Sam didn't sleep well that night. Every time he closed his eyes, the image of Elena—dark hair, sharp eyes, and that subtle warning—haunted him. The symbol on his bedside table beam faintly in the dark, a rhythm that seemed to echo his own heartbeat. He rubbed his eyes, trying to convince himself it was just fatigue.
But it wasn't fatigue.
It was obsession.
Every detail from the library replayed in his mind. Alayna—her eyes flicking with something unspoken, her hesitation, the warning she had whispered. He wanted answers. He needed answers. And yet, there was a worrying fear in his chest, a sense that the more he pursued this, the deeper he would be pulled into something far beyond his understanding.
He rose from bed and walked to the window. Outside, the city shone under the moonlight. The streets were quiet, but Sam's imagination ran wild. He imagined shadows moving just beyond the streetlights, watching, waiting.
It's all in my head, I'm over thinking everything he told himself. It has to be.
Research and ObsessionThe next morning, Sam returned to the library, more determined than ever. He bypassed the usual desks and study areas, moving straight for the stacks he had explored before. Every book he touched, every page he skimmed, seemed to hint at something he couldn't quite grasp.
Dreams crossing into reality… rituals… soul bonds…
His fingers shaking as he traced lines of text about witches in Paraguay. The passages spoke of women with extraordinary abilities—women who could enter human dreams, manipulate thoughts, and even claim souls if the rules of the crossing were broken. Sam's stomach moved. Every detail he read reminded him of Elena, the dreams, and the symbol that had appeared beside his bed.
Alayna's presence behind him made him turn, startled. She stood silently, observing, as if waiting for him to break. "You shouldn't be in this part of the library alone," she said softly, eyes blinking to a shadowy corner of the library.
"I need to know," Sam replied, his voice almost a whisper. "I can't ignore this. I can't ignore you."
Alayna's lips pressed into a thin line. "Curiosity can be dangerous. You think you understand, but you don't."
He leaned closer. "Then tell me something. Anything. Why do you warn me? What are you scared of? What's happening?"
Her gaze met his, steady but conflicted. "You are already part of something larger than yourself. And some forces… forces I know… are watching you."
The First GlimpseThat night, Sam slept again, though it took time. The moment his eyelids closed, he was pulled into a dream that was heavier, darker, and far more vivid than the previous ones.
This time the park was gone. In its place was a clearing surrounded by bad looking trees, their branches forming arches that seemed to breathe. The air smelled of burning wood and damp earth. Mist slithered along the ground, curling around the trees like living serpents.
Elena appeared immediately. But this time, her expression was tense, urgent. Her eyes browsing toward the shadows at the edge of the clearing.
"They're here," she whispered, almost a hiss. "I warned you, "You shouldn't have come back."
"Who's here?" Sam asked, his voice trembling.
Before she could answer, the mist thickened, and from its folds emerged a figure—a small, hunched woman draped in dark robes, carrying an aura of authority and danger. Sam's stomach lurched. He recognized her instantly, though he had never seen her in reality.
The grandmother.
The woman's eyes, black and piercing, met his. Even through the dream, he felt her gaze cut through him, probing every thought, every fear. He tried to speak, but no sound came out.
Elena stepped closer to him, her hand brushing against his arm. "Do not look at her," she whispered. "She watches everything. And if she notices you… you will be marked."
Sam swallowed hard. "Marked? What… what does that even mean?"
Elena shook her head. "I can't explain. Not yet. You're not ready. But you've already begun the crossing. And now… you are in danger."
The Grandmother's RulesSam's mind raced. Crossing? Soul bond? Dreams?
"You don't understand," Elena said, her voice trembling slightly, betraying her calm exterior. "There are rules. Three crossings. The first is… curious. The second… dangerous. The third…" Her voice was shaking. "The third can take you forever. Into their world."
He looked at her, heart pounding. "Their world? What do you mean? Another world?"
Elena's hand gripped his arm tight. "Yes. That's why my grandmother waits. That's why I can't let this happen. She wants you… for her rituals. To take your soul. To send you into a place where time doesn't exist, where witches live and you will serve them forever."
Sam felt his knees weaken. "Why me? Why not someone else?"
Elena's eyes filled with something unreadable. "I… I don't know. But you are special. And now… you are marked."
The grandmother moved closer in the dream, her eyes glowing faintly in the mist. Sam felt a cold dread wash over him. Even in the dream, he could sense the power radiating from her.
"You belong to the crossing," the grandmother whispered, her voice like dry leaves rustling. "And soon… you will be ours."
Awakening and FearSam woke up with a start, heart beating. Sweat hanging all over his body, and the faint glow of the symbol shone again on his nightstand. He could still feel the dream—the mist, Elena, the grandmother, the sense of inevitable danger.
Something had changed. He wasn't just curious anymore. He was being pulled. Pulled toward Elena, toward the dream, and toward the ritual he barely understood.
The apartment was silent except for the faint sound of wind rattling his shaky windows. But Sam wasn't convinced he was alone. Every shadow seemed to move slightly, and a whisper brushed against his consciousness, soft but menacing: "He is not safe… and soon, he will belong to us."
Sam rose and went to the window. Outside, the city slept under the moonlight, unaware of the events unfolding in his small apartment. But he knew. Somehow, he knew that what had begun in dreams was now bleeding into reality.
And he was already too deep to turn back.
Elena's ConflictMeanwhile, somewhere far from the city, Elena sat in her small room, candlelight flickering across the walls. Her grandmother's presence was felt even without her in the room. Elena's hands shook slightly as she whispered to herself, trying to suppress the growing bond she felt with Sam.
"He doesn't understand… he shouldn't know yet," Elena muttered. "But… I… I can't stop thinking about him either."
Her grandmother's voice echoed softly in her memory. "Bring him when the time comes. The crossing must be completed. You know the rules, Elena. You cannot interfere."
Elena closed her eyes, caught between duty and desire. The pull toward Sam was undeniable, but the consequences of defying her grandmother were terrifying. And yet… something in her heart wanted to protect him.
CliffhangerBack in the city, Sam sat on the edge of his bed, breathing heavily, staring at the glowing symbol. The whispering voice returned, faint but clear:
"Soon… he will be ours."
A shadow moved just outside his window. He froze, eyes wide, heart beating. The line between dream and reality was fading, and he knew—somewhere, Elena's grandmother was already watching him.
And the crossing… was only just beginning.