Tonight was a bizarre night. It appeared that lately, all of Elara's evenings had been bizarre nights to remember.
She particularly needed a moment to unwind from her unexpectedly tumultuous evening, and the steaming hot shower seemed like an excellent place to do so.
The shower rained down Elara's face and chocolate hair, her locks darkening black as they grew thick and heavy with rushing moisture. She basked in the sensation of the warm water washing over her skin, giving her muscles a chance to relax.
Her fingers ran through her scalp and hair, massaging out the remaining hair conditioner she had rubbed in earlier. The suds slid down the curvature of her back, swerving over each faint indent of her spine before succumbing to the tiles below. The temperate splash of the water smacking the ground was a gratifying noise while the heat decompressed the tightness knotting in her chest, shoulders, and neck.
Elara hoped that the hot water would fully alleviate the strain on her body, still deeply threaded with tension.
She typically lingered in the shower to organize the thousand runaway thoughts sprinting through her mind. After tonight, she probably needed hours in the swirling vapor to parse what the hell actually happened.
Her mind was storming, but surprisingly, anger did not fuel the intense currents whipping inside her head. All her rage was gone. Elara wasn't sure what emotion had replaced it because something else was unmistakably manifesting inside her chest. It felt like a stone had nestled between her ribs, jostling with every breath.
She needed this peaceful time of solitude to figure out precisely what it was.
Elara was delighted to reveal her complete story to her best, most empathetic friends. It was satisfying to express herself instead of sealing everything inside the way she usually did. Elara should've never hesitated to open up to Lucy and Diana; admitting her loneliness with her situation was a choice. She always had her village to lean on, and she would remember that from here on out.
When Morpheus interrupted her girl's night, the evening only took a more profound twist into the chaotic nature of her life. Despite how much she defied her alleged Fate, something was happening to her, and it all centered around The King of Dreams and the mismatched eyes.
No matter how much she denied the challenge of her humanity, one specific question made her believe in the King of Dreams.
Why wasn't she dead?
Her bones vibrated when the idea danced through her intellect as if her body was innately aware of how unreal it was that she was still alive. Her hair rose on her arms, prickling along her skin, even with the warm water creating a thin layer of heat around her.
Why wasn't she dead?
A whisper of a chill ran through her body at the thought.
Morpheus explicitly stated that the act of ripping her soul from her body, an abuse that should never happen to a human, would not be something that she could survive, even once. And yet somehow, Elara survived this regular cadence of being torn from her body for ten years.
Why wasn't she dead?
Even before Elara understood the gravity of what was happening in her nightmares, she considered she could die each time she sprinted away from the mismatched eyes.
The fear that constricted her lungs, the terror that licked her flesh, the hiss of darkness seeping into her skin… It felt dangerously real. The brutal pain she drowned in was so vivid that Elara was surprised that she managed to wake up each time. Now, as it turns out, the very act of her awakening after ten years was an inconceivable miracle.
This exact disturbing culmination made her contest her humanity.
Elara's forearms rested on the wall, intersecting over each other by her wrists. The tile she pressed against was chilled, untouched by the stream of water, and a slight tremble ricocheted down to her toes at the contact.
Her forehead met the junction at her hands, and her jaw unclenched. A thick exhale departed her mouth as her lids drooped shut.
Outside of the absurdity that was her ongoing existence, Morpheus had informed her that there was a precise reason for her soul being stolen, time and time again. Another door was hidden within her soul's depths, and the mismatched eyes desperately sought it.
What was that door? Why was it important? How did she not know that it was there?
Elara's nose scrunched, her forehead rocking back and tapping against her crossed wrists. Tiny dots of water spattered her skin, glistening like droplets of diamonds. They shimmered along her flesh before being engulfed by a more substantial stream racing down her back.
Outside of the oddity that was the fabric of her life, Elara also realized she had to amend her angered feelings for the King of Dreams. She did not have the right to be enraged at him, now believing that his intentions were always good.
He never really left her. He went to fulfill his promise to attempt and save her permanently, and Elara was blinded by her wrath to understand that.
The cyclone in her dreams had manipulated her extensively, compelling her to think she was alone in her pain when the lightning struck. Her arsenal of spite towards the mismatched eyes had risen astronomically, which is where her anger should've been directed.
Not Dream.
She had the mismatched eyes to blame for the influence, but she carried the weight of her actions.
She had never experienced such an explosive outburst before, and never once had the thought crossed her mind to harm herself. Elara went ablaze with every excruciating emotion, and within those few seconds, she decided to test her humanity stupidly. Slicing her hand open was not the way to do that, but logic had taken a back seat, and fear had seized the reigns.
Morpheus only met her fury with an abundance of inherent kindness. He tightly held her when Elara couldn't even acknowledge the ugliness she spat in his face.
She was nauseated by her behavior, yet he did not hesitate to cacoon her into his arms, blanketing her in infinite warmth and security. He took her in at her lowest and embraced her sorrow.
At that moment, he healed her everywhere. Warmth tinged every inch of her body.
Elara backed away from the wall, tilting her head back to let the stream of water hit her neck, chest, and all the way down her torso. The little beads of water skated down her skin, rolling over the curves of her breasts and hips, splashing as they joined the puddle draining on the floor.
Her gaze flickered to her hand, lifting it to examine her unmarred palm closely. She detected no mark from her injury as if it never happened in the first place. Her fingertip ran along where the skin was sliced, tracing the phantom wound. He had repaired her flawlessly, but she still could recall the blade's precise sting.
