Sera's Pov
The moment I opened my eyes, I knew something was wrong.
The air felt too thick—suffocating in a way the dreamscape never was. The sky above me shimmered with soft sliver and violets. I was warm, wrapped in strong arms, my head pressed to a familiar chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.
Lucian's heart.
He held me like he always did here. Like I was something precious, something he couldn't believe was his. My fingers traced the shape of his hand at my waist. We were lying together on a grass, under the stars. The ones we always watched. The ones we made a game of naming even when we knew every constellation.
It should've felt like home.
And yet… something was off.
Not enough to scream danger, not enough to spark panic—just enough to make my skin crawl.
Lucian laughed beside me. That deep, low chuckle I loved. He turned his face to mine, kissed the tip of my nose. I smiled reflexively.
But his eyes—his eyes weren't right.
