Between Two Worlds - Ariana walked along the moonlit balcony of her chamber, the breeze tugging at her gown like a whisper from the shadows. The stars above glittered with indifference, and the night air was heavy with longing. She closed her eyes, and there it was again—Lucian's voice, soft and sinister, echoing like a memory she couldn't banish. "Why do I miss him?" she whispered to herself. "Why do I feel him still? Rowan is here. Rowan loves me. He saved me. So why… does my heart feel hollow?" A single tear traced down her cheek, glimmering like a starfallen drop. Questions burned within her, unspoken and unwelcome. She hated Lucian for the pain he'd caused her—but she couldn't deny the twisted thread that still tethered them. In the days that followed, her unrest only deepened. She found herself remembering things she had tried to forget. Lucian, stoic and distant, brushing aside every girl who sought his favor. Even when noblewomen flattered and flirted, his gaze never strayed from Ariana—who only returned it with fear. And yet, she remembered the way he looked at her, not with lust, but with something inexplicably devoted. She also remembered those harrowing nights in the dungeon, when her stomach groaned from hunger. The guards had whispered that Lucian hadn't eaten either. He starved with her. And though she couldn't bring herself to ask him why, some part of her had always known. The realization gnawed at her. Perhaps her attraction to him had always been stronger than the fear. Confusion became her shadow. Then came the dream.
The Whispering Dream - In Ariana's kingdom, after a few days, That night, Ariana lay curled in her bed, moonlight stretching across the sheets. Her fingers trembled slightly, brushing against the silk, and her thoughts stirred like leaves in a storm. Even when women draped themselves over his arm, he looked only at her. Even when she couldn't bear to meet his gaze, she felt his eyes on her—constant, unrelenting. Her breath caught. He hadn't eaten. He had hurt. He had paced outside her cell. Why hadn't she seen it before? She murmured into the dark, "He was hurting too… but why?" The silence pressed against her like a lullaby, lulling her into uneasy sleep. She thought and realised that Lucian was not a complete monster. She had noticed that when many pretty girls tried to flirt and impress Lucian, he refused them all. His eyes were only on Ariana, who always looked away from him with fear. Apart from his harassments, she realised that when every time she was starving, she heard that Lucian hadn't eaten anything either. He probably starved and felt the same as Ariana, something which she noticed but couldn't ask him. She also realised that her attraction to him was higher that her fear. These thoughts made her confused about the one she loves. One night she had a dream, where the king, her late father, says to Ariana that she can like Lucian. He is worthy and trustable, She was meant for him.
A Dream Beyond Time - In the garden of her dreams, violets and gold blossoms shimmered beneath a sunless sky. Birds sang songs she didn't know, and petals swirled through the air like tiny dancers. And there, standing amidst the bloom, was her father—the late King. Clad in white robes, regal and serene, he smiled at her as though no time had passed. She stepped forward, her voice fragile. "Father…?" "My sweet Ari," he said, warmth radiating from his gaze. "You've grown… but your heart still trembles in too many directions." She looked down. "I don't understand. Why am I feeling this way about Lucian? He was cruel… but he wasn't heartless." The King nodded slowly. "You saw the pain in him, even when your own blinded you. That's not weakness, Ariana. That's clarity. He is not a complete monster. He is a boy—tormented, yes—but true to you in a way others never were." Her voice cracked. "But Rowan loves me. He saved me…" "And Lucian loved you… even when you hated him," her father replied. "He never touched another. Never looked at another. He starved when you starved. His love may have been dark, but it was real." Ariana's breath shivered in her chest. "Then… are you saying I should…?" "You can like Lucian," he said gently. "You are allowed to feel what your soul already knows. He is worthy. He is trustable. He was meant for you." A gust of wind stirred the dreamscape. Petals swirled, and her father's form began to fade. "Follow your heart, Ariana," he whispered. "Even if it leads you… to the dark."
Morning Light - Ariana awoke with a gasp, staring at the ceiling. Her chest heaved as she tried to collect her thoughts. The dream clung to her like mist. "Meant… for me?" she whispered. She closed her eyes again. But it wasn't Rowan's face that lingered in her mind. It was Lucian's—his dark eyes filled with pain… and longing.