However, what was more prominent than the sharp pain, was the immense heat that Morpheus saturated into her cut.
His healing was her sanctuary in the absolute darkness.
He tenderly mended her, siphoning away her wrath and disorder, replacing it with flooding warmth and compassion. He cradled her broken heart but did it with intentional grace this time. Once again, even at her worst point, he made her feel incredible.
Elara's vision focused on how the water pooled in her cupped hand, rippling as wet spurts from above sprinkled into the little puddle she had created. Eventually, the liquid overflowed her small palm and twisted down the side of her wrist like racing crystal rivers.
The woman clenched her fist, letting the overflow of water spill out from the cracks of her knotted hand and abruptly plummet to the floor. She let her forehead meet the wall beside her as the shower steam stirred in the air.
Her lids fell closed, recalling his granite-carved face with a single tear tracking down his cheek. Her insides contorted as the graphic visual of his despair replayed in her head. Despair that she created.
Her heart ached in her ribcage, recognizing he had internalized her pain, likely taking the blame onto himself. He presumably overheard a lot of her outward confession of how deeply she had fallen to Diana and Lucy.
He wept for her, and he understood her. Their souls were connected on a powerful, intimate level.
She knew within that instant that the emotion replacing her anger was clarity.
More specifically, clarity regarding Morpheus.
He felt something for her.
It still hurt her that he might've gained interest in her because of Alena, but regardless of how their connection started, it would always end with Elara. She knew that for sure. Their bond was undeniable as if their bodies were attuned to the exact frequency. He was the only person who could completely heal her heart and had already begun to sew together its fragile pieces.
I hope you will understand who you are to me. No one else.
Her fists curled in the shower, lightly smacking against the wall in response. The intensity of Morpheus' declaration jerked at her heart.
His words were a beacon of clarity, pacifying her doubts about Alena's long-passed life. He was telling her that who he loved eons ago did not matter anymore, despite their identicality. He saw Elara as her own person. She was justified in her bitterness about Alena, but his actions made it very clear that the past was just that, in the past.
She unclenched her hand, pushing her forehead away from the wall. She switched the shower off, squeezed the dripping moisture from her hair, and stepped outside. A shiver ran through her body as her wet form met the kiss of cold air, the last diamond droplets streaming down her body in rushing rivers, twinkling upon their descent.
Elara wrapped a large white fluffy towel around her body, feeling the softness encircle her form and sap away the dampness from her skin. Her toes crunched against her shower mat, imprinting her feet and setting her on the ground.
An uncontrollable sigh escaped her lips as she paddled through her bathroom.
She stopped before her counter; her mirror had steamed up from the swirls of condensed water. Her hands bound around the edge of her towel as she inclined her head, circling the fabric about the ends of her hair and straining out the remaining moisture. Her towel-dried locks hung around her shoulder in thin ringlets, curling upwards and splaying around her shoulders.
She retucked her towel as she detected her translucent reflection moving behind the misted mirror. Her hand hesitantly reached up to the frosted glass, smoothing her palm on the surface to clear away the stuck steam. Behind it, her unobscured image peaked out.
Her skin appeared fresh, her chestnut eyes slightly shadowed from crying, but her cheeks had their normal color.
Was this the face of someone who wasn't human?
Could she handle this?
She could. Elara had clarity now.
She knew that if Dream was by her side, she could process this new revelation and become anything. He'd protect, teach, and guide her as she reconsidered who or what she was. She had to trust him.
The woman initially feared his life-altering statement, retracting her humanity, as it would force her entire life to be tossed upside down. Her reality, her very being, would be changed forever. But she didn't have to do it alone if that were the case. She had someone in her life who would help her adjust to her new reality.
And that person cared about her sincerely.
Elara knew he did. She felt him several times tonight.
Eventually, Elara lowered into her bed for the night. She tugged her downy blanket, the fabric stretching into long columns as she dragged it upwards. When she slackened the soft material, the texture in the blanket fell away to smoothness, encompassing her.
She stared at her blank ceiling, attempting to wade into sleep, as an unforeseen thought paraded into her mind, adding a layer to her unfurling clarity.
As she started to accept her new changes, how she viewed her reality would need to adjust too.
In this reality, she felt worthless, used, insecure, and unwell. She allowed people to devalue her, twisting insecurities into her core without any defense to stop it. Her relationships anchored her importance, but that was ridiculous and unstable. She needed to determine who she was on her own, and once she did, make her value and sense of self an immovable piece of how she defined herself.
A smile quirked at her lips in the privacy of her silent room.
It may be time to make a drastic shift.
It was time to settle into a new reality.
Elara could grasp it between her fingers if she just outstretched her hand another inch further. In the darkness of her space, where the streetlights faintly reflected atypical patterns on her wall, and the silence was palpable, Elara imagined the sanctuary of Morpheus' arm.
For the first time in quite some time, she thought, you are enough. Elara didn't realize that with every new belief manifesting in her head, her new reality would openly greet her.
When she closed her lids and sleep overtook her, all she saw was brilliant light.
It was the warmest, most complete embrace of all-encompassing light. The brightness encased Elara, whisking around her weightless body and kissing her skin with a familiar heat. The light intertwined throughout her limbs, starting around her ankles and winding up her calf, dusting her skin as it went.
As the light moved, it whispered sweetness against her flesh. It grazed her everywhere, from the creases behind her knees to the soft indentations of her hipbones. The heat stroked up her torso as if a slender finger were tracing the swell of her breast to dip into the crevice of her collarbone, then trailing up to the ridges of her neck. The sensation threaded through her hair, her locks expanding wild as they entangled with the brightness.
