Year 2025,
It has been a year already, and some things have changed, while some things haven't. Just like how my annoying repeated dream reoccurred again after a few months of silence. In my deep slumber, I'm here at the same plane, facing a nightmare, looping in the process.
"Seriously, again…" I muttered softly when my dreamless sleep became my usual nightmare from before.
If before I had my savior paying me a visit to prevent me from drowning in my nightmare, this year, I had to swallow it up. And like before, my dream felt real. I'm hyperaware of my surroundings despite how deep my sleep was. I could feel everything: the cold wind at night, the breathable air in my bedroom, and the comfort my mattress was giving. However, the comfort wasn't present at all since my body trembled badly over a nightmare that came back knocking in my sleep.
"When will this stop?" I said softly, partially annoyed by the same dream that I had before. "Mystra Netherwyn…"
Mystra Netherwyn's realm was still the same as the last time I had dreamed of it. It was still filled with magical creatures and natures from floating islands, rocky but fiery mountains, spooky ruins, and woods that seemed alive. And the ruling kingdom, Miticaelum Kingdom, was still keeping the order and peace among the enormous creatures until there she was. Again.
"Sage. The only midnight blue Fenrir I've ever seen." I whispered, still mesmerized by how radiant this woman was.
Sage was the same. She was the same woman that I admired from the Fenrir pack, known as the Silver Bluemoon tribe. They were majestic and wonderful shifters with tribal tattoos, reflecting who they were, harmonized, and pretty much bigger than us, werewolves.
"She's truly a split image of mine." I chuckled, feeling proud despite our huge difference in looks and in life.
We looked like identical twins with the same midnight blue hair, a beauty that I hid in my geeky outfit, and empathy to understand creatures' pain and joy. But she stood out like a warrior goddess, Athena, while I was not even close to being a warrior since I'm a bookworm. She was her tribe's light while I was the weakest omega in our pack, and to add more salt to my wound, I'm wolfless. However, due to my experience, I learned to be cautious.
"I hope I could change into something like her." I wished while the dream kept going on and landed at the desolated land, secluded, away from everything – a prison, "Nyther…"
Nyther was like a middle ground between Nocturnal Haven and Mystra Netherwyn, but it was a prison. It was the strictest and lethal prison for creatures who committed an unforgivable crime or chaotic disorder. Only the highest heaven could set them free. However, Sage stood hypnotized at the most terrifying prison chamber where a mysterious woman, a vampire, was held captive.
"Her lover," I said softly, since I could still remember what would happen next.
The vampire lady was bound with magical and moving chains, connecting to five stones. The first four stones surrounding her were elemental runes from fire, water, air, and wood; it was preventing her from unleashing her outstanding but terrifying power. However, the fifth and the last stone formed into a tri-decagram, like a thirteen-pointed star above her head, sealed her. And yet, nothing stopped them from colliding, waking the woman from her deep slumber.
"Ah, those bloody mauve eyes…it was still familiar to me, no matter how many times I've dreamed of this." I softly said as if I'd seen those eyes before I even started having these weird dreams. "Seriously, I've seen those eyes somewhere, but where?"
I'm expecting the dream will continue until the end, but not this moment. Just like before, the moment Sage and her lover kissed on their first meeting, instead of taking me to a chaotic love story, they had experienced, the loop began. I was taken back to where it began, and with harsh repetition, my head began spinning. I wanted to throw up at how fast it was until it continued to a very devastating ending. It was the scene where Sage was shot, shattering two hopeful hearts.
"Great, after the loop, the nightmare comes." With a little sarcasm, I said softly, trying to control the overwhelming emotions aching around my chest, and the tears threatening to fall, before saying, "Just like Romeo and Juliet's love story with a devastating ending."
In the romantic book of Romeo and Juliet's ending, they died together, but between Sage and her lover, it was not even an option. Sage died in the arms of the woman she ever loved, leaving a vow that still came unclear to my ears before dissolving into ash. The ash swirled magically around the broken vampire lover, crying over what she lost, and Sage's soul burst into the wind, spreading into different directions, into different items and a vessel.
"That baby...felt familiar..." I muttered as I watched a part of Sage's soul enter and give life to a half-dead infant. I wasn't sure why I was touched by the scene, but as the baby's cries filled my ears, my heart felt like it was exploding. "What's happening?"
It was confusing. I trembled and screamed to the point I felt like burning again. It was too hot to handle until I heard her voice, my savior's voice whispering to my ears in a soothing manner.
'Wake up, my love. It's just a reminder. Wake up now.'
I love her voice. It was gentle and soothing, but nothing like the flashing images from my dream. It was being too much for my head's liking, spinning, drowning me in agony. But she was right, I'm already over it for a year now, and then I screamed.
"WAKE UP!!!" I screamed over the top of my lungs, shaking, crying from everything I've dreamed again, but this time something felt different.
I might be trembling, screaming, and tossing back and forth on my bed, not even caring that the hot liquid came out again from my temple. I just need to get out and wake up one more time until there it goes again. The heat crawled under my skin like I'm being skinned and burned alive, marking every piece of my body deeply down to my soul.
"Somebody…help me…wake me..." I muttered, groaning as I tried my best to wake my body up from this sleep.
