Serena… why? Why did you leave me? Why did you go? Was I not enough for you? Please… please come back.
I woke up to the sound of my alarm.
That dream again. It was the same one I had every night—of a beautiful young man with long silver hair and sorrowful silver eyes, crying, begging me not to leave. And every time, I woke to an overwhelming wave of pain, like I'd lost something I never had but couldn't live without.
I got out of bed, my chest still heavy from the dream. Everything felt muted—my steps, the morning light, even the water hitting my skin in the shower.
The sadness clung to me, soft but stubborn, like mist that wouldn't lift.
But as I got dressed and made my way down the stairs, the fog in my chest began to fade…
Today was the first day of college—a new beginning. Or so I thought.
"Good morning, my little princess," Lucien's voice rang out from the kitchen. "Oh… why the long face? Did you have that same sad dream again?" "Yes, Lucien," I muttered as I slumped into a chair. "And stop calling me your little princess. I'm 19 now—and I am going to college."
He laughed, unfazed. "Nope. You are my baby sister, and in my eyes, you will always be my little princess."
"Ugh, whatever," I muttered, grabbing a pancake off the plate.
But then I glanced up at the clock, and my heart nearly stopped.
"Oh my gosh, Lucien, why didn't you wake me up?! Now I am going to be late for my first day of college!"
"I was going to," he said casually, "but I know how much you love to sleep."
I scrambled together my books, stuffed them into my bag, and rushed for the door.
"You forgot your lunch!" Lucien called after me as I flew out of the house.
But I didn't care. I was already late—and on the first day of all days. Great start, Clara. Just great.
"I can't believe Lucien didn't wake me up," I grumbled as I hopped onto the bus at the stop.
Thankfully, I made it to campus just in time for the orientation. I raced into the hall, heart still pounding, and—
"Clara!"
I turned at the sound of my name and lit up instantly. "Julie!" I screamed.
I ran to hug her, happiness flooding my chest. My best friend—the one constant thing in my life—was here.
We sat down together side by side, like we always used to.
"Oh my gosh, I can't believe we're actually in college!" she squealed, bouncing a little in her seat.
"Me too," I said, grinning. "We finally made it."
"Attention students, welcome to—"
The man at the podium droned on about the usual campus rules and policies. But Julie and I were too busy chatting to pay much attention.
Eventually, we received our class schedules and went our separate ways—different majors, different buildings.
My first class started like any other. I found a seat near the back and settled in as the lecture began.
Everything was fine… until it wasn't.
Out of nowhere, a sharp pain shot through my head—it felt so intense, like my skull was being split in half.
I screamed.
Not just a little yelp—but a blood-curdling, heart-wrenching scream that echoed across the room. Maybe even the whole campus.
And then… nothing.
When I opened my eyes, I was lying on a narrow bed in the nurse's room, blinking up at the bright ceiling lights. Julie and Lucien hovered over me, their faces pale with worry.
"Ugh… Julie? Lucien? What happened?"
"You passed out," Lucien said.
"As I was heading to class, I heard this awful scream," Julie added, her eyes filled with worry. "It was painful—like something out of a horror movie. I followed the sound and found you collapsed on the floor. They rushed you to the nurse's room, and I ran to get Lucien. Are you alright, Clara?"
"Yeah… I feel fine," I said, trying to sound reassuring, even though my head still throbbed faintly.
"But what happened?" Lucien asked, his expression unreadable.
"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I just felt this horrible pressure in my head—like something was trying to split me open—and then everything went black."
"It seems it's starting to fall apart," Lucien muttered, more to himself than to us.
His voice was serious—darker than I'd ever heard—and he looked lost in thought, almost distant.
"What's falling apart?" I asked, sitting up slowly. I had never seen him look that serious before. He looked worried, but oddly, it didn't feel like he was worried about me.
"Nothing," he said quickly, flashing a smile. "I was just thinking about something else."
"Okay," I murmured, choosing to let it go for now.
They stayed with me a while longer before heading back to class. After the nurse cleared me and said I was perfectly fine, I stepped back into the hallway.
The stares immediately hit me.
Every person I passed turned to look—some subtle, some not at all. I felt heat rush to my cheeks.
Great. I must have made quite the scene.
Screaming like a banshee on the first day—fantastic way to make an impression.
All my classes passed in a blur. I could barely focus—all I could remember were the looks and whispers that followed me everywhere. Every lecture felt like it lasted forever. I was beyond relieved when the day finally ended.
"Bye, bestie!" Julie chirped as she gave me a hug before heading home.
I rode the bus back with Lucien, but he was unusually quiet—nothing like his normal chatty self.
"What's up?" I asked, glancing at him. "You're acting weird. So quiet—not like you at all."
"Nothing," he replied. "Just thinking about something."
Even after we got home, he stayed the same—quiet, withdrawn, lost in thought.
"Are you really okay, Lucien? If you're worried about me, I promise I'm fine."
He finally smiled faintly. "You're right. I was just worried, but now that I know my little princess is alright, I can stop stressing."
He stood and stretched. "Go and take a shower. I will make dinner soon, before Mom and Dad get back, okay?"
"Okay," I said, heading toward the stairs, then paused. "Oh… can you not mention the screaming and fainting to Mom and Dad? I don't want them worrying."
"Yeah," he nodded. "I won't tell them anything."
"Thanks, Lucien," I whispered, and hurried upstairs.
After my shower, I came back down just as my parents walked through the door.
"Mom! Dad! Welcome back!" I beamed and rushed into their arms.
We sat down for dinner together, just like always.
"How was your first day of college, sweetie?" Mom asked.
"It was fine," I said quickly.
"Yeah, she had a great time," Lucien added smoothly, giving me a quick wink.
I mouthed 'thank you' across the table.
Later, after dinner, I went to my room and climbed onto my bed. Exhaustion tugged at my eyes, and soon I fell asleep.
"Serena… you have to come back. You have to come home—or else…"
It was the same man again, but this time he wasn't crying. He was desperate. His voice urgent, pleading.
"But this is my home," I replied. "I belong here."
"No, you don't!" he shouted. "You have to come back!"
He grabbed me, and it felt real—too real.
His hands felt cold and strong, wrapping around my wrist like chains.
"Let me go! Why are you trying to take me away?" I struggled.
"Serena, please," he begged. "Come home."
"No!" I screamed. "And my name is Clara! Let me go!"
"You have to come back home, Serena," he said again.
"No, I won't!" I screamed. "Let me go! I don't know you!"
He kept pulling harder and harder, as if trying to tear me from the world around me.
"NOOOO!"
I woke up to the sound of my alarm.
This time, there was no sadness—only fear. And a strange, sharp sense of relief… like I had barely escaped something I didn't understand.