As Elara was continuously wrapped in this heated light, her chest fluttered as if it were about to take flight.
She never wanted to leave.
When her lids incrementally fluttered open, her consciousness firmly yanked herself back into her body. Her eyesight took an instant to focus, her immediate surroundings unknown.
Was she in a dream? A new memory?
She inhaled a steadying breath, detecting her shoes planted firmly on a hard, marble floor. The ground was a cream-colored stone embedded with tiny speckles of glittering gold and pastel blues.
Her gaze ticked upwards, tracking everything before her, slowly taking her location. Elara discovered herself cast away into a place she had never seen before in her prior dreams. Her head rotated as she scanned the room, her body spinning completely as she absorbed the magnificence of where she physically was.
She was in the middle of a marvelous bedroom of riches. Everything was the epitome of luxury, bursting with gold, silks, pearls, and reflective crystals.
Along one side of the room were ceiling-high french doors with shimmering golden handles leading out to a massive balcony. The doors were adorned with sky-high curtains, tumbling down with pearls weaved throughout.
Behind her was a massive bed banding the second wall, shrouded in sky-blue silk sheets and the fluffiest comforter. The silk was almost iridescence, glowing from the light from the center chandelier, hanging a few paces in front. The golden chandelier curved arms, dripping with jewels and sparkling brightly as they reflected their own prism of colors against one another. Ornate pillows embellished the bed, each intricately detailed with handcrafted embroidery. A swooping canopy hung overhead, twisting around golden bedposts to pool at the base.
The third wall had a vanity with clusters of glass bottles and jewels spread about the surface. There were piles of crystalline roses so beautifully placed as they spiraled up the legs of the vanity. To the right of the vanity was an enormous wardrobe with a crescent moon adorned on the top. The fourth and final wall was a closed golden door engraved with several emblems that Elara couldn't identify.
Along all the walls were candelabras with long branching arms and mystical, pre-lit candles. The crystallized roses were dangling from the wall mountings and reflecting the slim flame flickering above.
It was a room of otherworldly mysticism, making Elara as weightless as a breeze. A light fragrance of roses was noticeable throughout the air, creating a serene, peaceful atmosphere.
Where was she?
Elara glanced down at her body, noticing she was wearing a simple white dress with thin straps, a curved neckline, and a linen skirt that trailed to her knees. It was not her ivory gown but the outfit she had worn in the Tulip Garden.
Her feet started to meander throughout the room, her curiosity growing as she wandered over to the vanity. A chest was unlocked with prismatic jewels and stones pouring out, each shining a different hue as they reflected the multiple light sources within the room. There were perfume bottles made of glass and compacts of makeup. Elara lifted one of the delicate perfume bottles, hearing the glass clink against her nails before she reset it.
Her feet moved to the wardrobe, her hands grasped the handles, and she yanked the heavy door wide open with a firm tug. Inside were the most glorious dresses, packed with tulle and jewels and stunning silks. Each embroidered garment had the finest detail woven into rich materials and extravagant designs. Her fingers reached out to brush down one of the gowns, mesmerized by the opulence of the fabric. Elara retracted her hand and shut the wardrobe before heading to the balcony's white french doors.
She glimpsed through the spotless window panes, glimpsing at the sparkling night sky overhead. Each star beamed out against the blackness of space behind it as if reaching out toward her with its very spirit. The stars blinked so brightly that Elara's mouth parted in wonderment. She had never seen stars shine like this before.
"I'm happy to see you've finally made it, Elara," a familiar voice interrupted from behind.
Elara's hair climbed on her neck at the sudden intrusion. She gasped at the realization she was not alone and whirled around to identify the individual who joined her.
Elara stagged back.
Her hands clasped over her mouth, her pupils partially enlarging. Standing in the room, she was an exact mirror image of herself.
The woman before her was in the ivory gown that Elara always wore in her nightmares, but this version was unmarred and perfect. The top of the dress has the most complex golden beading and jewels intertwined into the neckline, following down the smooth lines of the corset. The swell of the skirt cascaded down her body effortlessly like delicate draped silks. A golden crown sat upon her tresses of chocolate curls, spilling down her back with elegance. This version of her had an ethereal glow running beneath her skin and bright, shimmering sapphire eyes.
Without question, she knew who this was.
Elara's hand rapidly rose to touch her stalling heart, astonishment storming through her. "Alena."
"You've kept me waiting for quite some time," Princess Alena smiled with white teeth, her hands dropping onto her hips. "I was wondering if you'd ever show up."
Her heartbeat hammered furiously beneath her palm. Alena was standing right before her, so identical to her own face that it was uncanny. It was more than a doppelganger – Elara thought it was her reflection.
But Alena was… stunning. Her skin was flawless, appearing more like incandescent pearls than flesh. Her sapphire eyes danced, piercing, unlike Elara's dark brown without any vibrancy. Her cheeks had this rosiness to them, following her high cheekbones and pink lips. Her hair was immaculate, each ringlet faultlessly coiled and trailing down her back.
The smile relaxed on Alena's face, her sparkling eyes raking in Elara's form. "Why do you seem so surprised?"
"H-How are you here?" Elara stammered. She could barely find her words in her bewilderment.
Alena's head tilted slightly, her brows pinching gracefully. Elara knew she didn't look pretty when she contorted her expression.
