Dream looked away, her gaze drifting into the empty void for a few long seconds before she finally nodded.
Ava's breath hitched. "Really?"
"Yes," Dream said softly. "Ron and I are from eight hundred years ago."
Ava nodded slowly, a million questions racing through her mind, but she chose to keep them to herself.
Noticing her restraint, Dream offered a faint smile. "Ron lived in a place called the Land of Bermuda. That's where I met him."
"My father used to travel constantly for his research," Dream continued, her eyes growing distant. "One day, he told me he wanted to visit the Land of Bermuda—a piece of land existing directly above the Bermuda Triangle. I'd only ever heard myths about the Triangle, so it instantly made me curious."
"Dr. Thomas," Ava murmured.
Dream nodded. "Yes. He is my father." She paused, a nostalgic warmth softening her features. "And that is where I found Ron."
"What was the Land of Bermuda like?" Ava asked.
"It was a truly incredible place, divided into several distinct regions, though I never learned all their names. The culture and traditions there were entirely separate from the rest of the world."
Dream giggled, a sudden spark of amusement breaking through her nostalgia. "The female population far outnumbered the men. Because of that, it was customary for men to marry multiple wives."
Ava managed a small, wry smile. "Sounds like heaven for men."
Dream laughed softly. "Well, it was a tradition that dated back centuries. The story goes that there were once three sisters who lost their family and were left destitute on the streets. The king at the time decreed that to protect them and others like them, a man could marry as many women as he could provide for, so long as he treated them all with equal respect. The king married the first sister, and his closest companions married the other two. It simply became the way of life from that day forward."
"He sounds like a genuinely kind king," Ava noted.
"Good people do exist, even in the past," Dream agreed.
A heavy silence settled between them. Ava looked down at her hands, swallowing hard before she found the courage to speak. "Dream... if you want, I can ask Ron for a divorce."
Dream turned her gaze toward her, her expression calm. "There's no need for that."
"Why?"
"Because you love him, don't you?"
Ava gave a quiet, honest nod.
Dream's smile returned, warm and genuine. "Then that's all that matters."
"Dream, you are as beautiful as you are kind," Ava said, feeling a wave of profound respect for the woman before her. "Ron is incredibly lucky to have you."
"I am the lucky one," Dream replied.
As Ava looked deeper into Dream's eyes, however, she caught a glimpse of a familiar, haunting darkness—the exact same shadow she had occasionally seen lurking in Ron's gaze.
"Dream, if something is bothering you, you can tell me," Ava urged softly. "I don't know if I can fix it, but I can listen. We're friends now."
"The truth is," Dream whispered, "all I've ever wanted is a peaceful life, somewhere far away from the rest of the world with Ron. And now that you're here, it means all of us together, far away from all this chaos."
Ava nodded, a sense of finality settling over the conversation. She stood up, and Dream followed her movement. Standing face-to-face, Ava extended her hand with a genuine smile.
"I'm really glad we talked. Thank you for your blessing... my husband's first wife, and my Senior."
Dream smiled beautifully, but instead of shaking Ava's hand, she stepped forward and pulled her into a warm, unexpected hug. Ava stiffened in surprise before melting into the embrace.
"You are entirely welcome," Dream whispered in her ear. "My husband's second wife, and my Junior."
When they pulled back, both women were smiling from the bottom of their hearts.
"Ava," Dream said, her tone turning serious. "You can tap into my power to an extent, but you must not overexert yourself. Only use what your body can handle."
Ava blinked, caught off guard. "How do I even use it?"
"Through your conviction to protect," Dream explained. "Remember the sensation of that strange power flowing through you, and bind it to your will to safeguard what you care about."
Ava nodded, a look of realization dawning on her. "Thank you for telling me. It makes sense now..."
Dream narrowed her eyes slightly. "Is everything alright?"
"Just before I lost consciousness, I met someone who told me something very similar," Ava revealed.
"What did they say?"
"He said that I carried the guilt of Ron's death, but that my conviction to protect what's left would guide me to something greater."
Dream's expression sharpened. "Who could that have been?"
"I don't know. He was sitting right in front of Ron's grave when I met him, muttering that he was too late." Ava frowned, trying to piece it together. "He also knew your name."
Dream stared at her, completely bewildered. "I don't recall anyone like that."
"When he asked what my relationship to Ron was, I told him I was his wife," Ava continued. "He instantly mistook me for you, Dream."
"I have absolutely no idea who that could be," Dream said, her brow furrowed in deep thought.
Before they could discuss it further, the world around them began to violently shake. The pristine landscape fractured and trembled.
"What's happening?" Ava cried out, losing her balance.
"It looks like you're about to wake up," Dream said, her voice remaining calm as the scenery began to dissolve into white light. "Goodbye, my Junior."
The next second, Ava's eyes snapped open.
The sterile scent of antiseptic hit her nose, and the steady beep of a heart monitor filled the air. She was back in the hospital. A soft, lingering smile touched her lips as she remembered her conversation.
Dream, you really are the best woman, Ava thought to herself.
But then, the memory of the mysterious man at the graveyard flashed across her mind, and her smile instantly vanished.