Laced dreams

In the quaint coastal town of Cresthaven, where the salty current held up stories of love and mystery, the night held secrets that only a selected few could decipher. As the moon blommed its silvery glimmer upon the coasts, the beautiful and vibrant artist Zara found herself fascinated by the magnetism of her dreams, dreams that was of how she wanted her life to be, about her career, future partner, and everything worth dreaming of. Zara was always known for her wide and catchy graphic imagination, but suddenly, her dreams had begun to take on a life of their own.

In a consisten and disturbing order, night after night, she found herself wandering through ethereal landscapes, tutored by whispers that seemed to echo from another realm. With not expectaion nor clue, Zara was unaware about the progressive thinning line between her dreams and reality.

The dusk of a very busy weekday, Zara attended an occasion at Nike art gallery for the launching of a fresh art piece, because she had an unequivocal love for art.

Her graceful presence was swallowed in a fitted black body-con dress that intentionally hugged her arcs. The high-neck dress was a mesmerizing mixture of refinement and allure, with its dark color spotlighting her skin color. The edgy vibe of the brown leather jacket and a brown leather 5-inch slender stiletto ankle booth summed up a hint of waywardness to her look. A medley of carefully chosen jewelry; delicate silver earrings, a gemstone necklace, and a cuff-style bracelet; each piece created a harmonious balance.

It wasn't just her mesmerizing physique that made her command attention – but her endearingly dorky way of carrying herself. Her bright and doely shaped eyes that sparkled in her heart-shaped face with a perk nose, her cupid bow lip, and freckles smattered on her cheeks, all added to her whimsical charm.

Despite her clumsiness, she radiated inexplicable warmth, dozed with a sunny aura that drew people to her like bees did to honey; a glorious yet glittering mess and she knew it – and that knowledge became an addition to the irresistible charm she had.

After the official commencement of the event, the museum guide shed light on the artist and the meaning of the artwork that was just launched. As this was on, there was an outburst of a loud ring, which came from Zara's right-hand side, and with immediate shock, she turned her face towards where the sound was coming from and realized that it was the person who was standing next to her. The strange man, on the other hand, was calmly collected and didn't even flinch at the noise, immediately turning it off. He did this while still focused on what the guide was saying.

Zara nods frantically and immediately connects back to the guide's message. A few minutes after the short interruption, the little lecture was over, and everyone seemed to be moving dismissively towards the refreshment table, which was decorated with diverse easy snacks and varieties of drinks. Plate clamping with different inaudible noises filled, alongside a slow refreshing background orchestra.

The stranger with a faded smile "Hey"

"Hey," Zara exchanged pleasantries without even looking at the face of whom she was talking to because her face was fixated on her phone.

"do you easily get that distracted." These words dragged the attention of Zara.

"ohh" Zara strained the exclamation, "The guy with the loud ring."

"that's one way to respond to a stranger," he said with an uncertain emotion in his eyes. "you would have missed the most important part of the message had you not connected back," he said, not sure if she acknowledged what he said.

"Well, if I did miss then it'd be on your lousiness. Zara is the name." She said while extending her hand to receivev a handshake. As their palm melted in each others embrace, Zara's gaze tilted upward, locking onto the sexiest chiseled features of the man before her. Her initially firm handshake faltered instantly as she was caught amidst the struggle to comprehend the sheer perfection of the human before her, with a blazing dominant and dark aura. His well-tailored black tuxedo sunk on his perfectly crafted physique with intentional precision, accentuating the remarkable broadness of his shoulders, well sculpted chest, and pretty lean waist. It was as though the fit was intently made to emphasize every ripple of muscle he had beneath the fabric, leaving Zara's imagination to hopelessly wander about the impressive body hidden under the sleek fabric.

The breathlessness his face left her in was unthinkable. Strong, angular lines defined his jawline, cheeks, and nose, as if created by the divine hands of a master sculptor, was breathtakingly beautiful and dangerously intimidating. His ocean eyes sparkled danger and intelligence with a mixture of familiarity, drawing her into utmost awe.

"Deen," he said, feeling his senses reel, his thoughts growing foggy, and his pulse quickening, as he takes in the most exquisite woman he has ever seen. He felt struck with an unsettling realization of the enchanting beauty he was staring at, one who seemed almost too perfect. But all these emotions were bottled in as he was bent on keeping up with his dominant and emotionless aura.

