That night, Liam lay once again on his bed, staring at the ceiling of his bed room. His heart tangled in a storm of emotions. Ever since Sera had begun to keep her distance, everything around him felt hollow. No more evening walks together, no more quiet hours at the café, no more silences that once felt comforting. The emptiness gnawed at him, a slow ache that turned into longing, the kind that made him feel as though something precious had been ripped from his grasp.
His eyelids grew heavy, and soon he drifted into sleep, carried away into the depths of his dream.
In an instant, he found himself in a place drenched in light. The brilliance wasn't blinding but warm, wrapping around him like a gentle embrace. The fragrance of lilies filled his lungs, so vivid it felt as if every breath carried a memory.
He was kneeling on soft ground. In his hands was a small velvet box. He opened it slowly, revealing a diamond ring that shimmered as if it held the glow of the entire world within it. His heartbeat thundered as he lifted his gaze to the figure standing before him.
A girl. Her face was blurred, veiled as though by mist, but Liam knew. He knew her as surely as he knew the rhythm of his own pulse. His heart recognized her even if his eyes could not.
"Will you marry me?" His voice quivered but did not falter.
The answer came, soft yet resounding, "Yes…"
But before the warmth of her words could settle into him, the world dissolved. The light dimmed, the lilies vanished, and suddenly Liam was thrown into a vast white void. His body felt heavy, his breath ragged, his consciousness slipping away.
Then—warmth. A hand, soft and trembling, clasped his. A lifeline.
He forced his eyes open. The same figure was there again, her tears falling, landing like fire on his cold skin. Her gaze pierced through him, raw and desperate.
"I will find you, always…" she whispered.
Liam's chest tightened as his eyes snapped open. Darkness greeted him—his bedroom, still and silent—but his heart was racing, his lungs fighting for air. He pressed a hand to his chest, trying to calm the storm within.
"What does this mean? Why is she in my dreams? Why won't these dreams stop haunting me!?" His voice cracked with frustration.
He buried his face in his hands, yet the heaviness refused to leave. It stayed, like a shadow stitched into his very soul.
Meanwhile, across the city, Sera was making her way home from Cindy's place. Cindy had just gotten engaged to Ethan—her boss. Watching her friend smile in pure happiness had left Sera with emotions she could barely untangle: joy, envy, and a subtle ache she didn't want to name. Earlier that evening, she had bought a bouquet of white lilies, not knowing why. She had handed it over as a gift, grateful at least that the flowers wouldn't go to waste.
Sera stepped into her house, letting her cardigan slip from her shoulders and fall onto the chair. She was far too exhausted even to turn on the light or change in to pajamas. With heavy steps, she sank into her bed, letting her body collapse against the mattress.
Sleep took her almost instantly.
When her eyes opened again, she was standing in the middle of an endless field. The sky was washed in golden hues, the sun dipping low and spilling light that seemed to make every flower glow. Lilies stretched as far as she could see, swaying as though they breathed with the wind. She trailed her fingers across the delicate petals, inhaling their sweet, intoxicating scent.
And then—he was there.
A man stood at the edge of her vision. Blurred, indistinct, but closer than before. Her heart lurched. She didn't know his name, had never seen his face clearly, yet something deep within her whispered recognition. She knew him, not with her eyes but with her soul.
"I've been waiting for you," his voice carried across the field, gentle yet undeniable.
He moved toward her. His hand extended, wrapped in a white bandage that trembled as he reached out.
A small box appeared in his grasp. Slowly, he opened it. Inside lay a ring, catching the last light of the sun, so radiant it stole her breath.
Tears welled in Sera's eyes, spilling down her cheeks before she even realized. Her lips parted, and the word slipped out, fragile but certain.
"Yes…"
Her fingers closed over his, clutching tightly as though letting go would make him vanish. His hand was warm but unsteady, fragile, and yet it grounded her like nothing else.
The smile that spread across his face was devastatingly beautiful. Warmth, joy, sorrow—everything in it threatened to break her heart. And then the dream unraveled. The golden field faded, the lilies fell like ashes on the wind, and she was left clutching at nothing but air.
Her eyes flew open. Her pillow was damp beneath her face, her body trembling as sobs wracked through her chest. She sat upright, clutching the sheets as if they were her last tether to reality. Her heart ached as though she had lost someone—someone she could not name, someone she could not reach.
"What is this all. Why is it always haunted me?" she whispered into the silence.
Every night, it was the same. Dreams that blurred the line between memory and illusion. Dreams that left her hollow and restless, granting no peace, no true sleep.
Elsewhere, Liam stared out his window, watching the night sky scattered with faint stars. The same questions tormented him, looping endlessly.
"Why her? Why always her?"
His chest tightened again, that same unshakable conviction rising within him—these were not ordinary dreams. They were more. A thread pulling him toward something… someone.
And in the unseen world between waking and dreaming, their paths drew closer still, waiting for the moment when they would finally find each other.