Toma had always believed that dreams were just dreams—soft illusions that faded with the morning light. She never thought they could feel real, never imagined they could hold warmth, voice, or a heartbeat.
Until the night she met him.
It started on a quiet evening. The sky outside her window was painted with soft shades of violet and gold. A gentle breeze slipped through the curtains, brushing against her face like a whisper. She lay on her bed, eyes heavy, heart strangely restless.
"I wish something beautiful would happen," she murmured before drifting into sleep.
And that's when the dream began.
She found herself standing in a place she had never seen before—a long road lined with glowing trees. The leaves shimmered like tiny stars, lighting her path. The air smelled like rain and something sweet she couldn't name.
"Where am I?" she whispered.
"Somewhere between your heart and your dreams."
The voice startled her.
She turned around.
A boy stood there, leaning casually against one of the glowing trees. His eyes held a calmness she had never seen, like he carried a thousand untold stories. There was something familiar about him, though she was sure she had never met him before.
"Who are you?" she asked.
He smiled softly. "Someone you were waiting for."
Days passed—or at least, it felt like days. Every night when Toma fell asleep, she returned to that glowing world. And every time, he was there.
His name was Arin.
They walked together along endless paths, talked about everything and nothing. He listened to her fears, her dreams, her quiet sadness she never told anyone about.
"Why do you feel alone?" Arin asked one night as they sat beside a lake that reflected the stars perfectly.
"Because no one really understands me," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
He looked at her, not with pity, but with something deeper. "I do."
And somehow, she believed him.
The dream world changed every night. Sometimes it was a field of white flowers swaying under a silver moon. Sometimes it was a quiet rooftop under a sky full of constellations. But no matter where they were, Arin was always beside her.
One night, it started to rain.
Not ordinary rain—it sparkled as it fell, each drop glowing like a tiny light.
Toma laughed, stretching her arms out. "This is beautiful!"
Arin watched her, his eyes softer than ever. "You're beautiful when you smile like that."
Her laughter faded into silence.
No one had ever said that to her in a way that felt so real.
"Why are you here?" she asked him suddenly. "Why do you meet me every night?"
Arin stepped closer, the distance between them disappearing like it never existed.
"Because your heart called for me," he said quietly.
Something changed after that night.
Toma started waiting for sleep.
Her days felt longer, emptier. Reality seemed dull compared to the warmth she found in her dreams.
One evening, she whispered, "I don't want to wake up anymore."
That night, the dream felt different.
The sky was darker. The glowing trees flickered like they were losing light.
"Something's wrong," she said.
Arin stood in front of her, unusually quiet.
"What's happening?" she asked, her voice shaking.
He hesitated. "Dreams aren't meant to last forever."
Her heart dropped.
"No… don't say that," she whispered. "This is real to me."
Arin stepped closer, gently holding her hand. For the first time, she felt warmth—real warmth.
"I'm real because you feel me," he said. "But this world… it belongs to your dreams."
Tears filled her eyes. "Then I'll stay here. I don't care about the real world."
Arin shook his head slowly. "You have a life out there. A future. People you haven't met yet. Love you haven't experienced."
"I already found it," she said, her voice breaking. "I found you."
The silence between them was heavier than anything she had ever felt.
Arin lifted his hand and gently wiped her tears.
"If I could stay, I would," he whispered. "But my existence depends on your dreams. And dreams fade when you try to hold onto them too tightly."
She clutched his hand. "Then don't go."
"I won't," he said softly. "Not completely."
The world around them started to dissolve.
The glowing trees dimmed. The sky cracked like glass.
"No!" Toma cried, holding onto him.
Arin pulled her into an embrace.
"Listen to me," he said. "Every time you smile, every time you believe in something beautiful—I'll be there. Not in front of you, but within you."
"I don't want 'within,'" she whispered. "I want you."
He smiled sadly. "One day, you'll meet someone in the real world who feels like a
dream. When that happens… you'll understand."
The light disappeared.
And she woke up.
Morning sunlight filled her room. Everything was normal.
Too normal.
She sat up, her heart racing. "Arin…"
Silence.
It was just a dream.
But her hand still felt warm.
Days passed.
She stopped waiting for sleep the same way. The dreams never returned—not like before.
But something inside her had changed.
She smiled more.
She believed in small, beautiful things again—the way sunlight touched her window, the way the wind whispered at night.
And sometimes, when she closed her eyes, she could almost hear his voice.
"Somewhere between your heart and your dreams… I'm still here."
One evening, as she walked down a quiet road, someone passed by her.
For a moment, their shoulders brushed.
She turned instinctively.
The boy looked back too.
There was something in his eyes—something familiar, something warm, something she couldn't explain.
He smiled.
And in that moment, her heart whispered:
Maybe dreams don't end… maybe they just find a new way to begin.
The End 🌙