It was well noticeable how lost she was in her thought; jolting back, she gathered the little courage she had and exited the event; She was in so much hurry as though she had seen a ghost and needed to flee instantly. Deen stood blankly, trying to comprehend why she shoved her phone into her bag, looked confused, and exited the event. Deen was still caught in the web of trying to understand why her sudden behavior, not noticing she had already exited the event center. Moments later, reality hit him and he realized she had left without a word. He knew the kind of aura he had but all his life he was used to girls flocking around him and not running away from him.

Zara hurriedly ran down the brightly lit hallway filled with people, her breathing strikingly becoming uneven, and her fingers tightly gripping the strap of her purse as if that was the only thing keeping her grounded and she would be dead instantly if she let go. The chilly air caressed her skin as she stepped outside, but it did little to no impact on the adrenaline-forced heat rising in her chest. She had no comprehension as to why she ran, all she could feel was the unease that erupted in gut, and it erupted in a way she couldn't shake off.

Her mind raced as she replayed the moment their eyes collided. In the depths of her heart, she knew nothing was threatening about him; if anything, it would be his alluring beauty, and he was the kind of man that she always gravitated towards. But even with that, there was an inexplicable weight settled in her chest, a warning whispering bulges in her veins. She wasn't drowning in fear in a conventional sense, it was something deeper, something that had no name nor explanation but was strongly felt in her gut, a feeling bigger than a whale.

Standing outside in the premises of the art gallery, was Zara with her hand pressed against her temple, consumed with a mixture of excitement and frustration creeping in. 'Why?' Why did he make her feel like she was standing on the edge of peril yet felt a sense of familiarity? It wasn't about the way he looked at her but the way she felt when she looked at him. It was as if a longtime buried part of her knew him in a way her conscious mind couldn't fathom.

Walking down the street, her pulse pounded as she passed a streetlamp while inhaling intensely. She needed to make at least a sense of this but couldn't at the same time. Lost in her swirling thoughts, the loud blare of a car honk jolted her to reality. She jostled back just in time to avoid stepping into the road track, where a cab sped by with its headlight glazing hardly against her.

Her heart throbbed so loudly as she inhaled realizing how bewildered she had been. Shaking off the wavering unease, she quickly lauded another cab, keen to get home and away from whatever strange snare Deen appeared to have over her. The driver barely conceded her as she slid into the back seat, the city light glimmering against the windows as they drove through the quiet streets. The farther they went, the pudgier the air around her became. The silence in the cab was strangling, thick with an unnamed cloud. Every flicker of light outside seemed undistorted, shadows extending unnaturally protracted against the pavement. Her mind was still at war, thinking if she had seen something she shouldn't have, something buried deep beneath the surface of her understanding.

As she was in the back of the cab, staring blankly out of the window while sinking in an unsettling thought gnawed at the edge of her mind, she was struck with an introspection, 'Perhaps this meeting had a paranormal meaning.' But Zara had never believed in anything supernatural; ghosts, spirits, and premonition. It was all just fiction to her or stories people told to explain what they didn't understand.

She exhaled dashingly, shaking her head in disapproval to such nonsense thoughts. With no logical explanation for everything, she assumed maybe she was overwhelmed by Deen's dashing looks, or maybe she was just reading too much into things. "He is just a man is just a man, nothing more-nothing less." She said to herself.

Just as she convinced herself of that, an impulsive flash of bright light pierced through the windshield, blinding her sight. Before she could react, there was a deafening slam that ravaged the silence, shuddering the cab with a violent leverage. The vehicle lurched, asits tires screeched against the asphalt, and in an instant, Zara was pulled forward with brutal force, the seat beneath her breakng from its bolts as the wreck sent both it and her hurtling toward the already shattering windshield. Glass exploded around her, slicing through the air and her skin, as she barely had time to scream. Leaving her no time to process what was taking place, her body collided head-on with the massive truck that had just slammed into them, the cold metal pressing against her with leverage so straineously, it stole the breath from her lungs. Pain, abrupt and consuming, tore through her as the world around her melted into a blur of shattered steel, broken glass, and darkness.

