Luxiana SommerisWhen I arrived at work, the atmosphere buzzed with concern as my colleagues approached me individually, asking how I was doing. Their genuine worry was almost overwhelming but, oddly enough, refreshing. I didn’t often feel so seen and cared for, even if it stemmed from their curiosity about what had happened to me.Despite their attentiveness, my thoughts circled back to Damien's warning about my powers awakening. He had been right. Every time someone so much as brushed against me—whether it was an accidental nudge or a fleeting touch—I glimpsed pieces of their inner turmoil. It was like watching fragments of storms swirling within them, each person carrying a burden I hadn’t been prepared to witness.Everyone had their struggles, their unseen battles. But the question gnawed at me: was it my responsibility to intervene? Could I really carry the weight of everyone’s pain, or was I doomed to simply observe it without a clue of what to do?I sighed, pushing the thou
Luxiana SommerisAn Oneiromancer. The word echoed in my mind like a bell tolling in an empty cathedral, filling the void left by unanswered questions. My great-grandmother had wielded this power—a responsibility as much as a gift—and now it was passed to me.Despite finding so many answered questions, new questions arose: Why was it so crucial that Morpheus never find out?With a sigh, I closed the journal, the leather cover cool against my palms, and rubbed my temples to soothe the growing ache in my head. The revelations were overwhelming, piling up like a storm cloud over my thoughts. All I knew for certain was this: my grandmother had not been a wielder. Her mother was the last. Did that mean my parents weren’t either? Could it be that she’d kept this from me because she thought it would never resurface? That the gift—or curse—would skip me altogether? What had happened to her mother? And wasn’t aging supposed to halt once someone became an Oneiromancer? I read that in a book
Luxiana SommerisWe stayed in that position, both our bodies burning with desire, igniting something deep inside me that I couldn’t control.Damien’s movements became more deliberate, faster as if he was on the edge of losing control. It felt like he was trying to push me to the brink.“I’m going to release it in your mouth,” he whispered, his breath hot against my skin. Just as he said, he stopped for a moment, and I felt the warmth of his release filling my mouth.He wasn’t done yet, but he seemed eager to see me swallow, the excess liquid dripping from my mouth.“You look so damn hot,” Damien murmured, dark desire lacing his words. “Come here, I’m going to please you.”I should have felt scared by his intensity, but all I could feel was the raw need pulsing through me. I wanted to feel that release too, and I knew he could help me.I glanced at him, his thing still hard, still ready. How was that possible after everything? A shiver ran through me when he chuckled softly.“I can alm
Luxiana Sommeris“Okay, so we’re done with this, right?” Anton asked, his fingers scrolling through Canva as his brows furrowed in concentration. His question made me nod instinctively.“Yes, finally,” I replied with a small sigh of relief, leaning back in my chair. The last of the social media posts had been scheduled, the tarpaulin banner outside was already up, and registrations were pouring in steadily.“We’ve finished everything,” I added, scratching the back of my head as the weight of the workload began to lift. “I’m so glad we got this done. We almost forgot about it entirely.”Anton chuckled softly, swiveling his chair to face me. “We didn’t forget. We just had too much on our plates, as usual,” he said with a playful shrug.He tilted his head, giving me a thoughtful look. “Do you want to grab some coffee after we hand this to Margaret?”I considered his offer for a moment, then nodded. “Sure. I’ll let Margaret review everything, and then we can focus on the quiz bee preparat
Luxiana Sommeris“No, Xiana, you shouldn’t be like that.” Anton’s voice was heavy with worry as he approached me, his brows furrowed in concern. His hands gently cupped my cheeks, his touch hesitant but firm enough to hold my attention. “You’ll be devastated when he’s gone,” he added softly, his voice almost breaking.I let out a quiet sigh and shook my head, brushing his hands off me as gently as possible without losing my resolve. “Anton,” I began, my tone steady but laced with frustration, “I’m an adult. I’m fully capable of taking responsibility for my actions.”I straightened my posture, trying to maintain a calm composure even as I felt a flicker of anger at his persistence. “It’s none of your concern,” I said firmly, meeting his gaze without flinching. “I hope you understand that. I know what I’m doing.”But Anton refused to back down. He shook his head, his eyes darkening with frustration. “You’re getting attached to him,” he shot back, his voice rising just enough to draw
Luxiana Sommeris“You’re here early and what’s with that long face?” Damien’s smooth, velvety voice startled me as he appeared beside me. I hadn’t even heard him enter the room, and his sudden presence in the quiet dream realm made me flinch.Well, I got here first because I left the waking world early tonight. Staying late at the café with the others had been unbearable—they wouldn’t stop teasing me about Anton.Margaret had been the worst instigator, her grin far too knowing as she threw out little jabs. What made it even more mortifying was that Anton blushed the whole time!Now, I couldn’t stop overthinking it, playing his reaction on an endless loop in my head. Was he embarrassed? Flattered? Annoyed? I had no idea how to read him.“Just tired, I guess,” I muttered, sinking further into the plush, dreamlike bed conjured by my imagination. “The quiz bee is finally over, and now the holiday season is coming—the one where I’ll be spending it alone again.” I let out a deep sigh.Dam
