The dream always began the same.
A vast lake of silver mist stretched beneath the night sky, the moon hanging low and swollen, casting ripples of light across the water. From the depths, something stirred—scales that shimmered like jade, eyes that glowed gold with an endless hunger.
The serpent.
It coiled around him, massive and terrifying, yet its gaze was tender. A voice echoed through the mist, neither human nor beast—deep, ancient, and longing.
"Mine… no matter the lifetime."
Ren's heart thundered. He wanted to run, but the serpent's shadow wrapped around him, pressing something burning against his skin—
He woke with a gasp.
His dorm room was silent except for the hum of the ceiling fan. For a moment, he sat frozen on his bed, sweat dampening his shirt. His shoulder throbbed, a sharp sting spreading like fire beneath the skin.
Ren yanked his collar down—and froze.
There, etched across his shoulder, was a mark. Dark and vivid, shaped unmistakably like a serpent coiled in a circle, its head resting where his collarbone met his neck.
"What… the hell?" Ren whispered, brushing trembling fingers over it. The mark felt hot, alive, as though it had been burned into him moments ago.
It wasn't a tattoo. He knew—he'd never gotten one.
His phone buzzed suddenly on the desk, making him jolt. A message from his best friend lit the screen:
> Kai: "Ren! You late again? Hurry up or Professor Han will skin you alive 😂"
Ren blinked, still half caught between dream and reality. His shoulder burned like it was mocking him.
"Just a dream," he muttered, trying to convince himself. "Just… a dream."
But deep down, something told him otherwise.
As Ren dragged himself out of bed, unaware, a pair of golden eyes watched him from the shadows of the city. The serpent, no longer bound to dreams, had awakened as well.
And this time, he wouldn't let his beloved slip away.