The disarray of the accident blurred into sirens, frantic voices, and the crushing weight of unconsciousness. In a split second, paramedics infested the scene, pulling Zara's battered body from the wreckage. Blood pooled beneath her as she was strapped onto a stretcher, her pulse weak, her breathing hardly there. Every second counted.

She was rushed to the hospital emergency unit, where doctors and nurses worked tirelessly to stabilize her. The damage being brutal caused internal bleeding, multiple fractures, and a deep gash across her temple. She was wheeled into surgery as there was no time to hesitate, her life hanging in the balance as the operating room was filled with beeping monitors and the scent of antiseptics.

In the blink of an eye, it was day two; she remained unconscious in the ICU, her body fighting to recover yet no one had come to check up on her or identify her. Calls were made but attaining a close relative or friend proved difficult. The hospital staff eagerly waited for someone to identify her while also putting out a piece of news about her, to ease the locating by her close ones. On the third day, the quiet walls of the hospital were ravaged by the frantic screams of an unknown man.

"Zara... where is she?" His voice rang out with raw anguish, his feet pounding on the floor as he rushed in from the entrance, towards the reception desk. His face was drawn with worry as he demanded to see her.

Meanwhile, in another wing of the hospital, Deen was on a congenial visit. He rarely came by unless it was necessary, but today, he was checking in on an old acquaintance. As he walked through the reception region, the frantic shout caught his attention.

"Zara" the strange man yelled, while the nurse at the reception desk signaled him to reduce his tone to not cause chaos in the hospital.

Deen stopped mid-step, his curiosity instantly piqued. The name was common but for a tingling reason, he seemed to be drawn to find out who this Zara was. He thought to himself, just maybe she could be the one. He knew the hospital well enough because it belonged to his best friend. Acting on instinct, he privately scooped a nurse to a side corridor to ask "Who is this man, and who is looking for?"

"Sir I think it best you ask the chief doctor, he is in the best place to give you such details," the nurse said.

Deen didn't waste any time. With a quick stride, he made his way to the chief doctor's office, his mind racing with questions he couldn't yet put into words. Despite being hopeful, he still maintained the utmost calmness and prepared his mind for either a positive or negative derivative. He pushed the foot open without knocking, walking in as if he owned the place. Daniel, his best friend, and the hospital's chief doctor, looked up from his desk, brows furrowing at the sudden intrusion. "Deen?" setting down a nameless patient file. "What the hell"

"Who is the guy clamoring at the reception?" Deen cut in with a tone laced with calmness yet asserting urgency. "Who is he looking for?"

Daniel sighed rubbing his temple. "Well that is news to me, but if my guess is right, he is looking for a patient we admitted two nights ago. A young woman, with no emergency contact, no ID, and nothing at all to get any information about her. We have been doing our best to obtain an info on her."

Deen's chest tightened. "He kept on yelling Zara, is that her name?"

Daniel seemed to be gathering some thoughts in his head before he responded. "Zara... that looks like what was on the card seen at the scene of the accident, but it was too damaged to be read, and I'm yet to check the forensic results."

Something in Deen's expression strikingly changed even though he tried concealing it, a dark yet radiant expression of sadness exhumed. Daniel leaned back in his chair, studying Den closely. "Why are you this curious?"

Deen hesitated. He wasn't ready to explain, not yet. "Just wondering." He muttered forcing out a nonchalant shrug.

Daniel didn't look convinced enough but he let it go. He stood up grabbed the nameless patient chart from his desk and motioned to leave his office. "I am going to check up on Her, do you wanna come with me, so you can clear the speculation in your head?" Daniel pauses, waiting for a response from Deen. "And you need to stop overthinking things."

Deen agreed, though his mind was an ethereal tangled mess with questions. As they walked down the white sterile hallway, the weight of his curiosity pressed against his chest. He had met Zara once, just once yet he could not fathom why he was this drawn to the entire situation. When they arrived at the ward, Daniel didn't waver. He pushes the door open with one swift gesture, stepping inside while Deen trails behind him drowning in total dread.

