Adeline bolted upright, her heart pounding in her chest. She glanced around the unfamiliar room, confusion clouding her mind. Her breath came in shallow gasps, and her chest heaved as she wiped the sweat from her brow. She trembled, still shaken by the dream.
"Adeline?" A soft voice called from the doorway. Charlotte stepped inside, concern etched on her face. "Are you alright?"
Adeline rubbed her eyes, trying to steady her racing heart. "I… I had a dream."
Charlotte's brow furrowed. "A nightmare?"
"Yeah, but… it wasn't just that," Adeline muttered, her gaze fixed on the window as though it might hold the answers. "I was… tied to a wall. Locked in this pitch-black room."
"Sounds terrifying," Charlotte said, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "Was anyone with you? Who was there?"
Adeline hesitated, the remnants of the dream lingering. "There was a man. He was… calming. He told me I was safe."
Charlotte frowned. "That's strange. Was he someone you knew?"
Adeline chewed on her lip. "I don't know. His face was… blurred. But his voice." She pressed a hand to her forehead. "I swear I've heard it before."
Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Are you thinking it was Elias?"
Adeline's heart skipped, and she stood up, pacing to shake off the unsettling feeling. "I don't know. It's just… something about the way he spoke, the authority in his voice. It reminded me of him."
Charlotte scoffed, a look of disbelief crossing her face. "Seriously? Mr. Elias? You think he's the one who, what, 'saved' you in your dream?"
"Don't say 'saved,'" Adeline snapped, frustration rising. "But I just can't shake the feeling it was him. His voice was so familiar. It's like… like I've known him for longer than I've realized."
Charlotte shook her head dismissively. "You're reading too much into it. It was just a dream, Adeline."
Adeline stopped pacing and faced Charlotte. "Maybe. But it felt too real."
Before Charlotte could respond, a knock at the door interrupted them. Elias's voice came from the hallway. "Adeline?"
Adeline froze, her pulse quickening. She exchanged a glance with Charlotte before looking back at the door as it opened, revealing Elias standing in the doorway.
"Everything alright?" he asked, his gaze flicking between the two women, his voice neutral but tinged with curiosity.
Adeline exhaled slowly, trying to calm her nerves. "Yeah, just… a strange dream."
Elias raised an eyebrow, stepping into the room. "Want to talk about it?"
Adeline shook her head. "It's not worth it."
Elias gave a slight nod. "Alright. I'll let you be. Take care of yourself." He turned to leave but paused, his eyes lingering on Adeline. "Be good to yourself."
The door clicked shut behind him.
Charlotte's glare hardened as she turned to Adeline. "See? That's not a coincidence. You're too focused on him."
"I just—" Adeline stopped herself, rubbing her temples. "I feel like I'm going crazy. It's like he's somehow involved in everything. The dream, the way he keeps me safe. I don't know why, but it feels like there's something there, something I'm not remembering."
Charlotte sighed and stood, moving to stand next to Adeline. "You need to stop overthinking it. It's just a dream. Elias has nothing to do with it."
Adeline didn't respond. The nagging feeling that Charlotte was wrong lingered, refusing to let go. Something about Elias felt deeply connected to it all, but she couldn't put her finger on what.