Luxiana SommerisDamien stepped back into my room, filling the quiet space as the door closed behind him. I was already lying in bed, my body draped beneath the soft blanket, though my mind was far from restful. My gaze followed his every move, a blend of anticipation and unease tightening my chest. He didn’t speak immediately, and I waited, holding onto the silence like a thread that might snap.“So, who was it?” I finally asked, my voice trembling just enough to betray my nerves. A part of me dreaded his answer—dreaded the possibility of half-truths or secrets he might choose to keep.“It was Lilith,” he murmured, his tone steady but low as if her name alone might summon her presence. He moved toward the edge of the bed and sat down, his weight dipping the mattress slightly. “She wanted to know how we were doing. Probably hoping to catch us... doing something she could twist into her narrative.”His words settled in the air like a thick mist, and I nodded slowly, chewing on my lip
Luxiana SommerisSurprisingly, Anton hadn’t bothered me, even when our paths crossed throughout the day. It was unusual, given his persistent nature, but I welcomed the quiet. Margaret, however, noticed my silence and bombarded me with questions. She asked repeatedly why I seemed so withdrawn, but I brushed her off with a shake of my head and refused to engage.By the time the clock struck the end of our shift, I was eager to escape the day’s tension. I left the office first, hoping to avoid any further interactions. Anton caught up to me just when I thought I was in the clear.“Xiana, can we go have that coffee now?” His voice was soft yet insistent, and he gently caught my wrist, stopping me in my tracks.I sighed deeply, turning to face him. “Anton, I’m not sure this is the best time,” I said, biting my lower lip. “I have some research to finish.”“But… could we, just this once, make time for it today?” he asked, his voice almost pleading. “I promise I won’t bother you after this.
AntonAt first, she couldn’t bring herself to meet my eyes. She stared down, her fingers trembling slightly against mine. But after a long, weighted pause, she finally smiled — a soft, bittersweet curve of her lips — and tightened her grip on my hands.“I have feelings for you,” she whispered, her voice barely above the breeze, “but it wasn’t allowed in the faction...so I forced myself to forget.”She gave a short, breathy laugh that sounded like she was trying to make light of something that hurt far too much.“I slept with others in their dreams,” she admitted, her eyes clouding with memories, “but no matter what I did, I couldn’t forget you. I couldn’t forget the way we opened up to each other so easily... the way we were so gentle, yet so passionate together.”I swallowed hard, feeling the familiar ache rise in my chest, and found myself confessing before I could stop myself.“I felt the same,” I said, my voice thick. “I tried...I slept with others, too, but it never worked. I eve
Luxiana Sommeris“My walkers… they can’t fully possess the people in either the waking world or the dream realm—what did you do?” Morpheus screamed, his voice sharp and accusing, echoing like a crack of thunder through the heavy air, forcing me to leave Damien’s side and step forward until I stood directly in front of him, unflinching.“What I did,” I began, my breath shaky but my voice steady, “was use everything I am as an Oneiromancer to stop whatever it is you’re trying to tip out of balance.” I exhaled sharply, the pressure of it all catching up to me. “You really think I came all this way just to fight you without a reason, don’t you?”“We know what you've been doing,” I continued, my fists clenched so tight my nails dug into my palms, “I swear I won’t let you get away with it.”“Maybe you escaped the consequences before—I don’t know how or why—but this time, I’m here to make sure it ends.” “I might be the last of my kind,” I said with a quiet strength that came from something
Anton“Y-You saw it? B-But how?” I asked, my voice almost breaking.“It doesn’t matter how. I want to see it and take it from you, so let’s go back, okay?” Mira said as she held my hands.“O-Okay,” I replied, the word trembling from my lips, but it was enough to make them both smile, and for a moment, that warmth was all I could feel.“There’s still time,” Mira said again with the authority of someone who had walked through too many endings to be afraid of one more. “But we have to act now. Morpheus still has his grip on you, and if we wait, he’ll pull you too deep—we might never reach you again.”I looked at them—at Luxiana’s steady eyes and Mira’s unshakable calm—and for the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself believe that maybe I wasn’t lost after all. That the darkness hadn’t consumed everything, that the flicker of light I thought was long gone had survived because they had come before the dream collapsed.“I don’t know if I’m strong enough,” I whispered, the trut