For a split second, Deen felt a strange sense of hope, maybe, just maybe he was over reading things and it was a big misunderstanding, that the Zara being spoken of was someone else entirely. But the second his eyes anchored on the bed, that delicate hope smashed into a thousand irreplaceable pieces. His breath caught in his throat as everything around him began to fade away.

There, lying unconscious, hooked up to monitors and tangled in wires, was her. The same girl who had fled from him two nights ago. The same girl who had looked at him like she had seen something she wasn't supposed to. But now she wasn't avoiding him, she was barely even holding on. Wrapped in bandages, her face pale against the stark white sheets. She looked fragile and this created a twisted ruckus in Deen's chest.

Deen stood frozen, with his mind trapped in a haze of disbelief at what his eyes had just seen, and his emotions swirling all over his head on how deep this whole thing was yet he couldn't still understand the whole scenario. Still trying to further harp on it, the sharp, frantic beeping of the monitors shattered the moment, pulling him back to existence like a jolt of electricity.

His vision blurred by the sudden shock wave of seeing her in such a state sharpened, bringing the chaos of the room into focus. Nurses rushed in, their voices urgent as they gathered around Zara, scanning her vitals and trying their best to modify the machines that chimed like an alarm against the wall.

Daniel, the ever-composed doctor, moved swiftly, barking orders as he assessed the situation and gave orders. "Her heart rate's unbalanced, get me another IV bag and increase the oxygen flow."

Deen took a step back, his fists clenching at his sides. His presence here was meaningless, he had no right to feel anything about what was happening, yet the sight of Zara in suffering made his pulse quicken. A transition in motion behind him snagged his attention. He turned slightly, and standing just a few feet away from him was the exact man who had stormed into the hospital before, the one who had been wailing Zara's name.

The man's breathing was heavy, his expression spiked with a mixture of anguish and misery as he observed the medical crew toil frantically to stabilize Zara. His hands trembled at his sides, his body rigorous with slightly incorporated emotions.

For the first time since Deen strode into the hospital, Deen felt something other than inquisitiveness; He felt perturbation, because whoever this fellow was, he wasn't just anyone who knew Zara, He was someone who wanted her alive.

Just as chaos had erupted suddenly, the monitors' beeping became silent. The abrupt and frenetic bluster that ate like a horse in the room had tuned down to a rhythmic humming that signaled stability. The nurses exchanged brief peeks of solace, the movement stalling as they wrapped up monitoring Zara's IV and vitals.

Daniel, still inspecting her stats, let out a calm exhale before delivering a satisfied nod. "She's stable for now." His tone professional yet Deen could sense the underlying exhaustion in his voice.

Deen on the other hand lingered for a brief moment, his intense gaze flickering subconsciously between Zara's unconscious form and the unknown man standing still, now besides him. The air birthed a formidable tension, but Deen interest in breaking it down. He needed to be away by himself, to get a clarity for his mind to avoid creeping thoughts confronting him. Without a word, he turned on his heel and exited the room. Making his way back to Daniel's office, the chilling hospital air slowly grazes his face, his head bussing with question that were unanswered. All these was spiced with an unfamiliar clogging that sat heavily in his chest.

As he pushed the office door open, stepping inside, he quickly exhaled, running his hands on his hair, brushing it back. He fled from the ward because he couldn't contain the aura in the air that stroked a notable curiosity in him, but somehow this curiosity has turned into something else, something he wasn't sure he liked.

Deen sat in Daniels office, his elbow resting impatiently on his knees, with his fingers clasped as his mind eagerly races. No matter how he tried to push the thoughts away, they kept crawling back. Zara's pale skin, the beeping monitors, topped up with the uneasy feeling in his gut.

With a deep exhale, caught in the web of putting the piece together, the door swung open. Daniel walked in, closing the door behind him before sitting on his chair, dropping a folder on his desk and crossing his arm. "You left without a word," He said, giving deen a suspicious eye look. "And what was that about?"

Deen looked up at him refusing to answer the question thrown. He instead leans back in his chair, carefully rubbing his temples before finally speaking. "Who was that guy? The one who was yelling earlier? I noticed he also rushed into Zara's ward, seems like they have some sort of connection."

Daniel raised an eyebrow, as if caught in a dusty web by the question, lets out an almost inaudible sight. "Her fiancé."

Deen froze.

Fiancé?

