Azura tied her shoulder-length black hair in a low ponytail to keep it out of her face as she stared at the other end of the room she was in. It was not defined, just a floor and four walls with a roof on top of it. She couldn't name the colors of the room even if she wanted to and she couldn't care less what the room looked like. The only thing she cared about was what, or rather who was standing on the other side.

Lucas smiled at her. His forehead wrinkled slightly and she could see the creases next to his eyes become deeper the bigger his smile got. Her heart seemed to jump up with joy as he began approaching her. Her breathing became more shallow the closer he got, shivers ran down her body with each step he took. She gulped, swallowing away the lump that had formed in the back of her throat as she smiled back at him.

He was here. He was truly here.

She closed her eyes and let a deep breath she had been holding in escape her lungs the moment she felt herself being pulled into his embrace. Her entire body relaxed with his touch. She melted in his arms while she laid her head against his chest.

She had found him again and he was alive.

His strong hands caressed her back, her arms and he gently cupped her face in his hand, forcing her to look at his calm, serene green eyes. They sparkled with life as they always had.

Home.

Goosebumps formed on her skin where he touched her. His fingers were cold to her skin but they always were. Especially when he touched her like this. Butterflies erupted in her stomach as his lips grazed past hers in the slowest, most tortures way possible. Azura was frozen, she wanted to kiss him, run her hands through his short beard and hair but she could not move, only endure what he was doing.

It was so intimate and she wanted it so bad her whole body reacted to his touch. She felt herself heating up, lusting for him. Her skin was burning up as he caressed her face and slowly moved down.

Invisible ropes were holding her down as she tried fighting the urge to moan. Azura closed her eyes as she tried fighting the restraints which were only in his head. Yet they bound her while all she wanted was to feel him beneath the tips of her fingers.

She gasped as his fingers brushed passed her nipples and his lips made contact with her neck. How she became naked was a mystery to her, but she was and she did not care. His touch made her crave him with every fiber in her body. Gasps turned to soft moans as he pushed her against a wall while his hands touched her most private areas, making her squirm beneath him.

Azura opened her eyes and bit her lip as she stared at Lucas. His dull and flat green eyes stared straight back at her. His smile had become a strange vicious smirk as he kept working her with one hand while the other traveled higher.

Her mind was clouded, things she was seeing did not click in her head. The pressure inside her lower stomach was building but something was starting to constrict her heart at the same time. A nagging feeling that this could not be real.

He never smirked like that and his eyes were never that dull. The way he licked his lips did not fit. It felt so damn good though. Azura tossed her head back as he demanded access to her neck once more. Soft gentle kisses on the soft skin turned harsher and she gasped loudly as his teeth nipped at her skin while his fingers slipped inside her over and over.

She was close... So close.

The ceiling looked strange though. She narrowed her eyes as a couple of cracks caught her attention. It seemed like it was crumbling from the side. Pieces seemed to dislodge themselves and kept floating in the air. It was like a giant puzzle coming undone before her eyes.

Mesmerizing.

And yet she could not care the ceiling was coming apart. It was beautiful and it was spreading. The walls moved, cracked, broke, splintered before her eyes the same as her inner feelings were being torn apart by Lucas.

It felt good. So good.

She started bucking her hips against him, wanting the ultimate release. She closed her eyes so tight she could see stars forming behind her eyelids. All she could see was red with black vines slowly gliding in her vision. When she opened her eyes again, the black vines were still there. They curled around Lucas, through his dark hair, on his cheeks and leaking into his eyes. The white of his eyes contrasted around the tiny black veins that now resided in them. When she turned her head sideways to stare at the ceiling and walls again, the same black tendrils flowed through the cracks.

It was so beautiful. So so beautiful. 

Azura smiled and closed her eyes again as she let the emotions run over her. So close. She was so close. She yearned for release, yearned for him to tip her over the edge. She submitted to him despite that nagging feeling something was off. Maybe it was the fact her scar was not there or the fact Lucas's face was morphing slowly but she did not care. It was him, she was sure of it.

 Finally, he touched her in such a way fireworks exploded. Her knees crumbled beneath her as the orgasm rolled over her like a tidal wave. She wanted to scream in pleasure but found her air supply cut off. Something was holding her up, preventing her from crashing down with her orgasm and it was holding her up by her throat.

Her eyes snapped open as she started trashing against Lucas's firm grip. He was choking her. Everything came crashing down at once. The ceiling burst down around them, the walls collapsed and the once beautiful black vines made her cold and freeze to the bones. His fingertips were so cold she felt her skin freeze beneath his touch. She wanted to scream, free herself but the invisible bounds were still holding her in place. Her own screams only ringed inside her head.

Lucas moved his head her and she felt his now freezing breath on her ear as he whispered. "I know you're coming. I'll be waiting. This is on you. Everything is on you." 

She desperately clawed at his hands. Fear spread throughout her body. She was alone, he had played her, he was gone. The black vines touched her feet and slowly made her way up her legs. Lucas applied more pressure as he started laughing, his voice shifting and changing into that of Marric. Not just his voice changed, his features morphed and change. His teeth sharpened, his mouth widened and his eyes turned dark as the night with a gleam of hell reflecting in them. His fingers grew into claws, piercing her skin and drawing blood. 

 Every bit of strength she had in her body had left her as she had reached her ultimate release and now she could do nothing. Nothing to stop him from strangling her again. Her mind was racing so bad she taught it would explode. Her heart hammered in her chest. If it was because of reaching the orgasm or because of fear she could not tell. Slowly her consciousness slipped away like how the room had dissipated around her.

"I know you're coming, Azura."

The words rang in her head like a giant church bell that would keep ringing next to her ear.

"Azura, Azura, Azura..." Her name echoed in her head.

