ALL CHARACTERS ARE FROM THE YOUNG ELITES SERIES WRITTEN BY MARIE LU. AN ALTERNATIVE SCENE FROM THE 3RD BOOK, THE MIDNIGHT STAR

Only in my Dreams

Adelina woke to the sun slivering in from a window through the glass the curtain did not cover. The soft silk she was laying in felt smooth against her skin, comforting the fear in her heart to the point where her whispers seemed to seize. A feeling of peace settled over her and if it weren't for Adelina's curiosity, she would have lost herself laying in the silk covered bed for the whole of eternity.

But she just couldn't stop herself. Slowly, Adelina stepped out of the bed. There stood a long beauty mirror in the corner of the room. To her surprise, the reflection in the glass wasn't of her face. Or was it?
Her hair and eyelashes are still silver but this girl didn't have the all too familiar scar across her left eye, instead, she had a normal eye in its place. Her dark, usually tired features looked replenished and glowing. The pale grey lace nightgown she was dressed in hugged her body in a way Adelina found herself admiring. She looked quite ravishing. Her gaze wandered the girl's appearance once more before turning away from the mirror. Why do I look like this? Her bewilderment quickly subsided when she spotted a note on a desk next to the mirror.

"My love,
You are in for a surprise near the meadows.
Wouldn't you like to see?"

Her heart leapt as she read the words. The words felt as if they were familiar, but for some reason, Adelina could not recall why. Instead of dwelling on it, she decided to head to the meadows. She walked out of the room and was suddenly walking through a field. The grass felt soft against her feet as she made her way towards a figure sitting a distance away from her. The emanating aura of blissfulness keeps drawing Adelina in, seeping into the cracks of her dark heart. When she reaches the figure, he turns toward her and lets whatever power he has overflow her.

"Mi Adelinetta" His voice is like velvet, deep and rich, vibrating the strings and tethers throughout her body. A soft hum escapes her lips as she is pulled towards the man until she is sitting in his lap and wrapped in his strong arms. His black hair is braided and piled on top of his head into a loose bun and he wears a silk robe in gold. This brings out the colour of his honey slit pupils.

"You might find yourself in the clutches of a formidable thief if you continue to stare at me like that, Your Majesty." He chuckles and smirks, his pupils slightly fluctuate. Before Adelina could return to admiring the man's eyes, he cupped her chin and stole a quick peck, shooting her a teasing wink. The deepest corners of her heart are filled with the soaring feeling of joy coming from the man in front of her. The invisible strings and tethers that intertwines their bodies vibrate in unison, as if they were part of each other. She felt unusually secure, even though she does not recall meeting this stranger anytime before this moment. As quickly as the thought came up, it disappeared, so Adelina continued bathing in the affection and wholeness of her heart.

"Adelina." The same velvet voice whispered, although it didn't come from the stranger she was still hugging. The voices that she hadn't noticed earlier started to snicker and whisper from the darkness that threatened to overwhelm her. She quickly stood up and looked around, only to find that the meadow that once surrounded her turned into an ocean. Each shock of cold water send chills up her spine, forcing her to recoil from it. The black ocean starts to stain the nightgown she was wearing, at it slowly immerses her whole body in the liquid abyss. The stranger was no longer in sight.

"Adelina!" The voice repeats, although this time it was louder, aggravating the black ocean she was submerged in. The waves start to swirl in menacing whirlpools and crash against each other, tossing Adelina through the water. Her vision starts to darken as it gets harder and harder to take breaths before being pummeled by wave currents. The voices are suddenly shouting, filling her mind with screams and visions of death.

"Mi Adelinetta."

She woke with a long gasp, sucking in as much air into her lungs as she possibly could, fearful for the end of her life but the waves no longer caressed her body. The only thing she felt was the cold, metal cuffs on her ankles and wrist that suspended her in the middle of a fairly large cell. Strands of her short, silver hair were slick with sweat, and her war armour looked tattered. She tried to recall how she got into this situation, her eyes wide with realization. The soldier that betrayed her, he must have brought her here.

A rattle of chains comes from right in front of her and she has to look down from where she is suspended t least 10 feet above the ground. She easily spots his familiar honey eyes piercing straight through her, sending a singing hum right into her heart. He is being held by two soldiers with the sun land crests on their sleeves. Despite being drenched in sweat and covered in chains, he still manages to shoot her a teasing smile, his eyes turning into slits.

"Magiano." Adelina whispers. Just the sound of his name helps drown the whispers until they melt into the background. In that moment, pure bliss overwhelmed her soul as she gazed and adored the sight of him, thankful he didn't get hurt because of her idiotic and reckless moves. She really needed to exert more effort into showing him how grateful she is to have him by her side.

"I told them you needed me around when you sleep." He speaks swiftly with an edge of concern in his words. Even being captured didn't stop him from trying to protect her from the voices. Something crosses Adelina's mind, making her brows furrow in confusion. What do they want? Magiano gives her an apologetic face and looks longingly into her eye.

"They will explain everything, your Majesty. I will get you back soon." He voice reduces to a whispered promise and he gives her one last smile before being pushed out by the soldiers. Her whispers begin to stir in the darkness that stills all around her. Adelina was once again, alone.

NOTE: This scene is set during the battle where Adelina confronted the daggers and her sister in Tamoura. After Adelina's own soldier turned on her, the daggers capture her and keep her in a dungeon before negotiating terms with her about saving the world and venturing toward the origin of all Elites. I just want to add a little more MagianoXAdelina romance so I did a one shot of this quick encounter that could have happened in the book.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, I have not been making any stories lately, but I do plan on getting back into writing because I really enjoyed doing this little one shot. Hopefully, this won't be the last!