His mind shook back to the night they met. The way Zara had looked at him, the shocked her eyes conveyed, and how she practically ran away from him. "Was that the reason? Had she felt guilty? Or was she even trying to avoid some kind of problem?" Deen thought to himself. As quickly as his mind intertwined with the thought, he shoved it away. There was no reason for him to think that how she acted when they met had anything to do with her relationship. Besides, why did it matter to him?

Deen shrugged underneath his breath, shaking his head. "Huh. Didn't expect that."

Daniel narrowed his eyes at him. "What interests you in her, Deen?"

Deen simply scoffed, his expression unreadable. "It is nothing too serious, just being curious." Yet even as he said it, he knew there was more to it, and that realization made him unsettled.

The sun had long settled, as it casts the city with an eerily quiet darkness. The hospital corridors, that bustled with activity became a carrier of stillness, with a little occasional murmurs of nurses and distantly sounds of monitor humming. Deen who was so eager to be by Zara's side had already left. Whatever he was drawn to, that made him want to stay had vanished the moment a confirmation of who the strange man was made. There was nothing for him there, that's what he thought to himself.

Meanwhile, in Zara's ward, her fiance who had frantically entered the hospital earlier now sat besides her, his finger carefully caressing her frail hand. His eyes, coated with exhaustion and something very intense, never looked away from her face. She looked so peaceful, as if she wasn't trapped in the grip on unconsciousness and was just resting in her sleep. He shakily exhaled, brushing his thumb over her forehead as if willing to wake her up, to squeeze his hand in return, showing him a sign that she could hear him.

Minutes moved into hours, and eventually, exhaustion took the best of him. With his head dipped forward, resting slightly on the mattress besides her as sleep embraced him in a warm hug.

Buzz!!!

A vibration loud against his thigh, making him jolt from his sleep. In a disoriented manner he blinked against the dim light, radiating from his phone. A wave of tension flooded his body as he saw the caller ID. His heart pounding against his ribs as an unsettling feeling crawled in his gut. With not further hesitation, he silenced the call, his eyes hovering on the screen as if debating whether to answer the call.

He quickly glanced at Zara, and was relieved that she was still unmoving, still lost in her sleep. As if afraid even the slightest sound would disturb her, he held his phone tightly and tucked it away. "Who ever it is, can wait." He said.

Days had gone by, each day mirroring the last, but there was little to no improvement in Zara's condition. She was stuck in the same slumber state, unmoving, silent, and trapped somewhere that felt like the center of life and the unknown oblivion. The doctors closely monitored her, but her prognosis remained the same; unresponsive yet stable. Her fiance already footing the bills for her stay and for ahead, always came in everyday to check on her before working hours and after working hours. It was as though he barely left her side. He made it a routine of always speaking to her softly, hoping that somewhere and somehow, she could hear him and eventually respond. But she never stirred.

MEANWHILE

Deen should have moved on. His life swam in a pool of distractions; business meetings, deadlines, responsibilities, people who demanded his attention. Yet he still found time to wander his thought to Zara. No matter how much work he was buried in, his thoughts intently drifted back to Zara. He was always lost in his thoughts, wondering how she was doing, if her condition had worsened or she had even woken up. Deep down, he knew he was more concerned than he expected himself to be, but he always brushed off the feeling, stating he was just curious. Something about her was mysterious, and he couldn't place his hand to what it was. His thoughts made no sense to him, he barely knew her, yet, something about her paced at the back of his head like an unfinished conversation.

"This is ridiculous and illogical" Deen always said to himself whenever his thoughts flashed to Zara. Turning away from the hospital was the only thing he could do, because he had no reason to be concerned. But every passing hour, birthed the realization that she wasn't just a passing thought.

SOMEWHERE IN ZARA'S DEPTHS OF UNCONSCIOUSNESS.

She was lost in a world that wasn't real but also wasn't a dream. Beneath a dark endless she stood, with its vastness that stretched wide beyond anything she had ever seen. The stars unnaturally bright made her think she had stepped into another dimension entirely. With a strong breeze wrapping her skin, carrying a very strong familiarity; one she couldn't place her hands to.

Still wandering around trying to figure out what the concept of this realm entails, she sights a figure from a distant that appeared to be masculine. He stood in the distance without moving an inch, with a figure alluring the beautiful glow of the moon.

