Tani lay awake in bed that morning staring at the ceiling.
She'd felt kind of uneasy about sleeping last night , thanks to that awful dream she'd had.
But when she did sleep she was surprised her nightmare shifted to something quiet, just a regular cheerful moment they once shared. Nothing wild, no tragedy, nor anything shady going on.
Lying on her bed, she remembered when it all began - years back, the day she turned eighteen. That first night, she'd dreamt of the strange guy staring like she was meant to be part of his life.
That night felt different, almost as if a doorway had slipped open, a quiet passage between what was real and what was waiting beyond,which she called the veil.
Every night since then, she had walked through that door, assured he was always there, warm, familiar and waiting. He gave her everything her waking world was missing, color,laughter and love.
In the Veil, he was hers completely even though he was the kind of man that wouldn't have probably noticed her in the waking world.
Now, six years later, the dreams were becoming more vivid and real. She was presently twenty-four, a week away from her twenty-fifth birthday and lately she could almost smell his perfume even after waking.
She now occasionally perceived the clean, rich scent of rain on dry ground even when there was no sign of rain on a parched earth. Last week a hickey he gave her, followed her into daylight.
She told herself she was just tired, overworked and that it was all in her head,but deep down, she knew the truth, whatever connected them was becoming more potent.
With a sigh, she threw off her sheets and decided to start her day.
The mirror caught her reflection, as she made her way to the bathroom. The same tired face. Same dull eyes. The woman looking back felt like a stranger, nothing like the version of herself who laughed freely in her dreams.
Maybe it was time to find out why these dreams kept coming to her and wouldn't stop. But where could she even begin?
She shoved aside the thought like she'd done a thousand times and forced herself to focus on something else, work.
The bakery smelled of butter and sugar, as she made magic.
The clock kept moving quick - by lunchtime, no sales at all, though the sunshine practically begged folks to treat themselves.
Tani figured it was time to pause as she scrubbed flour from her apron, her phone lit up. A strange number flashed on screen, yet she picked up regardless.
"Hello?" she answered, cautious.
"Miss Zhani?" a woman said, polite but brisk. "This is Saint Arden Hospital. You're listed as next of kin for one Ms. Rhea Zhani. She was admitted last night after a minor accident."
Tani froze. "I'm sorry, who?"
"Rhea Zhani," the woman repeated. "She gave your name as her only family."
Family. The word hit hard.
"There must be a mistake," Tani said quickly. "I don't have a sister."
"Well, she has your name and other personal details on her file" the woman said. "You might want to come in."
The line clicked dead before Tani could protest.
Despite her doubts, Tani found herself heading to Saint Arden, the hospital that stood right between the two sectors in Vareth.
Curiosity pressed her forward faster than fear. She had lived her whole life alone, what were the odds someone shared her blood?
In no time she was in front of Room 419.
Tani hesitated only once before she pushed the door open.
A woman sat up in bed, with a little bandage on her arm. She looked fragile but alert. Somehow she was kind of familiar in a way she couldn't explain.
"Tani?" the woman asked softly, smiling. "You came."
Tani blinked, unsure what to say. "Do I… know you?"
The woman's smile didn't waver. "I'm Rhea. Your sister."
Tani's throat went dry. "That's not possible."
"It is," Rhea said. "We grew up in the same orphanage, Sweet Angels, down in Bront Hill.
They split us up when we were four. You were adopted, but I wasn't. Look."
She reached for the bedside table and handed Tani a worn photograph, two little girls on a swing, identical smiles.
Tani's hands trembled. The girl beside her could have been her twin.
"I found it last year," Rhea continued. "I've been trying to find you. When I got into the accident, they asked who to call. I said your name."
Tani stared at the picture again. "Sweet Angels was in my papers," she whispered. "But I thought it burned down years ago."
"It did," Rhea said softly. "After we left."
It sounded impossible, but the photo felt real. The woman looked like her. Smiled like her.
Tani sat down and offered out of duty. "You can come stay with me," she said after a moment. "Until you're better."
Rhea's smile widened, eyes glinting strangely before she looked down again. "I'd like that. Thank you."
Soon after Rhea was discharged and free to go, as her injuries were basically scratches.
Tani took her home and after settling her proceeded to round up her work at the bakery.
When she returned home, Rhea was already awake.
"You live here alone?" Rhea asked.
Tani nodded, setting down two mugs of tea. "Just me."
Rhea smiled. "Not anymore." Then she added, almost shyly, "Unless you mind."
Tani shook her head, smiling for real this time. "Of course not. Mi casa, su casa. My house is your house."
"Families oughta stay close," Rhea muttered, stretching her arms toward her.
Tani held on tight, a cozy feeling rising in her ribs. She hadn't been this near someone in ages.
They chatted deep into the hours just to reconnect - rambling through random topics or no topic at all until Tani slowly dozed off.
Rhea however wasn't sleeping, instead she watched Tani sleep intently, as if she was trying to decipher whether she had begun her dream.
She then whispered almost inaudibly
"Sleep dear, we've waited long enough."
She turned off the bedside lamp. In the dark her silhouette shifted to something older and colder, nothing of the warm Rhea.
Then it was gone, as soon as the clock struck five.