It wasn't long before I heard flapping wings around my bedroom that landed on my side. It gave a featherly touch to my temple, soothing, but also electricuting. Then, a loud roar escaped from the lips, jolting me up, panting. I looked around to see if there was someone in my bedroom, but there was no one aside from my familiar, a bat I earned last night during my meditation.
"I'm okay now, Reaper," I said hoarsely, trying to control my breathing as I pet my bat, a giant golden-crowned flying fox with darker and stronger wings like it was a myth. "Thanks for worrying."
Just like how I always do meditation, I rested my back on the bed's headboard comfortably, and with closed eyes, I focused on settling my breathing. In just a few seconds, it finally worked. My breathing and my heart rate settled down, causing me to release a heavy sigh. It worried my pet, Reaper, but I shook my head, smiling with assurance until my mind drifted into a wonder.
"It's been a year…why have I dreamed it again?" I muttered under a sigh, stroking my bat when I started hearing footsteps rushing to my bedroom, and a sudden burst happened at my door. They could have just entered the room like normal people would do, instead of breaking it again. "Seriously, my door."
"BERNILA!" My family worriedly asked as they rushed to my bed.
"Hi?" With a shy smile, I skeptically greeted their worried expression.
"Don't 'hi' us, sweetie." Sandra, my adoptive mother, sighed heavily but was still worried and noticed my bat, Reaper.
"Don't worry, it's my pet, Reaper. It stranded in my window and named it last night." I introduced them to my bat. They nodded, and Mom hugged me tight. She was worried about me. "I'm alright, Mom. Reaper managed to wake me up."
"Thank you, Reaper." Mom softly said and petted my bat gently, which seemed like purring. I'm honestly unsure if a bat could do what a cat or dog would do.
"Are you having a relapse?" Alon, my adoptive father, asked carefully, handing me a wet towel.
"I'm not skipping meds, Dad," I replied honestly, wiping my sweat.
"It's her mark." Luna Taylor said, noticing my mark bleed.
Subconsciously, I touched my temple where I felt it was bleeding. I sighed, whispering, "I should have known. I felt it."
"Again? It's been a year since it happened, and she lost her wolf that night…" With a puzzled tone, Alpha Ozmon said, making me tilt my head while wiping my bleeding temple.
"What about it? What's the connection between my bleeding temple and my loss?" I asked coldly, making them flinch, for I'm not sure how I sounded there. But the looks they were giving me were like I had grown two heads, but I shrugged it off before I could ask more.
"I don't think it's about what she lost, but maybe it has something to do with what she'll gain from now on." Luna Taylor said knowingly, making me frown and intrigued by what she meant, but I could not utter a word; there was an intense energy about to break inside my room.
I knew very well who owned those excited footsteps, and all I could do was sigh heavily, muttering, "Here she comes."
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BERNILA!" Talia greeted me with her usual loud and cheerful voice, cutting the heavy air in my room. She even jumped on my bed like she belonged there. I could only roll my eyes at her high energy in the morning.
But what she said was true. It's my birthday today, and today, I turned twenty. But somehow, the air feels different, like it was carrying something for my life. And it started with this woman who was grinning at me like a Cheshire cat, and I knew what it meant.
"Don't you dare give me another bone-crushing hug." I glared, warning her, but she was not listening.
"Too late, already did," Talia said, hugging me with her usual bone-crashing bear hug, making me forget that she was a year older than me and the strong-willed, soon-to-be she-alpha.
I groaned, but I couldn't stay mad or annoyed with Talia; she always had the effect on me before reminding her, "You're forgetting how thin I am." But her sweet giggles were contagious, making me ask after pulling away, saying, "Happy now?"
"Pretty much, and I'm dragging you to the mall to update your little wardrobe," Talia said with a mischievous tone. Again, I'm horrified.
"Oh, please no. You won't dare." I glared, horrified by her taste in clothing. I loved my geeky and nerdy style as it reflects me, my timid, weakling state. But her grin just went wide. "Oh God, this is bad."
"Don't worry, it includes an ice cream hunt as my bargain tickets." She chuckled like it had been decided. It's horrifying to have a best friend who knew your love for ice cream and took it as a hostage for her advantage.
"Er! I hate it when you hold hostage my love for ice cream." I groaned in defeat, and she chuckled. She knew me too well.
"Well, it includes your favorite colorful toppings." Wiggling her brows knowingly, she added, grinning like she won the battle before it even started.
"Dammit! Fine. Mall and ice creams with my favorite colorful toppings." I gave up, agreeing to our hangout later, and kissed my cheek before leaving the room, already having received her reward. I sighed, muttering grumpily, "I'll make sure to empty her wallet."
The adults sneered at how I exchanged sisterly banter with their only she-alpha, making the Alpha comment proudly how close I am with her daughter, saying, "You two were inseparable."
"True, but sometimes I wonder why I even became her friend in the first place? We're totally opposite." I mumbled, pouting, but my smile never left my lips. I had found a true friendship in Alpha's daughter before adding, "Well, at least I earn a free ice cream hunt."
"Then you'd better get up, walk, have fun, and have breakfast with us because we have something for you." Luna Taylor smiled, making me curious what they had for me, but I didn't ask and just nodded. Then they were about to leave when she added, saying, "We'll fix this door later."
I'm glad they remember since they were the ones who always broke my door.