Moving forward she realized out of curiosity, she realized it is Deen. But something was different. His presence felt heavier than how it was when they met. And his body seemed somewhat different and strange. His silhouette wavered as it shifted in its edges, almost as if he was changing into something else, something different from human form; she realized the distance view of the person she was beholding, had a striking resemblance with most of the paintings she had drawn. Zara was surprised, because these painting were imagination-spirited, and out of freewill. Out of curiosity, she began to take more steps forward to get a proper view of Deen, but before she could get to him, the world around her began to shift, the sky vastly fading, and the ground melting like wax. Suddenly she wasn't standing anymore, she was resting.

Warmth caressing her back, steadily and strong, as if she was lying on something that seemed alive. Then another phase of recognition struck her like lightning; she know she had seen this before, not even just seen, she know she had painted this before, but with a woman with her face.

Weeks ago, before her encounter with Deen, as her imagination led her brush, she painted a woman resting on the elusive body of a wolf, looking peaceful and unafraid. Now she wasn't just looking at the painting, she was inside the painting. The wolf beneath her took in a deep breath as if accepting the warmth passed through the embrace she gave. Its powerful form rising and falling with each inhale and exhale. Zara wanted to move, to speak and ask question, to know know what was happening, and to understand why it felt real. But she didn't move, because there was a satisfying peace and calmness she got from that embrace, something she has never felt before. Not wanting to interrupt the moment she sunk her hands deeper in the embrace, somehow she would understand this reality.

The night in an unending quietness, with a distant hum of the city beyond Deen's window. He sat at his desk, with his fingers restlessly tapping on the well polished wood, and his mind clouded with thoughts he reused to acknowledge. His thoughts interrupted by the buzz of his phone, with Daniel's name popping on the screen.

Deen hesitating for a brief second before answering the phone. "Yeah."

After a sigh crackled through the line, Daniel spoke "I know this doesn't concern you or anything, but I just thought I should tell you, cause you know.....Since there hasn't been any progress with Zara and she is likely to remain like a vegetable for the rest of her life, we have contacted her family to discuss possible steps and they have agreed to pull the plugs."

With fury in his eyes, Deen asked. "What do you mean by that?"

After a short pause, Daniel spoke carefully, as if bracing a reaction. "If she doesn't wake up in 10days, her fiance has to sign the document and make the decision."

Following the escape of the last words coming from Daniel's mouth, Deen's stomach twisted. "What kind of decision id that? Why is he making such drastic decision, and have you even spoken to her family?....who the hell is this guy?"

"Don't you think you are overreacting for someone who is just a stranger?" Daniel blurted out. "We are talking about pulling the plug, only her family can decide that, and he is family to her. She is stable yet unresponsive to treatment, she cant be on life support forever, if he gives his consent, then the hospital has no right to contend." Daniel added.

"And I said no, isn't there a way you can do something?" Deen asked.

"There;s nothing we can do, that is fate." Daniel responded.

"No" Deen yelled. "You don't know that, her fate is to wake up. She cant just die on me." Deen said as he ran his hand through his hair, trying to steady his breathe, but his anger burned lie a wild fire beneath his skin. The thought of letting her slip through his fingers, made something dark and primal grow inside him.

"She is going to wake up" Deen said quieter this time around, but with little certainty. He didn't know why it mattered so much, but deep in his heart he knew he didn't want any other outcome than for her to wake up.

For nine long days, Deen lived in the horror of quiet unrest. Waking up everyday, he found himself stuck in the personal conflict, if he should go to see her in the hospital one more time or not. Even after he kept reminding himself, that wasn't his responsibility, yes something always gave him a pull. His thoughts clouded with haunting thoughts of Zara, not filtering the terror in her eyes the day they met and how frailly still she looked on the hospital bed.

Days passing by, with each one tormenting than the last. On the fifth day, while spending time in the library of his personal chambers trying to disconnect his mind from wandering to Zara, he sat on the chair, mute for an hour before concluding to put a call through to Daniel. "Her parents haven't showed up yet?" Deen asked keeping his tone even.