"Azura. Come to me."

Just when the black was about to cover her completely something yanked her out of Lucas's hold. Something grabbed her, pulled her out and dragged her up. Away from what was now a black ocean. Higher and higher towards a vibrant warm light. It warmed her up, gave her back her strength, made all the pain she did not even know was there, leave. It freed her as it dazzled her even more, the higher they got.

Finally, she broke free as her body was pushed through an invisible shield and into reality.

*

Azura snapped her eyes open as she heard her name being called out again and someone was shaking her shoulder. It took her a moment to know where she was. Her head was resting against the cool window of a car and they were driving. She was sweating profoundly, her heart was racing in her chest but she could not remember why, no matter how hard she tried.

Azura felt sore all over, especially her neck. She moved her head from side to side, trying to loosen it up before she turned to the people sitting next to her. Zahair was driving but he glanced at her a few times while Killian removed his hand from her shoulder as she finally had woken up.

"You had a nightmare. It sounded... bad. Are you feeling alright?" Killian voiced his concerns.

Azura wiped some sweat away with the sleeve of her coat before replying. She could not remember anything and besides the obvious signs she was displaying, she could not recall a damn thing of the supposed nightmare.

"I guess. I just... don't remember any of it which is weird really. I used to be able to remember everything from my nightmares up to the smallest details. They were always so vivid but I haven't had like those any since... well since I came back to life again. You sure it was a nightmare?" She scratched her eyebrow in confusion as she still tried to piece everything together.

"At first no." Killian smiled and winked at her. "Nah, at first you seemed... to enjoy your sleep. A lot. But then it turned around, you were gasping for air, clawing at your throat and muttering the same thing over and over. So we decided to wake you up."

"What was I muttering?" Her mind was still a blank regarding her dream or nightmare. She did get a suspicious feeling what it could have been about when Killian mentioned her clawing her throat.

"Something along the lines of: 'He knows I'm coming.'" He flashed her a troubled smile.

Azura groaned as she heard him say the words. She rubbed the last of the sleep out of her eyes and focused on the road ahead for a while.

They had been on the road for some time now and Zahair had offered to switch seats so she could get some rest. Before she had opened up to them about everything and both Killian and Zahair had taken the news pretty well. In retrospect, Azura realized everybody she had told had taken it pretty well. Some better than others, but in the end, every person she cared about had decided to stick around despite her being something nobody quite understood.

"Guys, it's almost two in the night. I know we could drive all through the night if needed but I suggest we stop for the night and get some actual rest. It's cramped with the three of us in the front and I personally could use an actual bed to sleep instead of drooling against a car window." Azura turned to both men who gave her a simultaneous nod back.

"Sure, sis." Sis. Sister. Killian had just called her his sister. A strange but warm feeling spread through her chest making her smile with some sort of happiness. "I could use an actual bed myself as well."

Killian did not notice her reaction as he pulled out a map and studied it for a place to sleep. Zahair, on the other hand, stared at her with a small smile on his face. He for sure had noticed her reaction and he gave her a wink with the side of his face which he could properly move.

It was still a while to drive to the next town and Azura placed the side of her head against the window again, staring at the night outside. The fact she could not remember anything of the nightmare bothered her more than she would like to admit. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to focus on something else when flashes filled her head. Fleeting images appeared and disappeared so quickly she barely could grasp them. Crumbling walls, black vines, green eyes, a collapsing ceiling and the intense feeling of...

Azura quickly opened her eyes as she felt a soft blush creep on her cheeks. It had felt so real. But it was not nightmare material. Not in a way that would have been so bad Killian would wake her up for. She needed more and she closed her eyes again hoping the flashes would come again.

They did.

She felt herself fall, saw the hatred reflect in his eyes, the smirk that did not suit him and felt his fingers crush her air supply till there was nothing left. She felt herself being pulled in, back to the darkness that seemed to be screaming her name. Azura tried to fight it with all her might. She was awake, she was not sleeping, she should be able to just open her eyes and step out of it but it was holding her and not allowing her to leave.

"Azura?!" A hand on her shoulder broke the spell. She opened her eyes, bewildered.

"Wha-What?" She tried shaking the images out of her head as she turned to Killian and Zahair.

"I asked if you're ok with this motel? Weren't you listening?" Killian shot her a concerned look.

"I uhh..." Azura turned to look outside to see that Zahair had parked next to a dull-looking motel with a big neon sign of which the M was no longer working. "It's fine I guess. Just a bed would be perfect.

She opened her car door and got out, followed by Killian. Zahair took the lead and walked towards the reception which was still open. It definitely was not the best motel, probably often used to rent a room just for a few hours but Azura couldn't care less. She wanted the images to be gone and regretted trying to remember the nightmare. She stayed back as Zahair actually arranged the rooms.

"Y--your key." Zahair handed her a key with a big wooden plank attached to it with the number twelve carved into it. "Up the ss-stairss, to the leffft."

His speech was a little bit more strained than usual. Probably the nerves of having to talk to a stranger Azura assumed.

"Thank you. I'll see you guys tomorrow." She hugged both men and headed towards her room.

The room was just like she had expected. A creaky bed, worn down stained carpet on the floor, a small window with a curtain that looked like it would fall apart anytime. Azura shrugged and let herself fall on the bed with her clothes still on. How was she supposed to close her eyes and fall asleep if that nightmare was still so edged in her mind? What is that darkness came for her again and she would not be able to get out of it alone? 

Azura turned on her back and stared at the ceiling trying to get her mind off everything that had to do with the nightmare. It wasn't working though. Images flashed through her mind, feelings coursed through her body and she felt herself getting more and more conflicted. She had no idea how long she had been staring at the ceiling when her eyes finally gave up the fight and her mind stilled.