-Jenny-
"Nothing really dies as long as it's not forgotten," he said. And then the blue mist seemed to gather in his eyes and obscure the flame. "Go to the dream," Jenny whispered. "Go quick now."
Jenny woke with a gasp and sat upright in her bed. She hadn't forgotten Julian. Not a day went by when she didn't think of him. Jenny laid back down with a sigh and closed her eyes. Would she always dream of him? Would she ever be able to live her life as though she had never met Julian? I doubt it, she thought. Everything had changed after playing his games. Dee and Audrey were friends. Zach and Summer became a couple. Michael was more social and confident. And Jenny and Tom were broken up. It made her sad sometimes to think about it. The games had brought them closer, but within the next few months.. the discovery of not needing each other had pulled them apart. Jenny was glad that they were still friends though. She would have been terribly sad without him. No, life could never be the same. She would just have to accept life the way it was. If only... but no. Jenny dismissed the thought. Julian couldn't come back.. could he? She missed him. Even after all he had put them through... she had come to love him, even more than she had ever loved Tommy. In those last moments, as he lay dying in her arms, she knew. She didn't say it, but she knew. She loved Julian, and she always would. With a sigh, Jenny closed her eyes and went back to sleep.
-Stephan the Shadow Man-
Although Julian didn't know it, Stephan had always been watching him as he tried to win over that mortal girl Jenny. He found it fascinating, how a shadow man- who shouldn't be able to feel anything- had fallen in love with a human girl and could display human emotions like rage and fear. He had been watching as Julian played The Game with Jenny and her companions. He had been watching as he was tricked into captivity by the girl. That was funny. He watched as he escaped and found her again. He watched as Julian overtook Jenny's friends one by one. He watched as the mortals escaped from the fire. He watched as they entered the shadow world. And he watched as Julian sacrificed himself for Jenny. What could make him do that? What could possibly be so special about a human girl? He watched now as Jenny dreamed of Julian as she had every night since he was could she possibly possess to make a shadow man so.. selfless? Stephan didn't know, but he intended to find out.
-Julian-
Another day to replay The Game. It held no meaning anymore. Inspiring terrible fear in others.. it held no more joy. Julian watched as the sun rose, marking another day of the same dream. It had been 38 days since Julian had fought the his ancestors to save Jenny. 38 days of reliving the same endless dream. Could he call it reliving? He no longer truly existed. His name had been carved off the Stave of Life, and he was nothing more than a memory now. A memory kept alive by Jenny. Oh Jenny. Julian missed her so much. Her forest green eyes and hair like liquid gold. He pretty smile and soft lips. God how he missed her. He remembered every detail about her. And he would never forget her either. How long will this dream last? Will Tommy erase me from her memory? Will I be gone forever? Julian didn't know how long he would continue to exist. He knew that she loved him, she never said it, but he knew. If only….No. That's not possible, Julian chided himself. You will never be remade. It's pointless to think of such things. Julian turned away from the sun and began to walk towards the house where he would play The Game forever. True to his word, he went into a dream like he had told Jenny he would. And here he would stay, so long as Jenny still cared about him.
-Stephan-
Hmmm. Let's play a little game, Stephan thought mischievously. As Jenny fell back asleep and Julian went to go scare his next victims, Stephan decided to work a little magic. Jenny will dream of a house, he thought. A suspiciously familiar house. She will be all alone. Julian will come to meet his next victims and see her. Oh what fun! As Jenny began to fall into a deep sleep, he placed a gnarled wrinkly hand on her forehead and whispered Uruz. For piercing the veil between worlds.