Chapter 24

They were immersed in the rapture of their lovemaking as their bodies entwined and moved in perfect synchronicity. Their veins were flooded with pleasure from every touch and caress, which ignited a passion that shone like a light in the darkness.

Time stopped in that instant of intense intimacy, their hearts throbbing in unison in a symphony of need. And as they reached the pinnacles of ecstasy, their love surpassed the material world and united them in an unbreakable tie.

They were comforted by the warmth of one other's arms as they embraced, knowing that their love would withstand any difficulties they would face. Because at that same moment, their two distinct souls fused into one immortal flame of passion and adoration.

With their bodies intertwined and their passion exhausting them, they fell into a quiet, deep sleep. They found peace and comfort in each other's arms, letting go of the outside world and falling into sleep.

Their dreams while they slept were full of images of a happy and loving future. They danced together under the moonlight, their laughter resonating through the night like music in this shared realm of dreams.

As dusk falls and the moon shines brightly, Duke Matheo started experiencing a bad dream.

In his dream, Duke Matheo was in a poorly lighted room with a pervasive smell of decay and hopelessness. With a feeling of fear gnawing at his insides, he stood at the edge of a dark abyss and peered into its depths.

He noticed a woman coming out of the shadows as he stared into the chasm. It was Mich, but her eyes were hollow and lifeless, her face contorted with agony and suffering. Her voice was a ghostly whisper in the darkness as she reached out to him.

As Duke Matheo reached out to her, he could feel a wave of panic developing within him, but he was unable to connect with her. He was immobilized, held captive by his own powerlessness and terror.

And suddenly another person surfaced from the abyss's depths. Rome's face which similar to him, was distorted with anger and hopelessness. His voice a deafening boom in the stillness, he looked accusingly at Duke Matheo.

Rome bellowed, "You failed her," his words reverberating across the room like a verdict. "You let her suffer..."

She said, "Duke Matheo," her voice resonating through the room like a melancholic tune. "Help me..."

Duke Matheo grasped the truth of Rome's words and retreated in panic, his heart thumping in his chest. Unable to shield Mich from the darkness that threatened to engulf her, he had failed her.

Duke Matheo was left alone with his regret and sorrow, tormented by the ghost of his own inadequacy, as the dream faded into darkness. crying her name, "Mich!" and reaching out for the Hand of Mich, which causes him to wake up as well as Lady Emilia, who rubs her eyes in astonishment that Duke Matheo is calling out for Mich.

Lady Emilia's eyes widened in disbelief as she processed Duke Matheo's words. The name "Mich" reverberated in her mind, sending a shiver down her spine. She had never expected Duke Matheo to utter that name, let alone scream it in the midst of a nightmare.

Her thoughts raced as she tried to make sense of the situation. Could it be possible that Duke Matheo had somehow tapped into her own past life? The mere thought sent a chill through her, raising questions she was not prepared to answer.

She hesitantly said, "Duke Matheo," her voice quivering a little. "Why... why did you call out that name? Who is Mich?"

With a troubled visage from his dream, Duke Matheo turned to face her. His head swirling from the intensity of his nightmare, he tried to find the appropriate words.

Ultimately, he whispered, "I don't know," in a voice hardly audible. "But in my dream, she was... she was someone important to me. Someone I couldn't save."

Lady Emilia's mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions that she is Mich's reincarnation. Fragmented but clear memories of her previous existence filled her mind, blending into the present in a bizarre dance of fate and destiny.

Could Duke Matheo really be Rome, the mysterious man who had inhabited her dreams and revealed ancient secrets? She was both excited and afraid by the prospect, as it meant facing realities that were beyond space and time.

She looked to Duke Matheo for answers, for some hint of identification that would allay her fears and prove that their souls had been linked for ages. As their gazes locked, she noticed a mirror of her own turmoil—a mutual uncertainty mixed with an unexpressed need to know the truth.

Is it even possible? Could we be the reincarnations of centuries-old star-crossed lovers who are meant to cross paths again in this lifetime? The idea opened her eyes to a world of possibilities she had never ventured to explore, and it simultaneously worried and excited her.