As I lay in my slumber, I felt myself slipping away into a realm of wonder and enchantment. My body felt weightless, as if I were soaring through the sky, and the world around me was awash with colors that I had never seen before.
I saw her then, my Liana, standing before me with a grace that only a human could possess. Her hair was as dark as the night sky, and her eyes glowed with a fire that could rival the stars. I felt my heart leap with joy at the sight of her, and I rushed to her side.
She smiled at me, a smile that was both familiar and foreign all at once. "Draco," she said, her voice echoing through the dreamlike landscape. "It's been so long."
I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes. "Liana," I whispered. "I missed you so much."
But instead of reciprocating she said something that sliced my heart up further.
"I have to go," she said, her voice soft and gentle. "But know that I will always be with you."
I was not ready to listen to anything. Not with her right in front of me once more.
I pulled her into a tight hug. My force might have crushed her bones had we been in the real world. But since this was a dream, I was free to do whatever I could.
As we embraced, tears streamed down my face, and I held her tightly, never wanting to let her go. "I have missed you so much," I whispered again, my voice choked with emotion.
"I know," she replied, holding me just as tightly. "But you have to let me go, Draco. You have to let me go."
I pulled away from her then, looking into her eyes. "No, I can't," I said, my voice shaking. "I can't let you go again."
She stroked my cheek gently, a look of deep love in her eyes. "You have to, my love," she said softly. "You have to find a way to move on. You have so much to live for, so much to give to the world."
"But I don't want to," I said, my voice rising with desperation. "I don't want to live in a world without you."
"You won't be alone," she replied, wiping away my tears. "You have Damian. You have your people, your dragons. You have so much to be grateful for."
"But none of it matters without you," I said, my voice breaking. In the real world, I wouldn't believe what I had just said. But since this was a dream, I was free to be honest. "I need you, Liana. I need you more than anything."
She hugged me again, and we stayed like that for a long time, crying and holding onto each other with all our strength. "I love you, Draco," she whispered in my ear. "I will always love you.I always have. "
And then the turmoil began, the dreamworld crumbling around us.As we embraced, the dream shifted, and the surroundings became more mystical and magical. The sky turned dark, and a sudden wind started to blow, as if the elements themselves were responding to our reunion.
Liana's eyes widened with fear, and she stepped back from me. "Draco, something is wrong," she said, her voice trembling.
I looked around, trying to see what was causing her fear, but I could find nothing out of the ordinary. "What is it?" I asked, my own voice starting to shake.
"I don't know," she replied, looking around frantically. "It's like the dream is falling apart."
As she spoke, the world around us started to dissolve into mist, and I felt a sense of panic rising within me. "Liana, we have to get out of here," I shouted.
But before I could reach out to her, she was suddenly engulfed by a blinding light, and a piercing scream echoed through the dreamworld. I tried to run to her, to save her from whatever was happening, but she was gone before I could reach her.
I stood there, alone in the mist, and tears streamed down my face. "Liana!" I shouted, my voice breaking. "Come back to me!"
But there was no response, no sign that she had ever been there at all. And I knew then that this dream, this reunion, was not meant to be. She was gone, and I was alone once more.
******
Lucian's POV: She is in my dream as well
I woke up to the darkness that surrounded me, my heart beating faster than ever before. It was just a dream, but the pain was so real that it felt like a living nightmare. I closed my eyes and tried to shake off the thoughts that consumed me since I had seen her lifeless face but I couldn't escape them.
In my dream, I saw her again. She was as beautiful as ever, but her eyes were lifeless. She was dead. And I couldn't help but feel responsible for her death.
I got up and stretched my wings, the muscles aching from the tension. I walked to the edge of my cave and stared out into the darkness, trying to calm my racing thoughts. Suddenly, I heard a voice.
"L-Lucian?" The voice was weak and trembling, but it was very familiar. It was Liana's voice.
I turned around as swiftly as I could and saw her - Liana, the human woman who stole my heart. She was standing at the entrance of my cave, her eyes fixed on me. For a moment, I couldn't move, couldn't speak. I just stared at her, wondering if this was another dream.
"Lucian," she called again, taking a few steps towards me. "It's really me."
I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I looked at her. "You're...you're alive?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
She nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Yes, I am. Draco saved me. He risked everything to bring me back."
I felt a surge of emotions rushing through me - relief, joy, love, guilt, hatred,anger...all at once.
"Liana, I'm so relieved that you're back," I said, my voice shaking. "I thought I had lost you forever."
I tried to pull her into an embrace.
She took my hand in hers, instead and looked into my eyes. "Lucian, I'm glad to see you too. But there's something I need to tell you."
I nodded, feeling a sense of apprehension. "What is it?"
I felt guilt overriding all my other emotions as she mentioned that to me. I immediately rushed to become defensive,
"I'm sorry," I said, my voice shaking as I pulled my hand out of her grip. "I'm sorry for what I did. I betrayed Draco, and I couldn't protect you."
She took my clawed hand in hers and looked into my eyes again. "Lucian, it's not your fault. I made my own choices. I never had feelings for you, but that doesn't mean I didn't care for you."
I nodded, tears streaming down my face. "I know. And I care for you too, more than I ever let on. But I didn't want to come between you and Draco. I didn't want to cause any trouble. But I should have. I should have stolen you from him. I should have kept you shelled.I should have been there to protect you. I let you put yourself between him and that blade."
She squeezed my hand, her eyes filled with compassion. "Lucian, you didn't cause any pain. You're not responsible for what happened. Draco and I had our own struggles."
I nodded, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "I'm glad you're okay," I said, my voice still choked up. "I missed you. I thought I had lost you forever."
She took another deep breath before speaking. "Lucian, I know how you feel about me. And I need you to know that I don't feel the same way. I care for you deeply, but not in the way that you want me to."
I felt a pang of disappointment, but I tried to keep my composure. "I understand, Liana. But please know that my feelings for you will never change. I love you, and I always will."
She looked at me with a mixture of sadness and understanding. "Lucian, I appreciate your honesty. But I need you to know that Draco is my mate. He's the one I love."
I knew that. Dman it girl! Did you need to remind me that even in death?
But I nodded even while, feeling a sense of resignation and disgust at the statement. "I know. I've always known. But that doesn't change how I feel about you."
I yelled.
She took a step closer to me, her eyes softening. "Lucian, I need you to know that I care for you. But we can only be friends. You need to accept that."
I felt a sense of defeat, but I nodded. "I know. I'll try my best to honour that, Liana. But please know that you'll always hold a special place in my heart ."
She nodded, as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Thank you, Lucian. That means a lot to me. And I'm glad we can still be friends."
I smiled at her, feeling a sense of closure. "Me too, Liana. Me too."
She smiled at me, and for a moment, it was like we were the only two creatures in the world, in the universe. "I missed you too, Lucian. But I'm here now.I came back to say my final goodbye."
I felt a warm sensation spreading through my chest as I embraced her, tears still streaming down my face. I had always known that this was in reality a dream and that she was not real but I refused to believe that.
"Thank you," I said, my voice barely audible. "Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for being here."
I grabbed her and pinned her to my chest.
And to my surprise,she hugged me back, and we stayed like that for a long time.