On the other end of the phone, Daniel sounded tired. "Is that a way to say hello to your friend? Anyways no, No family has reached out or come forward except her fiance, and he even has been barely coming in here."

There it was, a long lingering silence between them. "something is definitely not right" Deen said to himself. "Barely any visitor, she has been left there all alone." He added as he ended the call.

And a quiet thought lingers into his mind. "I cant be the only one who cares if she wakes up or not." This thought creating an unsettling feeling in his gut.

The long awaited tenth day had finally come, and Deen couldn't contend the feeling he had. In his private office, book scattered beneath the window, with several documents splattered on the desk, there Deen was pacing from door to window completely ignoring the crying documents that needed to be attended to, consumed in his wavering thoughts. Suddenly he paused as if strucked by a lightening that snapped his brain, He grabbed his keys from the desk and hurriedly left the building.

Meanwhile, Zara's fiance was sat in a private room at the hospital, and right before him on the desk was a clipboard of documents. Holding a pen in his hand with an unreadable expression on his face while looking lost in his thoughts. In a shaky breathe, he began to sign the document.

Moments after this, Deen stepped into the hospital, walking straight to the ward which Zara was in. His heart pounding out loud as he took fast strides. He didn't bother stopping at Daniel's office because that wasn't what brought him to the hospital. He knew exactly where he needed to go to.

Zara's room even though filled with utmost quietness, had soft hums exhumed from the monitors beeping, that sounded like a countdown for Zara's life in Deen's ears. Deen stepped into the ward quietly, not even sure of what to expect, all he thought of was being be her side. He walked to the window with his hands in his pockets, trying to calm the storming rage in his heart while staring out the window as if looking for a direction on what to do.

Zara who was somewhere else entirely had no idea of what was happening around her. Still trapped in her world of trance, she wandered through the realm in search of answers, answers to questions even she couldn't fathom. The sky above exhumed darkness but not black, with swirls of ashy smoke. Spiked with shadows dancing across the ancients ruins that stretched into nothingness as she walked forward. The thick air carried an ancient energy, full of forces that seemed older than time, everything felt primal.

Then she saw Deen again, clearly, but not as she knew him. He stood tall, carrying an ambience of power, but his form was caught in between a man an a beast. His eyes gold portraying an unnatural glow. His features, his posture, his presence, were still his but wilder. He seemed like the Deen she knew but his aura gave a chilling feeling, way more than the one she felt when she first saw Deen. A long black hairy tail swirled behind him, his hands no longer in human form but now clawed, his face still baring familiarity yet with sharper edges still carried his stern look. He looked at her intently, not with fear or malice, but with total protectiveness.

Taking this view in, Zara stumbled backwards as fear overwhelmed her mind, her mind screaming against what she just beheld while she kept on taking more steps backward and away from the creature in her front. "This can't be real, none of this is real." She said out to herself. Just as the weight began to crush her as she creamed in agony, the air shifted as a the dark sky had a wide crack. And suddenly, she was yanked by an invisible force from her dream with a pain that felt like she was been torn.

She jerked as her chest rose sharply, her lungs gasping for air as the machines shrieked, sending her eyes flying open, full of life. The machines beside her creating a sudden blare, created by the shock of the changes in her vitals. Her body once numb, was suddenly full of life again, confused and weak yet alive. With a sudden splurge of headache, and blurry vision, she saw a tall broad-shouldered and still figure standing in front of the window.

"M-M-Micheal?" She croaked with her voice barely audible.

The man hurriedly turned in shock, it wasn't Micheal but Deen. His face froze, unsure of what he expected to see, as he said "Micheal?"

Her eyes wide open, not fluttering or confused but glazed wide open, sharp and alert, filled with glitter but not for someone who had just woke up from a vegetative state.

For a split second he froze, not moving,as relief, disbelief and hope caresses his face. He walked forward towards her cautiously, like a predator slowly approaching a prey, to avoid it being scared and disappear. "Zara" He whispered.

Her brows furrowed slightly. "Deen?" Her voice raw and uncertain as she said.

Without an answer, Deen walked and stopped at the side of her bed, without breaking eye contact. She blinked, as if trying to gain focus in her head and rearrange her memory. Her gaze sweeping his features in, and moments later, a glint of proper recognition, sparkled somewhere deep inside her gaze.