Luxiana Sommeris“How can we reach him?” Mira asked, her voice low but laced with worry, the concern lingering in her eyes despite her valiant effort to mask it.A sudden surge of hope rose within me, a warmth that spread through my chest like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. I was just about to tell her what to do, to explain the next step, when a sound tore through the stillness—a scream, raw and anguished, that shattered the moment.Damien was down on one knee, his flames sputtering like a candle on the verge of going out, his breath ragged and uneven. Across from him stood Morpheus, towering and bloodied, yet crackling with the vicious energy of victory, his form coiled and ready to deliver the final strike. Time stretched unbearably thin in that instant, as if the world held its breath with me, one heartbeat, one second suspended in the space between what was and what could still be.“Damien! No!” The words ripped from my throat like a bolt of lightning, sharp and despe
Luxiana SommerisFor a fleeting moment, I saw fear flicker across Morpheus’ face—a brief crack in his mask of arrogance—but he quickly smirked, recovering his composure. I had been told before that he never liked Damien, and now I understood why. It was the white flames. Something about them, something pure and ancient, unsettled him.“You’re making this even harder,” Morpheus sneered, rising slowly from where Damien had brought him to his knees. He dusted himself off as if the attack was nothing more than a minor inconvenience, but I could see the tightness around his eyes, the tremor in his voice. “Do you really think the two of you can be together?”Damien took a cautious step forward, eyes narrowed in disbelief. Clearly, he hadn’t expected Morpheus to recover so quickly—not after being consumed by white flames, the same flames that had once been powerful enough to destroy entire darkness.Despite Morpheus’s attempt to appear unshaken, I could tell the damage was real. He was hur
Luxiana Sommeris“Where’s Anton? If you hurt him, I will end you.” I clenched my fists, which made him chuckle.He didn’t say anything, but he moved forward. I didn’t flinch—not when the shadow moved like a living creature, snarling without a mouth, nor when Morpheus hovered a little closer, like he was trying to study me, savor me, as if I were a guest of honor at some twisted performance he’d been rehearsing for centuries. My fists clenched at my sides, and though my heart thudded hard against my ribs, I refused to let him see fear. Not now. Not when I had come all this way.“What kind of show are you planning to put on this time?” I asked, my voice firm, even as the chill of his presence settled into my bones. “Another nightmare? Another illusion to trap me in?”He tilted his head, his expression between amusement and curiosity, like a child toying with a fragile toy, waiting to see how easily it would break.“Oh, this one’s going to be special,” he said softly, almost sweetly, as
Luxiana SommerisUntil I reached a clearing—something that might once have been a beautiful place. A forest, frozen in twilight.The trees were twisted now, unmoving, but not dead. The air hung heavy with silence that pressed against my skin, sharp enough to hurt.And then I saw him. Anton stood at the center, his back to me. He was still—too still. His shoulders were stiff, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, and his head was tilted slightly, as if listening to something only he could hear.But I could feel the wrongness in the air. His energy wasn’t right. It vibrated dark and low, coiled and waiting like a snake beneath the surface.“Anton,” I said, almost tearing up, my voice piercing the silence like a blade. He didn’t move or answer.“Anton, I know you’re in there. I know what Morpheus is doing. But I also know you’re still fighting.” I called out again.A gentle but biting wind passed through the trees. When it stopped, it became extremely cold, so when Anton laughed, I
Luxiana SommerisAfter drinking from the cool, rushing river, a wave of exhaustion washed over me so heavily that I decided to set up camp nearby, letting the gentle murmur of the water soothe my weary senses. As I sat alone beneath the twilight sky, the fire crackling softly beside me, my thoughts spiraled into a restless haze, each clinging to the next as I tried desperately to anchor myself in some semblance of calm.If Morpheus had taken Damien, I was certain I would have felt it—some thread between us tugging, snapping, crying out—but the silence was deafening. Could it be that those who took him were not of Morpheus’ kind at all? What if... the grim reapers had come for him instead?The thought struck me with a cold, paralyzing dread. Lying within the thin walls of my makeshift tent, I stared at the fabric ceiling, my heart pounding louder than the night sounds beyond. Damien could hold his own against nearly anyone, but when it came to the reapers... it was a different game e
Luxiana SommerisAfter the incubus delivered his cryptic message, he vanished into thin air, leaving nothing but unsettling silence. I stood there, rooted in place, unsure of how to process what he had said—unsure of what I was supposed to feel.“For some reason… I don’t want to continue this journey anymore,” Damien murmured with a bitter laugh that held no real amusement. His voice pulled my attention upward, and I found him looking off into the distance, his expression tight with worry.“We don’t have that luxury, Damien,” I replied, my voice steady and resolute despite the turmoil churning inside me. “I have a responsibility to protect both the dream realm and the waking world. I’m the only one who can.”His eyes met mine then, dark and stormy with concern. “But going back there means risking your life,” he said, each word heavy with truth. “If Morpheus really wants you, he’ll find a way to take you. He’s done it before, and now… now he’s stronger, more prepared. You know that.”