While sounding nearly the same as Elara's, Alena's voice rang more like a bell. The Princess smirked confidently. "Where else would I be? This is my home."
Elara's lids flared a bit, and Alena laughed openly, the abrupt noise as light as a windchime. "I've imagined this happening so many ways, so forgive me if I'm a bit direct. I just thought you'd… know more about why you'd be here."
Alena strode over to her, her heels clinking against the marble until she stood before Elara.
Elara scanned The Moon Princess' face in pure amazement. It was exactly like hers. From the shape of the eyebrows to the curve of the cheek, even the coloring was the same. But Alena had this poise to her, this measured classiness that Elara absolutely, never in her life, did not have.
The Princess reached out to grasp Elara's hand, securely holding Elara's trembling. Alena used her free hand to whisk a stray strand of hair behind Elara's ears, tucking it away affectionately.
Goosebumps raised on Elara's arms.
Alena grinned knowingly. "Come."
Elara could've sworn her palms were clammy as she held the dainty fingers of the Princess. Alena guided them over to the enormous, sky-blue bed. She spun around, her white dress flailing outwards as she did, before elegantly taking a seat on top of the covers. Elara eyed Alena with hesitation, to which Alena patted the silk beside her.
Contrary to Alena's graceful motions, Elara scooted on the bed with unease, rocking back and forth like a toddler until she was fully settled.
At any given beat, Alena's gaze was latched onto her. Her tone was sincere as she said, "I've been waiting so long to meet you. We have so much to discuss and do not have the luxury of time."
She reached forward and retook Elara's hands within her, gripping them tightly as if she were afraid Elara would slip away.
"Honestly, I barely know where to begin," Alena admitted, the corner of her mouth quirking upwards.
"How am I here? Is this a dream?" Elara asked in wonderment, searching Alena's bright hues. It was like there were streaks of diamonds in her oceanic eyes, endlessly deep and dynamic.
Alena's thumb rubbed Elara's hand softly and jostled her head, her brown locks rustling around her narrow shoulders. As she did, the chandelier's light reflected off each individual strand, creating even more depth to her curls.
"You're here because you've finally begun to submerge yourself into who you are. Once you've found internal tranquility, the gate to our soul opened to give us space to meet."
Elara's face was affixed with complete bafflement. Her chest locked, her brows scrunching together as her vision floated around the glorious bedroom. It took her a moment to gather herself, honing in on the Princess' exact phrase.
When Elara reconnected with Alena, she steadily recounted with confusion, "Our soul?"
"Well, technically, your soul. I'm simply an echo of your past life."
Elara's body tensed entirely. Her lips parted as her brows scrunched even closer, creasing into deep lines.
The Princess tipped her head as if attempting to process Elara's uncertainty. Her delicate hand squeezed Elara's reassuringly. Her bright hues sparkled. "I'm assuming from your reaction that you didn't know?"
"No," Elara breathed, letting the realization sink into her. They were in her soul right now? How was Alena here?
"We are one and the same, Elara," Alena beamed with pridefulness, answering Elara's unspoken question.
Elara's heart took a nosedive into her stomach. She stuttered, "I- I don't understand."
Alena nodded purposefully, pitching forward to near Elara's face. As she did, a hint of roses dusted Elara's nose. The Princess' palm lifted to brush Elara's shoulder, and her touch instantly eased Elara like a soothing embrace. Elara wondered why her body was reacting to Alena in such an enthralling way.
Alena's fingertips skimmed down Elara's arm before she brought her hands to clasp in her lap, depressing into the swell of her gown's skirt.
Elara stared into those stunning oceanic eyes as Alena said, "We are of the same heartbeat, mind, and spirit. We are just from two different points in time."
Elara's face dropped, her pulse intrinsically quickening. What the Princess was saying did not make any sense. But at the same time, it made complete sense.
"You're me?"
"Pretty much."
"How is that possible?"
Alena's expression softened, "Honestly, between us, there is much I still have yet to understand. What I've settled on is that Fate always intended for you to live out the life I could never have. My life, the breath I breathed, was always meant for you, Elara."
The Princess abruptly trotted off the bed to come to stand, her dress swishing around her body like it was a part of her. Elara watched in awe as Alena fluidly cruised into the center of the room.
"You can think of me like an overture, the same instruments as the rest of the symphony, but you are the main show. You take the reigns all the way to the grand finale," Alena mused aloud.
Elara's heart skipped over and over again, and she didn't know if her pounding organ would settle down again. Each statement cracked the mental image of who she assumed Alena was, and the woman underneath was shocking. The woman beneath was herself.
Alena was her past life.
The way the Princess of the Moon spoke was as familiar as if Elara's own words were pouring out of her mouth. It felt like Elara could almost guess what Alena was about to say, the phrases wavering on her tongue, waiting to be spoken into reality.
The Princess strode over to the vanity, and her shoulders were tucked back and down, chin held high. She had such a regalness to her. As she moved, her shoes sounded against the marble like the light sounds of a bell.
The Princess rotated to face Elara, the swell of her dress shifting around her body like an endless waterfall. Alena extended her hand, her palm open, inviting Elara to join her across the room.
"What we have right now is just a single instant in all of reality to meet," Alena proudly expressed. "I don't want to waste it."
Elara's body shifted on its own. She carefully, and much less gracefully, slid off the silken bed. As her feet steadied on the ground, her legs walked her over to Alena's location. The Princess motioned for Elara to sit on the adorned stool before the vanity, to which she gradually sank down.
