JUST A DREAM? OR SOMETHING MORE?

Sinking down on the bed, I laid on my back as I stared at the ceiling with my green colored eyes. Observing the texture of the popcorn white ceiling. Thinking about my life.

'This can't be real.'

This is any reader's worst nightmare. A damn cliffhanger. Before a steamy scene too. At times, authors could be so cruel.

In short, I've been spending most of my money on early access chapters. Throwing my cash out to the author, who's always on an imaginary platform inside my head.

The author smiling down at me, while I thank them for their hard work and the beautiful art they've created.

In fact, I can literally say I'm heading to living in shambles. Great.

However, I don't regret a single dime or penny I've spent on this hidden treasure of a novel. I've gone too far in, where there's no turning back from the cave I dugout.

I dug far too deep.

Sighing my pain away, I sat back up and grabbed my mobile phone from the blanket, before it could absorb it away.

Looking through my phone, I went straight to the comment section displayed underneath the chapter, hoping for some sort of miracle.

"Please, Lord! Let there be some sort of spoiler. It can't end this way!"

Scrolling desperately through the comments, I couldn't find a single spoiler. How cruel the universe was indeed.

'Nooo. This can't be. Not again!'

All the comments just talked about how we'd have to wait until the upcoming week for the next chapter. Or how tragically the story was unfolding.

Others would mention the characters, plot, and writing. Some just opinions, fangirls, and the same fair share of pain. The least of them were complaints and blah blah blah.

However, not a single spoiler written.

Lately, I've been struggling to find spoilers on the internet about the novel. Pretty strange if you ask me.

I clearly remember there being lots of them before the latest chapters. Especially since the novel is officially being translated in many languages from its original language.

So people who are fluent or have access to the original translation are the heroes in capes. Saving the readers from despair.

My opinion was that the global companies in charge of these books are deleting any spoilers of the novel. Haunting down those who do.

Still, I found it weird.

Giving up, I looked at the time and let it choose my fate. Whether to continue being on the internet or get sleep.

Glancing at the top corner of my mobile phone, my moving fingers paused.

"Damn, it's already this late at night?!"

I gasped. Knowing I spent hours on my phone instead of preparing for tomorrow's busy schedule. Well, mentally preparing.

Tomorrow morning, there's going to be a big casting for the Karis Fashion Show. The castings are usually a month before the actual show.

Whereas casting models lasts for two days.

The girls are the firsts ones to present themselves in front of the casting directors. Sometimes even in front of the designer.

Those instances are almost rare for Karis Margerr. The best designer of the decade. She's a very respected designer in the fashion industry.

Which is why, when she's there, it'll intimidate you to the core.

(>_<)

Her piercing gaze causes a lot of the models to mess up from nerves. Failing and not making it in fashion week.

I mean, it's already nerve racking with just the directors. Along with the cameramen watching. Everyone judging your walk and if you suit the number one brand.

Thankfully, I'm not very worried.

I'm pretty confident with my walk and image. Plus, I feel comfortable knowing that one director I know will be there.

Smiling at the thought, the ringing of my mobile phone interrupted the lively moment I was having.

RING! RING!

Gaining my attention, I looked down at my hand holding my mobile phone that was lying on the mattress. Changing my expression to a frown.

'Crap. It's my bedtime alarm! I forgot to turn it off and change the time in it.'

Turning off the alarm, I turned toward the nightstand next to me and reached for my charger, hanging around my water bottle.

I plugged the long charger into my phone, so it wouldn't die on me tomorrow. Not wanting something like that to happen on an important day for me.

'I should double check if I have everything for tomorrow.'

Setting my phone on the nightstand, I got up from my bed and made sure that I had everything I needed for the casting.

Luckily, everything seemed to be clear for tomorrow. I had my outfit nicely laid out on the couch. Making sure there weren't any specks of wrinkles and it's all black.

Very important.

Looking at my handbag next to my clothes, I grabbed it and zipped it open. Checking, I have my comp card and portfolio.

I grinned, satisfied, knowing I had everything ready to go for the morning.

"Good! Every item is there and perfectly organized. Luckily, I already showered earlier. Now I can go to sleep like a baby."

Sprinting back to my bed, I slightly jumped and covered my body with the comforters as a relaxed sigh came out of my plumb lips.

'Damn it. I forgot to turn off the lamp.'

