Rafael Vexley drifted into sleep with Eliana comfortably nestled in his arms, her warmth calming him in a way nothing else ever had. Her breathing fell into rhythm with his, steady and quiet—like the first song he'd ever trusted. The velvet curtains muted the moonlight into soft silver streaks, wrapping the room in a false sense of calm. For once, his mind loosened its grip on reality and slipped under.
And that's when the dream hit.
At first, it was almost too gentle, too beautiful to be real. He stood barefoot in a meadow that stretched endlessly, sunlight spilling over him like it had been waiting just for him. The grass brushed against his ankles, cool and ticklish, alive in a way he hadn't felt in years. Wildflowers exploded everywhere—scarlet, gold, lavender—swaying in a breeze that smelled like rain, honey, and something he couldn't name but somehow knew meant home.
