Chapter Seven: Secrets of the Pasts

Author's POV

The initial euphoria of meeting face-to-face didn't last long for Selene and Callista. As much as their connection felt like fate, both women were acutely aware that their sudden bond brought with it many questions—questions that neither of them was fully prepared to answer. As they spent more time together, their conversations grew deeper, revealing the layers of their pasts, their families, and the lives they had led before finding each other.

But with each revelation, the weight of what they had been carrying alone started to surface. The dreams they had shared weren't just a quirk of fate—they were the threads of something much more profound, something that linked them in ways they had yet to understand.

Selene's POV

I met Callista again the next day, this time at a quiet café downtown. We had decided to meet somewhere more private to continue our conversation. The café was small, with warm, dim lighting and cozy corners, perfect for the kind of discussion I knew we needed to have. When I arrived, she was already there, sitting at a table by the window, her hands wrapped around a mug of tea. I hesitated for a moment, taking in the sight of her—how natural she looked, how calm. It was hard to believe that just yesterday we had been strangers.

"Hi," I greeted as I slid into the seat across from her.

"Hi," she replied, her eyes lighting up as she looked at me.

"I ordered you a coffee. I hope that's okay."

"Perfect, thank you," I said, smiling.

For a few moments, we simply sat there in comfortable silence, sipping our drinks and watching the world pass by outside the window. There was a peace in just being together, but underneath it all, I could feel the tension of unspoken thoughts. Finally, I broke the silence.

"Callista… what do you think all of this means? The dreams, meeting like this—doesn't it seem too…?"

"Too coincidental?" she finished for me. "Yes. But I don't think it's a coincidence at all."She looked down at her tea, her fingers tracing the rim of the cup.

"I've been thinking about it a lot since we met. I've had these dreams for as long as I can remember, and you've been in them for almost as long. At first, I thought they were just dreams, but now… now, I'm not so sure."I nodded, understanding exactly what she meant.

"Me too. I keep thinking that maybe… maybe there's something about our pasts, something that's connecting us in ways we don't understand."

Callista's eyes met mine, and I could see the curiosity and determination in her gaze. "There has to be. I want to find out what it is."

Callista's POV

I felt an undeniable pull to Selene, one that was more than just an attraction. It was a sense of familiarity, as if I had known her all my life, even though we had only just met in person. The dreams had been strange, yes, but they had also been comforting, a constant presence in my life that I had grown to depend on. But now that she was here, in the real world, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to it—something hidden in the shadows of our memories.

"What about your family?" I asked gently, curious about the life she had lived before we met. Selene looked thoughtful for a moment, then sighed.

"It's… complicated. My father is very controlling. He expects a lot from me, especially when it comes to my career. We've never really seen eye to eye, and that's put a strain on our relationship."I nodded, feeling a pang of sympathy.

"I understand. My family isn't exactly perfect either. My parents had a rough relationship, and it affected me a lot growing up. I guess that's why I put so much of myself into my art—it's an escape."

Selene reached across the table, taking my hand in hers. The gesture was simple, but it carried a weight of understanding and support that I hadn't realized I needed.

"We'll figure this out," she said softly. "Together."

Author's POV

As the days passed, Selene and Callista spent more and more time together, their bond deepening with each shared secret and every new discovery. But as they delved into their pasts, they began to uncover strange coincidences—old family stories that didn't quite add up, faded photographs of places they both recognized from their dreams, and a shared sense of déjà vu that haunted them both. And then, one evening, Selene made a discovery that would change everything.

Selene's POV

It was late, and I was going through an old box of family photos that I had dug out from the back of my closet. I hadn't looked at these pictures in years, but something had compelled me to search through them, as if I knew there was something important hidden within the layers of dust and faded memories. I was about to give up when I found it—a photograph of two little girls standing by a lake. They couldn't have been more than four or five years old. One of them was me, I was sure of it. But the other… My heart skipped a beat as I recognized the girl standing beside me. It was Callista. I stared at the picture, my mind racing. How could this be? I didn't remember this day, I didn't remember ever meeting Callista as a child. But there we were, side by side, smiling at the camera as if we had known each other our whole lives.I had to show her. I needed answers.

Callista's POV

When Selene showed me the photograph the next day, I was stunned. There I was, standing next to her as a little girl, but I had no memory of this day, no recollection of ever meeting her before the dreams.

"This can't be a coincidence," I whispered, my fingers tracing the edge of the photograph.

"There's something going on here, something we need to figure out."Selene nodded, her expression determined.

"I think our families know more than they're telling us. We need to dig deeper, find out what they're hiding."

Author's POV

As they began to uncover the secrets of their past, Selene and Callista found themselves drawn deeper into a mystery that was more than just a connection between dreams and reality. It was a story that had begun long before they were born, a tale of love, loss, and a bond that had transcended time and space. And as they stood on the precipice of discovery, they knew that whatever they found, it would change their lives forever.