A Stranger in the Dream
Darkness surrounded me once more, just like that first time.
The same heavy silence. The same endless void.
And before me... the door. The door that had brought me to this cursed world.
Elise Carter
*staring at the door, hesitant*
Elise Carter
(I... I can leave. I can go back.)
Elise Carter
*reaches out but hesitates, pulling back her hand*
Elise Carter
(This world is insane... I don’t belong here.)
But as I finally reached for the handle, ready to turn it—nothing. It wouldn’t budge.
Elise Carter
*pulls harder, panic rising*
Elise Carter
No... no, no, no, no! Open! Let me out! *desperately rattles the handle, but it remains sealed shut*
Mystery Woman
*soft* You cannot leave.
Elise Carter
*spinning around, eyes widening at the woman before her* Who... who are you?
The woman didn’t answer. Cloaked in an ethereal glow, she seemed both familiar and utterly unknown.
Mystery Woman
*reaches out, pressing something into Elise’s hands* Keep this. But keep it hidden for now.
I looked down at the dagger in my hands, intricate and unlike anything I had seen before.
Elise Carter
What is this? What does it mean?
The woman turned, walking away.
Elise Carter
Wait! Please! Who are you? What is this dagger for?
I ran after her, but before I could reach her—
Elise Carter
*bolts upright in bed, breathing heavily, hands gripping the dagger tightly*
Elise Carter
It... it’s real. *runs fingers over the cold blade, heart pounding*
I snapped out of it at the sound of knocking on my door.
Harper
*from outside* Elise? You awake?
Elise Carter
*eyes widen, quickly hiding the dagger under the pillow* Y-Yeah, I’m up.
Harper
*cheerfully* Breakfast is ready. You coming?
Elise Carter
*forces a smile, nodding quickly* Yeah... yeah, just give me a sec.
I barely sat down at the breakfast table, trying to act normal, trying to ignore the weight of the dagger hidden beneath my clothes.
Harper chatted about something—maybe the weather, maybe a book she read—but I wasn’t really listening.
My mind was still tangled in the dream, in the woman's cryptic words, in the cold steel of the weapon she left me.
I froze, my hand tightening around the fork. It was a number I knew too well. Daniel.
For a second, I thought about ignoring it. Pretending I didn’t see it. But I knew he wouldn’t stop calling.
I inhaled sharply and, before I could change my mind, I answered.
Daniel Reed
*relieved, but furious* Elise?! Thank god—you’re alive! Where are you?
Elise Carter
*biting lip, hesitating* I... I’m fine, Daniel.
Daniel Reed
*frustrated* Fine?! Elise, what happened?! You just disappeared! I was looking for you! And then I saw—
Daniel Reed
*voice lowers* I saw you with him. That vampire. You were covered in blood, your clothes—
Daniel Reed
*shaky breath* Elise, what did they do to you?
Elise Carter
*quietly* Father Grace...
Elise Carter
*voice shaking* He locked me under the cathedral. *pauses, swallowing* He tried to— *voice catches* Daniel, he wasn’t protecting me. He was—
Daniel Reed
*cutting her off, voice frantic* No. No, that’s not possible! You must be confused! Maybe the vampires did something to you! Elise, you don’t understand! They’re manipulating you! The First—he’s dangerous! I need to get you out of there, just hold on—
Elise Carter
*firmly* No. I’m staying.
Daniel Reed
*stunned* What? No, Elise, you don’t understand. They—
Elise Carter
*desperate* Listen to me! Adrian saved me! Father Grace—he was the one who—
Daniel Reed
*harshly* No! I don’t believe that! You’re with them now! Of course they’re telling you that! Elise, I saw what happened—priests were dead, and you were covered in blood! You think that monster saved you? He’s the reason you were hurt in the first place!
Elise Carter
*whispering* No, Daniel, you don’t understand…
Daniel Reed
*pleading* You don’t have to lie to me. I’ll get you back. Just trust me, Elise, please—
I barely had time to process Daniel’s frantic words before someone was approaching.
I looked up just as Adrian came into view.
Adrian Verlais
*casually plucking the phone from Elise’s hand* Morning, Daniel.
Adrian Verlais
*smirking slightly* Someone taking good care of Elise. So don’t worry about it.
Daniel Reed
*furious* You bastard—
Before I could even react, the call was cut off. The screen went dark. A heavy silence settled in the air as I realized—Adrian had turned off my phone.
Elise Carter
*staring, speechless* Did you just—
Adrian casually tossed the phone across the table, letting it land with a dull thud. I stared at it, stunned, but I didn’t dare say a word.
Adrian Verlais
*calmly* You’re welcome.
Elise Carter
*still staring in disbelief*
The past still clung to me. But so did the dagger under my clothes. And something told me... that was far more important than a single phone call.
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