A small whine came from my mouth as I turned over to the bloody lamp. Uncovering my body from the warm heat of the sheets.

'Right when I got warm and comfy.'

Sitting up, I turned off my lamp on the nightstand and laid back down on the bed. Closing my eyes as I felt the softness of the mattress.

This time, wishing there wouldn't be anymore disturbances. Luckily, my wish came true.

Smirking at the peacefulness, I waited as the drowsiness of being tired took over me. Letting the warm blankets comfort me to sleep, which it did.

Unknowingly, I would have an unusual and perhaps a meaningful dream.

• •

My mind gradually started to gain some consciousness. Becoming familiar with my surroundings and the daily routine that will proceed right after.

No doubt, it was the early morning. The time I wake up and get up for another day of work. Starting my day like no other.

I kept my eyes closed and let the darkness continue to evade them. Refusing to open them up from the utter laziness and relaxation.

The darkness was comfortable. My body felt relaxed and light. I felt like my body was floating. My mind feeling stress free. Everything felt nice and peaceful.

Unaware to me, I was actually dreaming and not in reality.

"Help me."

A soft and almost inaudible voice filled my ears. The voice was very faint.

I got slight chills hearing it.

'Huh?'

It was hard to distinguish where it came from, but it was definitely nearby.

"Please."

Again, I heard the voice, but this time I noticed the person's voice sounded desperate.

'Wait- what? Who is that? Did someone break into my apartment?'

My body and mind immediately became alert to the circumstances. Imagining the worst-case scenarios there could be.

I could feel as the goosebumps crept up on my body. I tried to open my eyes and see who the intruder was, but I wasn't able to open them. My eyes were sealed shut.

'Am I being held as hostage?!'

Believing I had a blindfold on me, I reached my hands toward my face to confirm if someone put a blindfold on me.

Not realizing my wrists and ankles were free from any rope tying them down.

I let my hands roam around my eyelids, holding my breath while doing so. Thankfully, I wasn't blindfolded.

'This could only mean one thing... I must be dreaming.'

Finally comprehending the situation, I felt somewhat relieved, but it didn't take away the eerie feeling I had in my chest.

At least it explained my untied limbs.

Trying to lift my eyelids open, I could finally, but there was a problem. I couldn't see anything, but darkness.

'What? It's dark.'

"..."

'Scratch that, it's pitch black in here. I can hardly see my surroundings. Am I dreaming of being blind? Or is this reality?'

My body tensed as slight panic began to consume my mind.

'There's no way this is real. I have to be dreaming. If that's the case, I want to wake up right now. That'd be really nice, brain of mine.... Please and thank you.'

(T~T)

After a few seconds of waiting, I sighed giving up. I knew very well that I wouldn't wake up easily knowing myself.

Caught up in my thoughts, I forgot about what was happening around me, not until I heard the familiar voice.

"Please... someone help me get out of here."

There it is again. The same desperate and soft voice. To be precise, a male's voice.

'Help? What are you talking about? From what? Or from whom am I helping you from? Where are we?'

Answering my questions, I soon came into a blurry vision of an unfamiliar dim room and took note that I was standing. Shortly, I realized the only source of illumination was the full moon lighting the space through a window.

Focusing my blurry sight on somewhere, I noticed there was a figure of a man on his knees straight ahead of where I stood.

He looked terrible. More like in horrible condition, but I couldn't exactly say so. At the moment, my vision was still hazy.

Squinting my eyes in his direction, I scanned his figure and spotted something on his body. What I recognized was something out of a crime documentary series.

'Are those chains on him?!'

My breath hitched at the discovery.

"Help."

The man's voice was almost like a whisper, but I still heard it. Clearly, the man must be a hostage, kidnapped by some psychopath.

I had to rescue him. After all, I'm the only person present in the room and it's probably the reason I'm dreaming about this situation.

The urge to save him kicked in, questioning nothing with no hesitation. Oddly, I felt no fear. Wouldn't this situation be a nightmare? Maybe.

I attempted getting the man's attention by whispering, but my voice wouldn't come out. Was it out of fear of getting caught?

No.

My voice just wouldn't come out, no matter the effort of trying to voice it out or move my lips.

"Someone.. please help..."

I tried making my presence known by moving my hand up and waving it. Seeking for his attention quietly so we wouldn't get caught by the captor.

Sadly, he didn't notice my presence.