Elara instantly caught both of their reflections in the vanity's mirror. Her breath hitched in her chest at the surreal visual, seeing two identical versions of herself moving independently of one another. Now looking in the mirror, Elara realized their similarities were exact. The same defined cheekbones, the same open roundness to their eyes, and even the bow of their lip had the same ridges and shape.
Alena stood behind Elara, her hands softly gliding down Elara's nearly bare shoulders. Her fingertips started at the base of her neck before brushing outwards towards the curve of her shoulder. Each touch was so intensely warm like she was giving herself a hug.
Alena leaned down next to Elara's ear, regarding her in the mirror. "Out of everything we can discuss, the most important thing to address is why it took you so long to get here."
Elara's lip pursed. "Why is that important?"
Alena's mouth tightened into a thin line. "As I said, you had to be in a state of tranquility to enter your soul, a place of mental prosperity and self-assurance. You could not be here if you loathed yourself, which I'm assuming was the situation."
Elara's hands unconsciously grabbed one another, feeling Alena's words ring true. Until tonight, Elara had an abundance of darkness weaving into her conscious thoughts. When she fell asleep last night, it was the first time where she felt… light.
Alena's bright eyes were focused on Elara's in their reflection as she continued, "I did not realize that some scars can traverse lifetimes and that the pain from my short existence somehow continued to hurt yours unintentionally."
Unexpectedly, Alena's arms wholly wrapped around Elara from behind. A chill ran down Elara's spine at the intimate gesture as Alena's smooth arms enclosed her neck. Alena's skin ran along Elara's collarbone as she held her tightly, her chest depressing into Elara's back. One of her ringlets had dusted Elara's bare neck, shooting an ember of warmness into her flesh. The noticeable aroma of roses tickled Elara's nose, and she was awestruck as she observed their intertwined bodies in the ornate mirror's reflection.
Alena then did something unforeseen. Soft, gentle lips pressed against Elara's temple. Both woman's lids slipped shut simultaneously as if they were mutually basking in the sensation. The kiss evoked the most loving, heat-inducing feeling to bloom at Elara's chest, branching out around her ribs. It was as if she were wrapping herself in the warmest, fluffiest towel.
The Princess' unwound her embrace, shifting to clasp again on the shoulders. Alena gently ordered, "Look at yourself for me, Elara."
Both women looked at the mirror, observing their identical reflections move together. Alena's dainty fingers floated through Elara's hair as she explained, "Your mind has a unique duality. It can be your own worst enemy as well as your greatest asset. It can create a world of pain, but if you allow it, it also gives you access to your greatest strength."
Elara's hands instantly went into her lap, bundling the linen of her dress into her clenched fist and puckering the fabric in her grip. She inhaled greatly as she regarded Alena in their reflection. "And what is that?"
Alena laughed beautifully, shaking her perfect curls as she, once more, ran her fingers through Elara's hair. "Your greatest strength is the ability to love yourself and share that love with others."
Elara's jaw locked as she glanced down at her hands and relaxed them, letting the crinkled cotton slowly deplete flat. Alena's nail gently scraped the nape of her neck, shooting shivers to race down Elara's spine.
"The heart and the mind are tightly intertwined. Think of the mind as a labyrinth and your heart as the guide," Alena's tone was complete with passion as her sapphire eyes followed their reflection.
"What if the maze is dark, and I can't see my way through?" Elara weakly replied.
"Elara, you have a heart so pure, that shines so brightly, that it disturbed one of the Endless from their monotonous ways and ensnared him," Alena grinned, twisting one of Elara's locks around her finger. "It might sound clique, but if you follow your heart, it will not steer you wrong. And you'll find how to love yourself, truly, at the center of it all."
That single, thoughtful phrase triggered moisture to saturate Elara's eyes. She blinked away the tears, gasping at the overflowing emotions swiftly surging through her. Alena was curing open wounds inside of her that she didn't know needed to be mended.
"How would you know that?" Elara asked with genuine interest, her breath catching.
Alena tilted her head with amusement while her smile faded from her lips, "Because you're me. It took me 18 years to realize that I am worth more than my suffering and that I am allowed to feel love."
Suddenly, Elara's cheeks were enclosed in the Princess' soft hands. Alena's body sank down to the floor, kneeling beside the stool Elara was perched on. Her dress splayed wide on the ground, outstretching from her waist like a fairytale. Elara glanced downward at the Princess, now at differing heights.
And in Alena's visage were the exact same tears that Elara was fighting back.
Alena's bottom lip trembled as she spoke, "I had hoped the pain and self-loathing in my life would've died with me. But to know how long it took for you to find me, ten years, I can only presume that my suffering somehow found its way to you and festered with cruelty. I am thankful you managed to find your way through my storm."
Elara's scanned Alena's eyes, flickering back and forth as she murmured, "What happened to you?"
Alena's jaw clicked under her moonlight-streaked skin, the first indication of discomfort from the Princess. Her lips contorted into a bitter grimace as she withered, "I did not live life the way you did, Elara. One day, you will know your past and what happened to you, to us. But until then, I am blissfully happy that you have found me, regardless of how long it took."
Elara immediately turned inward. The darkness in Alena's tone was like a whisper of her pain. Elara ran her nightmare, and Alena lived it. What was her life like? What happened when she wasn't living her nightmare?
Alena steadily rose from the ground, her sadness vanishing. The same regal composure affixed on her face as she straightened up. She reached her palm out again to Elara. "I wish to show you something."
