

The room was unlike anything she had ever seen before, with intricately carved wood furniture, velvet drapes, and a large fireplace with a crackling fire. She reached out and touched the soft silk sheets beneath her, feeling their cool, smooth texture against her skin.

"This is a dream," she murmured to herself, shaking her head in disbelief. "It must be a dream."

She pinched herself again, harder this time. The pain was sharp and real, and it only made her more confused. This had to be a dream, didn't it? But everything in the room seemed so detailed, so vivid.

Sereena padded over to the window, pushing aside the velvet drapes and peering outside. The view took her breath away - a vast, sprawling forest spread out before her, with tall trees and a winding river in the distance.

Sereena was about to reach out and touch the curtains of the bed when the sound of a creaking door echoed through the room, jolting her out of her amazement. She froze, her heart now racing in her chest.

Her eyes darted towards the door, her breath catching in her throat. Slowly, the door opened, revealing a tall and lean, with a muscular build and a slender waist figure standing in the doorway.

Sereena's eyes widened as she took in the sight of the newcomer. He was a formidable sight, with broad shoulders and muscular arms visible through the open neck of his shirt.

His eyes scanned the room, landing on Sereena, who was standing frozen in the middle of the room. He watched her curiously for a moment, his gaze cool and assessing.

Sereena found herself unable to look away from him. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen his favorite novel character, Lucas.

He took a step forward into the room, closing the door behind him. The soft click of the door echoed through the room, making Sereena's heart skip a beat.

He walked forward slowly, his soft footsteps barely audible on the carpet. He was coming closer and closer to her, his eyes fixed on her face.

Sereena felt her heart racing even faster now, her palms sweaty as she clutched the edge of the bed for support. The man stopped a few feet away from her, his gaze still fixed on her face.

His eyes were an intense shade of blue, sharp and penetrating as he looked at her. He cocked his head to the side, studying her closely.

Sereena couldn't take her eyes off him, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts. Part of her was still convinced that this was all just a dream, but another part of her was starting to believe that this was all real.

The man seemed to sense her unease, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice soft and low.

Sereena blinked, surprised by the sound of his voice. It was deep and velvety, with a hint of a Southern drawl. She found herself drawn to it, her mind unable to come up with a response.

She swallowed hard, trying to find her voice. "I...I think so," she managed to say, her voice coming out as a whisper.

The man chuckled softly, the sound sending a shiver down her spine. He took another step forward, closing the distance between them until he was standing directly in front of her.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," he said, his eyes roaming over her face.

Sereena's cheeks flushed at his proximity, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest. She could feel the heat radiating off of him, the musky scent of his skin filling her nostrils.

He reached out a hand, his fingers brushing against her cheek. She gasped at the touch, her eyes widening. His fingers were rough and calloused, a stark contrast to the smoothness of her skin.

"You're real," he murmured, his eyes searching hers. "I don't know how you got here, but you're real."

Sereena felt her heart skip a beat at his words. She had been so convinced that she was dreaming, but the feel of his rough fingers on her skin was undeniably real.

He took a step back, his hand dropping from her cheek. Sereena felt a pang of disappointment at the loss of contact, but she tried to hide it.

The man studied her for a moment, his eyes still intense and penetrating. Finally, he spoke again. "What's your name?"

Sereena swallowed hard, her throat suddenly feeling dry. "Sereena," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

The man nodded, as if filing that information away for later. "Sereena," he repeated, testing out the name on his tongue. "It suits you."

There was something in the way he said her name that made her skin tingle. She couldn't explain it, but the sound of her name on his lips sent a wave of shivers down her spine.

"Do you remember how you got here?" he asked, suddenly all business-like. It was a question Sereena had been asking herself since she woke up.

She shook her head, feeling a wave of frustration wash over her. "No." She was suddenly annoyed by her own helplessness.

"Hmm," the man grunted, clearly not satisfied with her answer. "And you don't remember anything at all before you woke up here?"

"No," she said again, feeling more and more frustrated. The man's questioning was starting to feel like an interrogation. "I have vague memories of being in a forest, but that's it."

Sereena felt a wave of panic wash over her at the thought of explaining her strange situation.

"I can't tell him the truth", she realized. "How would he ever believe me?"

She could feel the man's eyes on her, waiting for her to answer. She took a deep breath, trying to come up with a plausible explanation.

"I...I was hiking in the forest," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "I took a wrong turn and got lost. I must have passed out and woken up here." It was a flimsy explanation, but hopefully he would buy it.

The man raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. His eyes scanned her face, as if trying to see through her lie.

Sereena felt a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead. She knew she wouldn't be able to maintain her composure much longer. The man's intense gaze was slowly unraveling her, making her feel exposed and vulnerable.

Finally, he spoke again, his voice cool and measured. "And how do you explain the fact that you have no memory of how you got here, except for a vague memory of being in a forest?"

Sereena felt her heart sink at his question. "Dammit", she thought, "he's not going to let this go". She racked her brain for a convincing answer, but came up with nothing.

The man sighed, shaking his head. "I don't buy it," he said bluntly. "You expect me to believe that you just happened to get lost in a forest and ended up here, with no memory of how you got here?"

Sereena felt her frustration and panic rising, her earlier attempt at calm dissolving quickly. "What do you want me to say?" she blurted out. "That I stumbled into some kind of portal and ended up here by accident? That I have magical powers that transported me here?"

The man chuckled dryly at her outburst, clearly amused by her attempt to mock him. "No, I guess that would be a bit far-fetched," he said, his tone more light-hearted now. "But I still don't believe your story. There's something you're not telling me."

Sereena felt her heart race, fear and frustration mixing together in a jumble of emotions. "He knows I'm hiding something", she realized. "But what can I tell him? I can't tell him the truth, he'd never believe me".

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "I swear, that's all I remember," she said, her voice cracking slightly.

The man studied her for a moment, his eyes narrowed. Finally, he spoke. "Alright," he said, his tone somewhat softer now. "Let's say I believe you for now. You have no memory of how you got here, and no idea who I am. How am I supposed to trust you?"

Sereena could feel her pulse racing, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't know how to answer his question. "He thinks I'm some kind of threat", she thought. "But I'm not. I'm just as lost as he is."

"I swear, I'm not here to cause any trouble," she said, her voice pleading. "I just want to figure out what's going on and how I got here."

The man chuckled again, his expression faintly amused. "You're not a very good liar, you know," he said, a hint of a smirk on his lips. "But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, at least for now."

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