The Dream That Won't Let Go

Lucian's POV:

I lay on my bed, my body worn from the day’s events, but my mind refused to calm. I should’ve been asleep by now, but my thoughts were too loud, too frantic to quiet.

Celeste attacked Aria today… because of me. The thought hit me like a cold fist to the chest, making it impossible to breathe for a moment. I had to protect her. I couldn’t let something like that happen again. If anything happened to Aria...

The thought gnawed at me, sharp and relentless. But why does this matter so much? I couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling. Every time I thought of her in danger, it felt like something inside me was cracking. What is happening to me?

My emotions were spiraling out of control. Why was I so shaken? I had never felt this way before, not even when I was younger, when everything around me was in chaos. But with Aria, it was different. When I learned Celeste had attacked her... I lost it. I hadn’t recognized myself. If Aria hadn’t stopped me, I might have done something irreversible. But why did she affect me so much? Why couldn’t I get her out of my head?

I tossed and turned in bed, trying to rid myself of the burning questions that swirled through my mind. Sleep was my only escape, but even that seemed distant. Finally, after endless turns, I drifted off into a deep slumber.

And then I was somewhere else. Somewhere... beautiful.

The world around me seemed untouched by time. The air was pure, the sky alive with color, and a tranquil river stretched across the horizon. Everything was alive with beauty—lush greenery, vibrant wildflowers swaying in the breeze, and the river shimmering under the fading sunlight. The scent of blooming jasmine and fresh earth filled the air. But there, by the river, was a girl—her back to me. I felt an inexplicable pull toward her, like an invisible force guiding my every step.

I moved closer, unable to stop myself. My legs seemed to carry me forward, and soon, I was standing before her. She turned, and as soon as I saw her face, I felt something shift in me. It was Aria.

Her beauty stole my breath away. The soft glow of the surroundings only highlighted her presence, as if nature itself bowed to her existence. Her eyes, bright and warm, and her skin, glowing with the radiance of the earth itself, made everything else seem insignificant. Her dress—crafted from flowers, petals woven into the fabric—blended perfectly with the landscape, as if she herself were a part of it. It was as though the world had been shaped just for her.

I couldn’t help but smile, a genuine smile that I hadn’t realized I had been holding back. "Aria... where are we? What are you doing here?" The words slipped out before I could stop them. My heart thundered in my chest.

Aria’s smile was serene, her voice calm and soothing. "Lucian, it’s my home," she replied softly, as if this place was the most natural thing in the world to her. "I live here. I wanted to show you this place—that’s why you’re here."

The words hit me harder than I expected. Her home? The thought lodged itself in my mind. This place, this beautiful world—it’s hers. I took in every detail, both of her and of the world around us. It felt so... right. She was right. This place is made for her.

I reached out instinctively, as if drawn by a force beyond my control, but before I could touch her hand, a voice shattered the serenity, sharp and menacing.

"You don’t belong here." The voice seethed, its power undeniable.

Aria’s smile faltered, her calm and peaceful demeanor shattered in an instant. Her face twisted in fear, and for the first time, I saw something I never thought possible in her: terror.

"Lucian..." she whispered, her voice tight with panic. "He’s coming. Please, he will tear us apart. He won’t let us be together."

Her words hit me like a physical blow, and for the first time in my life, I was struck with a feeling I didn’t understand. What was happening? I had no idea what she was talking about. But the fear in her eyes was undeniable. I couldn’t let anyone hurt her. Not again.

I stared at her, my chest tightening. Who is she talking about? I thought. "Who’s coming, Aria? Who’s trying to keep us apart?"

Before she could answer, the voice came again, this time more dangerous, more insistent. "Stay away from her. She is mine. You have no claim over her. She was never meant for you."

I whipped my head around, searching for the source of the voice, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Who is this? I wanted to shout, but the words were caught in my throat.

Aria was still standing there, her eyes wide with fear, her lips trembling as she glanced nervously over her shoulder. "Lucian..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "Please, he’s coming. You need to go."

But I wasn’t leaving. Not without her.

"I will not leave her," I said, my voice growing firmer, more resolute. "Tell me who you are, or I swear to the elements, I’ll make you regret ever coming near her."

The voice sneered, an eerie chuckle vibrating through the air. "You think you can stop me? You’re making the same mistake again. You are nothing. Just another fool who thinks he can claim what doesn’t belong to him."

The air around me thickened, the world around us beginning to warp and darken, like the very atmosphere itself was twisting into something unrecognizable.

I looked at Aria, trying to ignore the suffocating dread creeping up my spine. "Aria, what is this? Who is this?" I demanded, my voice now desperate. "What is happening?"

