Dreams of the Future

Song Rui felt the familiar pull of sleep, but this time, something was different. Her surroundings shifted, blurring into something foreign. One moment, she was in the dark void of her dreams, and the next, she was standing on a vast, open plain. The air was crisp, tinged with the scent of jasmine, but there was something strange about this place. The sky was clear, but the moon hung in an unfamiliar position—low and far too bright. The sensation of being in a different world was overwhelming.

She glanced at herself, feeling an unfamiliar weight to her limbs. The clothes were different, ancient and elaborate, as if they belonged to someone else. She reached up to touch her face, and the smoothness of her skin was an odd sensation. It didn't feel like her body. The world around her shimmered, the golden grass swaying eerily under the moonlight.

Then, a voice broke the quiet of the dream.

"Who are you?"

Song Rui turned swiftly. A woman stood before her, dressed in strange, modern clothes. The voice was familiar, yet not. The woman's gaze locked with hers, and in that instant, Song Rui recognized her own face looking back at her. It was like seeing a reflection in a mirror, but somehow, the other her didn't belong here. She was wearing clothes from another time, another life.

"I'm Li Yue," the woman said, her voice tinged with confusion and curiosity.

Song Rui's heart skipped a beat. The name felt wrong, yet it lingered in her mind, as if she should know it.

"Li Yue?" she repeated, trying to process the situation. The confusion was overwhelming, but a small part of her mind felt a sharp sense of recognition. The name seemed to carry a weight, something familiar, but elusive.

Her voice wavered. "I'm Song Rui."

Li Yue—no, Song Rui—took a step forward, her expression wary. "This is impossible. You shouldn't be here."

"What's happening?" Song Rui asked, her mind racing. "This isn't my dream, and this isn't my body."

Li Yue's eyes softened with what seemed like understanding. "We're linked, somehow. I've been seeing your memories. And now, it seems we've swapped places."

Swapped places? The words echoed in Song Rui's mind, but the idea was impossible to comprehend. "You've been seeing my memories?"

"Yes," Li Yue said softly. "And now, I think you're seeing mine."

Suddenly, memories that weren't hers filled Song Rui's mind. Dark memories, filled with power struggles, betrayal, and fear. She felt the sharp sting of a poisoned blade, the taste of betrayal on her lips. Her mind flitted from image to image, a grand palace in flames, the walls crumbling under the weight of treachery.

No. This was wrong. She didn't belong here. She wasn't supposed to feel this way.

Li Yue stepped closer, her eyes filled with the same confusion. "We're connected," she said, almost as if trying to convince herself. "We've swapped bodies, and now we have to find a way back."

Song Rui's head throbbed with the weight of the realization. She was caught in a dream—a connection, a world that didn't belong to her. Yet, something deep within her told her that this strange, fleeting link between herself and Li Yue wasn't just a dream. It was real.

Her breath caught as images of the man who haunted her thoughts—Lin Cheng—flashed through her mind. His cold, unfeeling eyes locked on hers. She didn't know why, but she feared him. She feared what he might do, how he might turn her world upside down.

But she also felt a strange, burning connection to him, a force that both terrified and attracted her.

"Why are we linked like this?" Song Rui asked, her voice shaky. "What does it mean?"

Li Yue shook her head, her face pale. "I don't know. But I'm certain this is more than a simple dream. We're both trapped here."

The air between them thickened, as if the weight of the realization hung in the air. Song Rui reached out, her hand trembling as she touched Li Yue's arm. A cold shiver shot up her spine, a connection sparking between them.

"Can we break this link?" Song Rui asked, her voice desperate.

Li Yue's expression grew more solemn. "I don't know. But if we can find out why this is happening, maybe we can. But we need to work together."

The ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble, the air charged with an unnatural energy. Something dark stirred around them, an ominous force creeping into the dream, warping the reality around them.

Song Rui's heart pounded in her chest. "We need to figure this out. Before it's too late."

The shadow of something dark loomed behind Li Yue, its presence chilling. As if summoned by their fear, the air crackled with tension. A sudden, painful jolt ran through Song Rui, and she gasped, her vision going black for a split second.

When she opened her eyes again, the dream was crumbling around them. The world they had stood in, the golden field, faded into nothingness. The once bright moon dimmed, flickering like a dying star.

"Wake up," Li Yue whispered, her voice breaking through the chaos. "We can't stay here. Not like this."

But before Song Rui could respond, everything went black.

She gasped, sitting up, her heart racing in her chest. Her surroundings shifted again. The dream had ended, leaving her with a new understanding of the connection between herself and Li Yue.

This was just the beginning.