Without hesitation, Elara took Alena's hand, and their fingers interlaced.
Elara stood and readily followed the Princess of the Moon's lead as she guided them out of the bedroom and into the halls of the Moon Kingdom.
Just as Elara always thought in her nightmares, the Moon Kingdom in its prime was absolutely breathtaking. The massive castle was just as glorious as the bedroom, the hallways exquisite and complete with every luxurious detail. Golden arches adorned with the Moon's crest lined the high ceilings, stretching up for what seemed like miles. Pillars boarded alongside the ivory walls, curving with starlight with the ancient moon sigil engraved in them.
The Moon Princess' gown swirled around her as she ushered the two down the long hallway. Elara's vision swept around the corridor, astounded at its enchanting structure.
"How long have you been here?" Elara asked curiously, peering over at Alena.
"Eons," Alena spoke quickly, her heels tapping against the marble floor. "I had to wait for you to be reborn, along with a few other essential factors to fall into place, before I could meet you."
The Princess then switched her hand up to interlock with Elara's arms. Her fingers were familiarly warm as they contacted Elara's skin, wrapping around her bicep. She motioned down the hallway with a slight inclination of her head, as there was clearly a destination for them to go to.
Alena pointedly resumed, "And after this, I will cease to exist. I held on until I could meet you."
Her heart sank at Alena's cryptic sentence. Undoubtedly, this juncture in time with her past life would disappear through her fingers like untouchable rays of light. Every second was their last. Elara wished she could bottle this moment, but she could not, and she had to make the most of what little she had left.
"How was I able to find you?" Elara questioned calmly, digging for clarification.
Alena's genuineness melted Elara's guard. "Well, firstly, you had to be in a state of serenity, and your mentality to re-evaluate your reality was key to opening the gate. Secondly, you had to be in love."
Elara froze in her tracks, thwarting the two women's movements. A blush immediately rose to Elara's cheeks, expanding fully throughout her entire face.
"You must love him very much if you're here," The Moon Princess commented, the corners of her eyes crinkling with wisdom.
Elara swallowed thickly, licking her lips as she breathed, "It hasn't been easy."
"When has the King of Dreams made anything simple?" Alena laughed, pitching into Elara's body as she restarted their stroll.
Elara weirdly detected a hint of jealousy bubbling through her at the sound of his name on the Princess' lips. Her expression dropped, and Alena instantly caught it. Her sapphire eyes shimmered, tugging Elara closer.
"I know it must be strange," Alena admitted, her thumb rubbing the softness of Elara's arm, "But my former relationship with Morpheus is yours. It's your memory from your past life."
Elara's gaze remained downwards on the magnificent floors, glowing with the soft light of the Moon. This was a lot to process.
"You do realize, Elara," Alena's direct manner forced Elara to look upwards, "Fate is powerful. It would only make sense for your love to be so strong that it spans lifetimes and brings you back together."
With her continual emphasis on the word your, Elara intrinsically understood what the Princess was trying to convey. Alena intentionally pulled her life out of the equation, acknowledging her departure from the realm of the living and relinquishing any claim to Morpheus' heart.
Alena giggled gracefully, holding Elara securely in her grip. Her voice was filled with amusement as she remarked, "And really, what's the point of being jealous of yourself?"
The Moon Princess gave Elara a large grin, extending across her pink lips and lighting up her sparkling hues.
"I suppose you're right," Elara lightly laughed along, a sense of solace spurring throughout her.
A profound understanding soaked over Elara's psyche, placating any apprehension, dismay, or enviousness towards Alena.
The Princess' voice was temperate when she stated, "Elara, this was always your story. I am thankful to be a part of it, no matter how brief. This saga had always intended for you to carry the torch to the end with Morpheus by your side."
Elara concentrated on the Princess, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she ingested all this reality-altering knowledge. As the dust settled, a genuine smile stretched across Elara's mouth. The oddity of conversing with Alena disappeared. In fact, it started to feel like she was walking with herself, having a casual conversation with a materialized version of her consciousness.
"Thank you for all of that," Elara openly expressed.
Alena waved her off. "You don't need to thank me, Elara. Much of your torment was mine, left open and swelling for quite some time. I owe you closure so you can finally take flight and truly love yourself."
Elara's vision retained on Alena, who now stared directly ahead and unwavering in her concealed expression. It seemed, strangely, that the beautiful glow under her skin sparkled fainter than it had a second ago.
The subtle change in her complexion evoked Elara's chest to drop.
The Princess steered them to an enormous stone staircase winding downwards into the recesses of the castle. In the center of the spiral was a bright light shooting upwards from the ground. As the brightness stormed through the stairwell, the moonstone walls glistened as if in response. It looked like stars had embedded into the walls, peaking out from the stone and winking.
The two initiated their descent, arms locked, steps in sync. The Princess' dress fell in tresses behind her, the hem of her skirt sliding down a step after the two.
Elara's breath grew shallow, and each intake of air became incredibly difficult.
It was a miracle to spend any amount of time with her past life, and every instant that ticked by forced a knot to assemble in her chest. Every heartbeat was a second she could never get back, and this period she had with her past life was fleeting without her control.
As Elara studied the profile of Alena, a profuse sense of sorrow washed over her. The time she had here was sacred and made her fearful.
When they reached the bottom of the stairwell, the hall had fanned outwards to a stunning atrium.
The room was entirely circular, rich with marble floors, and full of bright white light. Along the walls were gigantic standing columns with mystical engravings of crescent moons and stars. The ceiling was a glass dome where the stars prominently twinkled against the night sky, shining through into the hall.