But she only shook her head, her face filled with dread. "Lucian, please, I... I don’t know. I’m scared. I didn’t mean for this to happen... he’s always been here, always watching me."

The voice was laughing now, the sound grating, like nails on a chalkboard. "She belongs to me. She always has."

I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to lash out. "No. She is not yours. Aria is not a possession."

"Oh, but she is," the voice murmured, its tone dipping into something cold and possessive. "She is mine. Always has been. Always will be. And you... you will never take her from me."

I stepped forward, my own anger boiling over. I won’t back down. I can’t let anyone take her away from me.

"You will regret this," I growled, my voice a low threat. "If you dare lay a finger on her, I’ll show you what true power is. I will burn you to ash, and nothing will remain but your screams."

The voice responded with more venom. "You think you can defeat me? I am not some fool you can intimidate. I’ve watched her grow, watched her powers unfold. And now, you... you are just another obstacle in my way."

A sudden chill filled the air as darkness pressed in from all sides. I could feel it now—the weight of the voice’s power, the sheer force of its presence. It was not just a voice anymore; it was a force, a living, breathing entity that I couldn’t understand.

The landscape around us started to decay, the once beautiful scenery turning into a twisted version of itself. The river began to dry up, the sky darkening as the air became thick and suffocating. Aria, standing there beside me, looked terrified.

"Aria, no!" I reached for her hand, but before I could touch her, a figure appeared behind her. A shadowed figure, his hands gripping her waist tightly.

"I will never let her go," the voice said, its words dripping with malicious satisfaction. "She belongs with me, in the darkness. And you will never see her again."

Aria’s face was filled with pain as she tried to break free, her voice frantic. "Lucian! Please, I don’t want this! Help me!"

I looked at her, my heart ripping in two. "I won’t let you take her!" I screamed, my voice raw with desperation.

The figure behind her smirked, his form still hidden in the shadows. "You’re too weak," he taunted. "You always will be. She is mine. You will never have the strength to stop me."

My mind raced. What is this? Who is this? My chest constricted as I realized just how powerless I felt. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to summon my dragons. I could only watch helplessly as the man in the shadows pulled Aria away from me.

"No! Aria!" I cried out again, reaching for her. My voice was hoarse, desperate, but she was slipping from my grasp, fading into the air like smoke.

"You are nothing compared to me," the voice sneered, its words cutting through me like a blade. "You think you can claim her heart, but you’re wrong. You will never be enough for her. She is destined for something greater, something beyond your reach."

I felt the anger surge within me, but it was futile. Nothing I did would make a difference. I couldn’t protect her. I couldn’t save her.

"No!" I screamed. "Aria!"

I could still hear her calling my name, but the words faded, like they were being swallowed by the night.

Suddenly, I was jolted awake, gasping for breath. My eyes snapped open, and I found myself back in my room. The familiar surroundings of my bed, the walls of my room—everything was exactly as it should be.

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But that dream... It didn’t feel like just a dream. It felt like something more, something I couldn’t explain. What was that? What just happened?

My chest rising and falling rapidly as the remnants of the dream clung to my mind like a shadow refusing to fade. But was it really a dream? No, it felt too real—too vivid. The voice, the cold laughter, the suffocating darkness… and Aria.

Why was everyone after her? Who was that voice, and why did he claim her as if she was his?

Frustration and unease coiled inside me, suffocating my lungs. I needed air.

Throwing off the covers, I strode out of my room onto the balcony, inhaling the crisp night air. The sky was a deep, endless abyss, stars scattered like shattered glass across its vast canvas. But even their glow did nothing to ease the storm raging in my chest.

I won’t let anyone harm her. No one will come near her.

As my mind wrestled with unanswered questions, a faint sound broke through the silence. My eyes darted toward the courtyard below.

Figures. Hooded. Standing by the entrance gate.

My brows furrowed. What the hell are they doing here at this hour? The courtyard was at the edge of the forest, and wandering around at midnight wasn’t just reckless—it was dangerous. If the staff caught them, they’d be in serious trouble.

Squinting through the darkness, I studied their body language. I couldn’t see their faces beneath their hoods, but I knew. I knew exactly who they were.

With a deep breath, I turned away from the balcony and headed for the courtyard. The sharp click of my footsteps echoed through the hallway, matching the frustration building inside me. Why am I always surrounded by fools?

When I reached the gate, I found it locked—from the inside. Which meant… they were stuck outside.

I let out a dry chuckle. Idiots.

As I stood there, watching their futile attempts to get in, I heard a familiar voice.

"Maybe we can find another way in," Nico suggested, his usual nonchalant tone edged with mild concern.

Another voice, sharper, impatient. "If there were another way in, don’t you think I would’ve found it by now?"

Aria.

I rolled my eyes. Of course, it was them.

