Page 18 of Cursed Dreams
She lifted a trembling hand to her forehead, pushing away damp strands of hair. It was just a dream. Just her mind playing tricks on her after such an exhausting day.
"Find me.
Thalia sat up slowly, her breath still uneven as the remnants of the dream clung to her like cobwebs. She ran a hand through her hair, scanning the dimly lit room.
The others were still sound asleep.
Lina was curled into a tight ball, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Across from her, Nyla slept with one arm thrown over her forehead, her lips parted slightly as gentle snores filled the space. Cellen, ever relaxed, lay sprawled out on his cot, his copper hair a mess against his pillow.
Everything was peaceful.
Everything should have felt safe.
But it didn’t.
An ache an unshakable feeling of loss, still pressed heavy in her chest, refusing to fade.
Thalia exhaled through her nose and dropped her head into her hands.Get yourself together.
She was being ridiculous. It was just a dream.
Just her mind acting out from stress, the whirlwind of emotions from leaving home, the weight of the exam, the uncertainty of the future. She had been running on nerves for weeks. Of course, it was taking a toll on her.
She swallowed against the lump in her throat and forced herself to think of home, the crackling warmth of the hearth, the scent of her mother’s cooking, the comforting weight of her cat sprawled across her legs.
Her chest ached even more.
No.
She needed to clear her head, before her feelings swamped her.
Carefully, she pulled her blanket aside and stood, moving with slow, deliberate steps
The stone floor was cool beneath her feet grounding her as she made her way toward the door, pausing only to glance back at the others once more before slipping outside.
The temple halls were quiet, cloaked in a stillness that should have been reassuring but instead made her skin prickle.
The sconces lining the stone corridors burned with a gentle glow, their flickering flames casting long shadows against the walls. The temple itself was ancient, its lofty ceilings and intricate carvings. Even in the dimness, the marble statues stood tall, their serene faces watching over the halls like silent sentinels.
Thalia took a deep breath, trying to let the peacefulness of the place soothe her, but the tightness in her chest refused to loosen.
She stepped out into the temple courtyard, the cool night air wrapping around her like a gentle caress. The sky stretched out above her, scattered with stars, and the faintest breeze rustled the trees at the edge of the grounds.
She was being absurd. There was no reason to feel like this. No reason for the quiet of the night to feel wrong.
She wrapped her arms around herself and stared up at the sky, the feeling didn’t leave her.
That dream. That whisper. That ache. It was all too much.
Stress, exhaustion, it felt like she had lost something she didn’t even know she was missing
Thalia exhaled, slow tears began rolling down her cheeks .Her breath curling into the crisp night air. The eerie quiet of the temple grounds settled around her, She sighed, tilting her head back to look at the sky, tracing the constellations with her eyes, trying to focus on something other than the way her heart still beat too fast from her dream.
A voice cut through the silence.
“You seem troubled.”
Thalia jolted, spinning around so fast she nearly tripped.