In the middle of the room is what forced Elara to halt in her tracks.
There was a round quartz dais located in the center of the room. Above the platform was a magnificent white door hovering above the quartz. The ivory door had ornate details engraved into the smooth planes of the front. In the center was an 8-point star that softly glittered, and there were tiny thin indentations around it as if depicting the star shooting through space. At the top of the door was a golden crescent moon.
What was strange, though, is that where the door met the frame, a tremendous light was flickering through it. It was as if something was behind the door, imploring to break free.
"Welcome to the Sanctum, Elara," Princess Alena announced, her gaze darting over to Elara's astounded visage.
The space was magnificent, but all Elara could focus on was this afloat door.
"This is the door Morpheus saw." Elara realized, her mind connecting this object to the one Morpheus discovered from her nightmare.
Alena nodded her head, her chestnut tresses swaying around her shoulders as if she had her own current of air.
"The Moon Door only exists as a result of your love," Alena commented, her bright eyes gleaming. Alena stepped towards the doorway. "Your heart had to be ready."
A shiver ran through Elara's spine, rousing goosebumps to rise along every plane of her skin. Oddly, she became warm all over, which compelled her to glance down at her body.
Everything within her startled.
There was a newfound glow traveling beneath her skin. A brightness twisted under her arms like branches made of feathers and light, whisking under the surface but never breaking. She raised her hand in wonderment, shifting her fingers as the shine moved within her. It was as if starlight ran through her veins.
She inhaled greatly, observing the Princess again. "What is behind the door? What is in my skin?"
"That, I cannot tell you," Alena dismissed, beginning a slow walk around the room. Her white gown swished around her body, beautifully gliding around her lithe form.
Alena's lips had curved into a faint smile as she stated, "I have spent a millennia trying to understand it while I wait." Her hands clasped in front of her. "To know what is behind the door, you must open it yourself."
"Morpheus said he tried to open it, but it disappeared before he could."
"Were you confident in your feelings for him when he did?" The Princess gently prodded.
Elara frowned, reaching up to tuck a stray lock behind her ear. She shrugged meekly, "I thought he had abandoned me."
"Then it would have disappeared," Alena warmly acknowledged.
Elara tilted her head and stepped towards the central dais. "The door disappeared because I thought Morpheus left me?"
Alena had made it to the other half of the room, her hands still clutched. Her shoes rang against the marble floors as she corrected, "The door will only appear when you are in love, and it will disappear if you are not or in the question of your love. It can be seen by the ones you love and yet only opened by you."
Elara bobbed her head, attempting to make meaning of The Princess' riddles. The Moon Door in her nightmare had appeared to Morpheus when she had believed he would save her, and when she contested her feelings, the door vanished.
"Why?"
She chimed like a broken record with all her questions, but there was so much she needed to know. Her gaze tracked to Alena, who had just finished her stroll around the dais and halted beside Elara. Her words were full of understanding, "A failsafe. To ensure that what is behind the door is only used for good and powered by love."
Elara's hands clenched in actualization. "Is this what the mismatched eyes have been searching for?"
A mild hum sounded from behind the door, like an ancient monk's chant from a monastery. The light streamed faintly through the cracks, spiraling out towards Elara. The overwhelming power projected from the door somehow felt familiar, as if she had known it her entire life. Whatever was behind this door was instrumental in figuring out who she was.
"Yes," Alena gravely responded, her volume lowering beside her.
The Princess' abruptly started to glow dimmer. Throughout this period together, Princess Alena was vibrant with light. Now, it seemed as if the very light within her was withering.
Her sapphire hues dulled, and that weight in Elara's chest grew more evident.
The two identical women stood side by side, standing before the Moon Door. Elara heard Alena hiccup for air, and her head snapped to regard her. Alena's eyes were swelling with water as she ominously mentioned, "The Night King has grown extraordinarily powerful in an attempt to find this. You must be careful."
Alena's vivid reaction made the knot in Elara's chest sprout sharp vines, stabbing her lungs. The light under her skin was draining by the second, surpassing opaque and now becoming pale, sickly. Elara found breathing more difficult as she questioned the graphic difference in Alena's altering appearance.
Elara frowned as she asked, "The Night King? Is that his name?"
Alena nodded grimly, her composure tensing.
"He's been in my dreams for ages. How has he not found this yet?" Elara asked, disbelief in her voice.
The Princess was complete with gloom as she studied Elara. She quietly answered, "Your soul has been protecting you."
The Princess' words were worrisome, but even more, with each second they spent together, the weaker Alena seemed to become. The hallows of her collarbones became more pronounced as if she hadn't eaten in weeks. Her cheekbones grew gaunt, protruding out and visible again her graying skin. Her chestnut hair became limp, the curls falling flat. Even her pink lips were cracked and dry.
It was like she was becoming a living corpse right before her.
It was then that something connected in Elara's head.
"It wasn't just my soul protecting me," Elara uttered in alarm. Elara reached to clutch each of Alena's fragile hands. Alena felt so weak in Elara's grasp as if she could snap the thin bones with the slightest bit of pressure. There was such a sharp contrast with how brightly Elara's skin glowed next to the pale skin of Alena's.
Elara stared into the dulling eyes of the Princess as she spoke, "It was you, Alena. You've been protecting me all this time. That's really what you were holding on for."
Alena feebly smiled before humbly whispering, "I am so tired, but you finally found me."