Taking a few steps towards the man, my body stopped. I couldn't move my body beyond the couple of strides I took.

It seemed like there was an invisible barrier keeping me from moving any further from where I stood. It was bewildering.

'What the heck? Is there some sort of magical barrier? I can't go beyond the center of the room. How strange.'

Reaching my hands forward, I didn't see a barrier appear, but I couldn't go beyond where I stood. I was only able to feel it.

'Hold on, what kind of dream is this? It can't be a vision of the future of some sort... right? Pfft, yeah right. This is just a silly dream! Or a nightmare.'

However, the strange thing was, I wasn't scared or intimidated for some unknown reason.

It's the only explanation in why he couldn't see me and the situation I was in. So, I was definitely dreaming. A chilling one, that's for sure.

Suddenly, the sound of chains scraping the ground snapped me back to 'reality'. 

The man crawled unknowingly towards my direction with a bit of a struggle.

I stood there watching him as he attempted to get into the center of the room, where the barrier stopped me. Hearing as the sound of the metal chains on his ankles followed right after.

Unfortunately, he gave up and faced his head down in solemn silence. He seemed like he could pass out at any moment.

It was then he looked up.

"..."

Silence.

Complete silence surrounded us in the room. No movement to be seen.

Nothing was occurring except the purple jeweled eyes staring into my green ones.

At that moment, I felt as if the entire world had stopped moving. Yes, the time stopped moving. Whereas the world contained only the two of us.

Blinking a few times, my vision became somewhat clear. When they did, I discovered something magical.

His eyes, they're beautiful.

His iris were the only thing glowing in the dim room. Oddly, I couldn't fully distinguish his face, yet I could tell he was exquisite.

Just like his soft, medallic voice.

Breaking our beautiful moment, I snapped my head around immediately toward the creaking of a door opening behind me.

Strangely, I hadn't noticed it there before. I only assumed it was always there, but I didn't care to notice because of the beauty's mesmerizing eyes and everything else that distracted me.

A man soon appeared, walking into the small space with pure dominance.

He was tall, but I couldn't see his face due to him being in the dark part of the room. It wasn't until he walked into the moonlight.

'Goodness gracious. He's handsome as heck even with this poor sight!'

However, those thoughts soon died the minute I saw his expression as he got closer.

He looked... sinister looking.

Better yet, a devil disguising himself as a handsome man. His aura gave me the chills, but not the good kind.

He took big strides as he headed the direction of the chained man. I took a defensive stand as he did, but he just passed right by me. As if he couldn't see me either.

Although I stood there confused, I noticed the beautiful hair that shimmered with the moonlight beaming down on the new intruder.

'Woah.... such beautiful night sky hair.'

Everything about him was like the description of the second male lead of the novel I just read. This whole scenario is fitting the description. What are the odds?

It was then it clicked to me.

'Wait a dang minute. What in the—?!'

*FWOOSH*

Wind harshly started emerging randomly from the window, blowing my hair into my face, causing it to block my view of the magnificent men in front of me.

'What the heck?!'

I could only see the figure of the dark blue-haired man through the small gaps of my flying hair.

He then opened his pink lips, saying something I couldn't understand.

'What is he saying? I can't hear or focus on it because of the harsh wind blowing at me.'

I quickly tried moving my hair from my face, soon, coming into view of a sinister smile once I did. Not towards me, but towards the man in chains.

I knew something bad was bound to happen.

'STOP!!'

'Oi! You little shit, you better get away from him this instant!!'

I tried yelling and screaming as much as I could, but my voice just wouldn't come out. They couldn't even see me either. Only leaving me alone with my thoughts and actions.

'Curse this dream of keeping me from speaking!!'

Not being able to use my mouth, I tried moving closer towards the man, but couldn't.

'Freaking barrier shit!'

Feeling frustrated of the situation, I started getting angry, making me want to go ballistic.

"Shall we get started now, love?"

Panic came over me, causing my heart and breathing to fasten. Those words I was able to hear now, sounded so familiar. I knew I had to do something.

'Crap! I have to move, but I can't! Am I seriously about to witness abuse or a murder?!'

As much of a dream as this was, this entire situation felt too realistic to be a dream. It was creeping me out. Almost replacing it as a nightmare instead of a dream.

'Ackk!'

The wind was getting stronger. Once again, making it hard for me to focus my vision because of my hair flying everywhere.

