The crimson seeped through my eyelids, staining the world a horrifying, bloody red. I gasped, jolting awake, drenched in sweat, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. The nightmare, the chilling vision of Ethan standing over Elara's lifeless body, Joshua beside him, his eyes burning with a cold, murderous fire… it was all too vivid, too real.

I scrambled out of bed, the nightmare's icy grip still clinging to me. My gaze fell on the heavy oak door of Ethan and Elara's chamber. They were safe, Elara was alive. The vision was just a tormenting echo of the threat that loomed over us, the constant, gnawing fear that someone would try to take Elara from us.

I had to see them, ensure their safety. My legs moved of their own accord, carrying me down the corridor and towards their room. I couldn't shake the feeling of dread. I'd sworn to protect them both, to be the shield against any harm, and the nightmare had painted a picture of utter failure.

Reaching their door, I pushed it open a crack, my eyes scanning the room. Elara, pale but alive, lay sleeping beside Ethan, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. He was awake, his piercing blue eyes fixed on me, a hint of amusement in their depths.

'Nightmare?' he asked, his voice a low rumble. It was a question, but it held a knowing edge.

I nodded, unable to speak the words. The nightmare had left me breathless, shaken to my core.

'It was just a dream, Alex,' he said, his voice softening slightly. 'Elara is safe. We have many guards.'

His words were meant to reassure me, but they did little to ease the unease that twisted in my gut. I still remembered the chilling fear that had gripped me in the dream, the helplessness I had felt watching Ethan descend into a ruthless, vengeful monster.

'I will increase the guards,' I said, my voice resolute. 'Elara's safety is paramount.'

Ethan chuckled, a low sound laced with an unsettling amusement. 'You're a good man, Alex. Loyal. But you can't protect her from everything.'

A chill ran down my spine. His words were a veiled warning, a reminder that there were forces beyond our control, forces that could take everything from us in an instant.

I looked at Elara, her face serene in sleep, her beauty captivating even in repose. The nightmare had shaken me, but it had also hardened me. I knew that danger lurked, always lurking, and I would be vigilant, ready to face any threat, no matter how dire. Elara was our beacon of light, a symbol of hope amidst the darkness, and I would not let anyone extinguish that light.

'I will do everything in my power to protect her, Ethan,' I said, my voice firm. 'I swear it.'

He nodded, his eyes holding a flicker of something I couldn't quite decipher. Was it gratitude? Or a cold, calculating acceptance of the inevitable? I couldn't tell, but one thing was certain: the nightmare was a warning, a chilling glimpse of the darkness that could consume us all. And I would fight tooth and nail to keep that darkness at bay.