Elara's lips parted in a gasp as wetness pricked her chestnut eyes.
The Night King failed to kill Elara and uncover the Moon Door because of the Moon Princess herself. Alena had shielded her soul each time it was ripped from her body and concealed the door from the darkness.
That is why Elara was alive.
Princess Alena saved her endlessly without asking for anything in return.
Elara's lip quivered as Alena's hair and eyes transformed even more muted as if it were a gray hue on a canvas. Everything within the once luminous Princess, with energy and boundless brightness, was almost entirely gone.
Alena was dying.
She was fading away into the chasm of existence right before her, and Elara couldn't hold on to her tight enough. Now, there was only one thin stream of light in her matte blue eyes.
The Sanctum trembled violently as if something were trampling beneath the floors itself. Elara steadied herself, her expression shifting into fear as she locked onto the Moon Princess.
Alena's composure, however, became desolate with an explicit knowledge of what was to occur. A glistening tear ran down her pale face as she grasped Elara's hands back. Her words broke from her lips, "Live well, Elara. Live the life I always knew you could have. Kick the Night King into oblivion and love Morpheus unconditionally as I know you do. He will help you with what is behind that door, and you need him by your side."
The Sanctum rumbled again. Specks of debris accumulated from the ceiling as the stone incrementally crumbled from above. Elara knew her time here was close, but it still wasn't enough.
"Will I ever see you again?" Elara nearly pleaded, whimpering through wetness that swiftly skated down her light-filled cheeks.
The Princess shook her head, her own eyes shedding complete sparkling tears.
The room was now nearly rocking, the atrium above splintering and the glass shattering downwards, impacting the floor and splintering into thousands of tiny shards. Large streaks of light blazed through the broken edges of the open dome, causing Elara to flinch at the brightness.
Alena's frail hands came up to Elara's shimmering face, her thumbs tenderly running along the girl's cheeks. Elara gently enclosed Alena's wrists, bringing their foreheads and meeting each other as their lids shut.
Heat radiated from where their foreheads connected as Alena's spirit was vanishing right before her.
"I am always with you, Elara. I am forever a part of you," Alena gasped for air as she cried.
The ground shook more violently, the ceiling granulating down in large stone piles. Everything was decaying, collapsing by the second. Time was running out.
Elara and Alena's lashes flashed open simultaneously, drawing just a hairbreadth away to look into each other's eyes. The light in Alena's hues was entirely gone.
The past and the present joining for one final moment in time and space, never to occur again.
"I love you, Elara. There is no one I love more than you. Be brave," Alena finitely declared, a bright smile dragging across her face as the last remaining droplets of water raced down her dull skin.
The Princess tilted her head upwards, the glistening streams coasting past her jaw as she pressed her tired lips against Elara's forehead.
A single heartbeat later, light consumed everything.
Elara wheezed awake, her lungs violently straining as she snapped into reality.
She could barely locate her breath as her body convulsed, her hand falling onto her chest as she hyperventilated for any sip of air. Her heart was throbbing, pulsing against her skin furiously as if she had just sprinted for her life.
Her entire body was vibrating in the aftermath of her soul-bending experience.
Her hands shot upwards to seal her mouth as a cry rippled through her throat, grieving for Princess Alena of the Moon Kingdom.
Elara only knew her past life for a single blip in all of time and space, but it felt like a piece of herself had just died. Alena had been alongside Elara her entire life, fearlessly protecting her soul from the unbearable onslaught of attacks from the Night King. The Moon Princess had waited for eons for Elara to be reborn, using whatever was left of her essence to keep her alive.
She owed her everything.
Alena had healed her in so many ways, even with just an instant of time together. She was eternally grateful for the chasm of their meeting, never to transpire again.
Elara doubled over as the anguish ravaged her bones, the coldness seeping into her and drawing up a wealth of sadness for her former life. She felt unparalleled sorrow at Alena's passing, and she still didn't know why Alena had lived such a tormented existence.
It was momentous that she could say goodbye.
Elara hiccuped, allowing the back of her wrist to tap away the wetness that leaked. She gradually straightened her body to sit back on her knees, observing where exactly she had landed.
The sky was bright, open, and inviting. Clouds rolled overhead in the current, and birds fluttered through the air in a myriad of arrangements. The breeze hissed against her tear-stained face, hitting the wet streaks colder than the rest of her body. Her brown hair rustled around her shoulders, flowing wildly as single strands raised into the air to dance in the wind.
Her gaze fell to her hands, noticing that the light that whispered under her skin was gone, returning to her usual coloring.
Elara's sight then flickered to the ground she was on. By her knees were thousands of grains of shimmering golden sand. Her hand reached forward to clutch a soft mound of pieces, cupping their weight before they sifted through her fingers and glittered on their descent to rejoin the ground.
As the grains of sand fell, a crest of water reached forward and absorbed the specks before retreating backward, smoothing the sand over.
Her neck lifted upwards again to see an endless deep ocean lapping against the shore she was sitting upon. She heard the distinct sounds of the tides breaking against the coast, the white ridges of the waves rippling upwards before fleeing back into the expanse of the ocean.
It was clear that she was not at home in her London apartment. She was on a beach. Elara peered around her, letting the last bit of tears dry on her cheeks as she pushed herself to stand.
She remembered this place distinctly from the worst day of her life. She could never forget this beach.
Elara was in The Dreaming.
Wanted to give you guys this chapter a bit earlier with the US holiday this week :) Next update will be the first Monday of December!
Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!