Without a word, I reached forward and unlocked the gate.

As soon as I unlocked the gate, absolute chaos unfolded.

They scattered like startled birds, running in every direction as if I was some kind of predator. Really? Did they think that would work?

I stepped into the courtyard, taking my time. My amusement grew with every ridiculous hiding spot I spotted. Are these really the people I have to deal with? Honestly, if this is the future of our generation, we might as well hand the world over to the squirrels—they’ve got better hiding strategies.

My gaze landed first on Calen and Kai—squished behind a single lamppost. A single lamppost. For two people.

I raised a brow, arms crossing over my chest. This is just embarrassing.

"Really? A lamppost? That’s the best you could come up with?"

Kai let out a defeated sigh and straightened. At least one of them has some dignity left.

"It was short notice, okay?"

Calen groaned, rubbing his temples like he was mentally re-evaluating every decision that led him to this moment. Same, buddy. Same.

I smirked and kept looking.

Then there was Esme.

She was crouched behind a potted plant. A tiny potted plant.

I stared at her for a long second, trying to process the sheer level of delusion required to think that was a good hiding spot.

"Blending in with nature, Esme? Impressive. Maybe if you stay really still, you’ll photosynthesize."

She huffed, stepping out with an eye roll. Ah, yes. The universal sign of 'I refuse to admit that was stupid.'

Then my eyes flicked to Nico.

He was crouched behind a stone bench, except his entire upper body was still very much visible.

Oh, for the love of—

"Ah, yes. The classic ‘if I can’t see you, you can’t see me’ strategy. Bold choice, Nico."

Nico muttered something under his breath but stood up, jaw clenched. Poor guy really thought he had something there.

Then there was Dante.

Crouched behind a planter. And looking entirely too proud of himself.

I sighed, strolling over.

"Dante, if you’re trying to hide, you might want to pick a spot where you don’t look like an accidental shrubbery ornament."

Dante straightened up, his confidence still intact. I almost admired the commitment.

"I thought the plan was to blend in with the foliage."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you’re certainly adding some charm to the landscape. Too bad you don’t quite match the aesthetic."

And then—her.

The moment my eyes landed on Aria, my breath hitched for half a second.

Her face. It was the exact same as in my dream.

That dream that still haunted me.

For a moment, it felt like time slowed, like I was standing in two places at once—here in the courtyard and back in that dream, hearing that voice whisper her name.

My jaw clenched. Not now.

I shoved the thought aside, forcing myself to focus on what actually mattered:

What the hell are they all doing out here at this time of night?

Aria had at least made a genuine effort to hide. Pressed behind a trellis draped in vines, she was actually using her brain—unlike the others.

For a second, I almost—almost—thought she might have pulled it off.

But then she peeked through the vines.

Our eyes met.

I tilted my head, stepping toward her, my boots echoing in the silence.

She stayed frozen, her blue eyes wide, like she was hoping if she stayed still, I’d just… ignore her.

Not a chance.

"And here I thought you’d be better at this, Ms. Collins."

I deliberately used her surname, unable to bear the thought of calling her Aria. The dream still haunted me, and if I called her that, she’d fade away again, right in front of me.

She sighed and stood up, her attempt at dignity barely holding together.

"Oh, shut up."

I smirked. Ah, there it is.

"You lot are terrible at sneaking around."

A chorus of groans followed.

Esme threw her hands up. "This is so unfair."

Dante muttered, "Next time, we come up with an actual plan."

Kai sighed. "Yeah, and maybe find better hiding spots."

I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Or, hear me out… don’t get caught."

But as the amusement settled, my smirk faded.

I scanned their faces, watching the way their gazes flicked between one another, their shoulders a little too tense, their smiles a little too forced. Suspicion curled in my chest. They were hiding something.

My eyes landed on Aria, and for the briefest moment, my breath caught in my throat.

Her face—

No. Not now.

I forced the thought away, shoving it into the back of my mind where it belonged. This was not the time to get distracted. My focus needed to be on why they were all out here in the courtyard at this hour.

"Now," I stepped forward, voice sharpening, "Now, tell me—what are you all doing here so late in the courtyard?"

Silence.

They exchanged glances, like they were trying to decide who should speak first. I narrowed my eyes, watching their hesitation. That alone told me enough—whatever excuse they were about to come up with was a lie.

Nico was the first to speak, clearing his throat. "Actually, today is me, Dante, and Kai's first day at the academy, and, uh... we couldn't sleep. So we thought we'd wander around the courtyard for a bit."

I said nothing, just watched him. The way he kept his tone even, meeting my gaze without flinching. Too steady. Too prepared.

He was lying.

Nico continued, "Then Esme and Aria saw us from their balcony and decided to come down and join us."