The stronger it got, the more I lost sight.

I could perceive the sound of sharp chains clashing on the cold concrete floor throughout the small room.

Listening where those shackles came from, I turned towards the two beautiful men provoking the sound.

What I spotted was the blue-haired man ripping his white blouse off and displaying a gorgeous muscular back.

'Did he really just—UNBELIEVABLE!!'

Astonished by the scene of his sexy muscular back, I had completely dismissed the whip in his right hand, ready to be used on the poor man kneeling.

The sound of whipping instantly echoed throughout the walls of the small room.

'Goodness gracious!'

Horrified by the sound, I shut my eyes immediately. I took a few steps back and missed a couple of steps, which caused me to lose my balance.

It was then, everything went in slow motion.

Me, who's about to break my back from the fall on this damn concrete floor. The crazy hot bastard that's about to whip the defenseless beautiful angel underneath him, who's seriously about to pass out.

All of it, was going in slow motion like in action movies.

'Damn it!'

I felt beyond helpless and frustrated that I couldn't save him. Stop his abuse. Stop the bastard before me from touching the beauty's holy body.

Why couldn't I always save everyone? Stop the people who feel in power to hurt those who are only trying to live and be happy. Happy and away from all the bad things.

'I'm so weak.'

Why was the universe showing me this? What's the purpose of this dream? I didn't know. If there wasn't one, I hoped for it to be meaningful in a far future to whatever it may signify.

Mysteriously, the wind began to consume my body. Blurring my vision even further.

I started losing my conscious.

Before I did, I made eye-contact with those stunning purple eyes one last time. It's like he knew I was present.

They held such sadness. Lost of all hope.

Being the only time I would see them, I wished, deep down, more than ever, to see them once more. However, next time filled with life and happiness.

Closing my eyes, a tear fell down my rosy cheek, along with my body sinking into unknown darkness.

How dramatic this scene must look, but it is a random dream. A bitter one, yet not enough to call it a nightmare.

'Oh, well.'

.

.

"Ugh.."

Groaning, I got up from my sleeping form to a sitting one. Feeling the sticky sensation on my washed body that was now filled with sweat.

I was grasping the fabric of my pajama shirt for dear life. I kept a hand against my chest area. Processing everything that occurred.

'What the heck was that dream about?'

I was shook to the core. There's no way that just happened. It felt way too real to be a dream. It felt like I was literally there.

'The heck is this vudú shit?!'

Taking big deep breaths, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and I checked the time.

It's 3am.

My whole body froze, registering the spooky situation. Knowing damn well what it signifies.

It happens frequently to the extras in various horror movies. The time where all the crazy paranormal and scary nonsense presents itself to the weak.

Surely, I wasn't going to be one of those victims. Not on my watch.

Putting my phone back on the nightstand, I got up from my bed and went to clean my body full of sweat. Trying hard not to let fear overpower me as I did.

'Please, God. Let nothing pop out of nowhere and petrify the life out of me.'

After getting myself cleaned with a quick bath and totally not praying afterwards, I laid back down on my bed and faced the ceiling above me.

I forced myself to think happy thoughts. Yes, happy ones.

For example, tomorrow's casting and the new opportunities to come. The new chapter of the novel next week. The stunning amethyst eyes.

Incredibly, his eyes looked legit out of this world. Nothing I've ever seen. I could tell he was attractive as well.

'I wish I could've—Damn it! Concentrate, woman!'

I couldn't suppress myself from moving my body sideways as I gripped my body pillow tightly each turn in frustration.

'Ugh! I give up.'

In the end, I entirely lost myself in my own thoughts. Thinking for a long time about what I felt like I witnessed.

It gave me goosebumps, yet I felt sympathy for the poor man. It saddened me knowing his situation, even though it was just a dream.

I strongly felt for the poor guy. A part of me wished I could've helped him.

Shortly, my mind slowly dozed off once more into slumber. The warm sheets comforting me back to sleep in the chilly room.

Before I did, I prayed deeply inside my heart for someone to save the hopeless, poor soul with beautiful amethyst eyes.

Believing he has so much to live outside the small room, being chained up and blocking him from being free. Free and far from that monster that took all of those rights away from him.

Away from that wicked bastard's disgusting grasp.

Truthfully, if I were ever asked to be granted anything, I'd like to see those beautiful amethyst orbs once more. A silly little wish of mine.