My gaze flicked to Aria. Her expression was unreadable, but something about the way she stood—like she was holding her breath—told me she wasn’t as unaffected as she wanted me to believe.

"Oh, did they? Quite the coincidence." My tone was laced with skepticism.

Esme stepped forward quickly, nodding far too eagerly. "Yeah! We saw them just standing around, and we figured, why not keep them company?"

She smiled, too bright, too forced.

Dante crossed his arms. "Right. I mean, it's not against the rules to be in the courtyard, is it? It wasn't that much time, anyway."

My jaw clenched. They were playing this off as if it was nothing. As if I was just another rule-abiding prince who’d let them off with a warning.

They didn’t understand. This wasn’t about curfews. This was about safety. About control.

I turned to Calen. "And what about you? How did you end up here?"

Calen stiffened. Before he could answer, Esme cut in. "I called him. Yeah, I asked him to come join us."

Too quick. Too desperate.

I crossed my arms. "So let me get this straight—you're all just... out here, in the middle of the night, talking?"

Kai stepped forward, shrugging. "After some time, we were going to head back inside, but then a dorm staff member came in. We hid from her, but when she left... she locked the courtyard. So, yeah... we were stuck here."

Dante nodded. "It's not like we planned to camp out here all night."

Esme added, "Yeah, we were just trying to avoid getting caught."

I stared at them, waiting for one of them to slip, to say something that didn’t add up. My gut told me there was more to this story, but nothing in their expressions gave me enough to call them out.

So instead, I exhaled slowly, shaking my head. "If that dorm staff member had seen you all, you'd be in big trouble. Do you know that?"

My gaze swept over them before settling on Aria. "Especially you."

I saw the way she swallowed hard, her fingers twitching slightly at her sides. She knew what I meant. She knew she was different. That she couldn’t afford to get caught breaking rules in a place like this.

"I told you—Vortex Academy is different from the others," I said, my patience thinning. "But you didn't listen. And not only that, you didn't even bother telling them you also joined in."

Kai cut in smoothly. "She did tell us, but we thought nothing would happen."

My jaw tightened. "So, you didn't take her seriously?"

No one answered.

I took a step closer, my voice dropping. "Do you even realize where you are? In Vortex Academy, mistakes aren't taken lightly. You can get expelled for something as minor as this."

I let my words hang in the air before continuing. "And in case you all forgot, roaming the courtyard this late isn’t just against the rules—it’s dangerous. The forest is right next to the academy, and there are things out there that even you wouldn’t want to run into. If a rule exists, it’s for a reason. Try following it."

Aria crossed her arms. "Okay, I get it. And they get it too. So can you not give us a lecture? It’s not like we murdered someone."

The audacity.

I stared at her, deadpan. She really had no sense of self-preservation.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Esme and Calen tense. They were smarter than her, at least.

I debated snapping back, but as I looked at her face again, those memories flooded my mind—her voice, so desperate, pleading for me to save her. And now? She didn’t even realize she could be in trouble like that.

I exhaled sharply.

She tilted her head. "Anyway... why were you out here so late?"

I met her gaze, unreadable. "I saw you all standing near the door from my balcony. Thought I'd come see what kind of stupidity you were up to this time."

Calen let out a relieved sigh. "Thank God you did. Otherwise, we'd be stuck here till morning. And that would have been risky."

With that, the conversation shifted, but my thoughts didn’t.

As we walked back, I found myself beside Aria. She glanced at me briefly before looking ahead.

I spoke quietly, my voice laced with warning. "I told you not to leave your room and wander around the academy. It's not good for you. But you didn't listen. If you keep doing this, you'll get expelled one day, or worse, be in big trouble."

Then it hit me—again.

The dream.

That damn dream.

The shadow. The way it had dragged her away, her scream cut off as darkness swallowed her whole. I had reached for her, fought for her—but I had been too late.

I had lost her.

My jaw tightened, a strange, suffocating weight pressing against my chest. It wasn’t real. It wasn’t real.

But as I looked at her now—standing here, alive, completely unaware of the way that nightmare had embedded itself into my mind—I felt that same helpless rage claw at me.

She glanced up, her expression softer than I expected. "Don't worry. I won't do it again."

Liar.

I knew she’d do whatever the hell she wanted. And I hated that I couldn’t do anything about it.

I held her gaze for a moment longer, searching—maybe for a sign, maybe for an answer I didn’t even know I wanted.

Then, forcing the turmoil down, I gave a short nod and looked ahead.

As they all exchanged quiet goodnights and parted ways, I cast one last glance at Aria before she heading in the opposite direction.

That voice from the dream echoed in my mind.

You can’t protect her.

A slow, simmering fury burned through me.

Like hell I couldn’t.