A Dream Within a Dream

Mariah blinked back tears, her silver eyes locked onto his. His soothing reassurances echoed in her mind, a balm to the guilt that had wrapped its cold tendrils around her heart. She swallowed hard, her throat dry and hoarse. "I... I hurt you, Caedes," she said, her voice barely a whisper, as if the silent confession would lessen the gravity of her actions.

Mariah felt the warmth of his heart beneath her paw, and the rhythmic beat seemed to mirror in her own chest. She blinked, silver eyes softening as they met his, the spark of fear slowly fading away as she absorbed the significance of his words. His words were not just mere sounds but promises breathed into existence, solidifying in the silence of their shared bond. Drawing in a shaky breath, she nodded, the corners of her mouth hinting at a subtle, relieved grin that flickered and faded under the weight of her lingering fears.

Her heart ached at his words, her breath hitching in her chest. "I do," she whispered, her voice barely a rustle in the quiet night. "I trust you, Caedes." She repeated the words, turning them over in her mouth like a prayer she clung onto for dear life. Her gaze never wavered, her words echoing in the stillness of the night, a proclamation of her trust and faith in him. Mariah leaned into his touch, her body melting against his strong frame. The shadows of her fears seemed to recede under the warmth radiating from his body.

She didn’t know quite how to tell him - how she could relive the tale of Moros in her nightmares without allowing the terror to consume her again. The dark void, the helplessness. The feeling of being violated in a space where she was meant to seek refuge. The beastly figure of Moros haunting her, reveling in her fear. How could she make Caedes understand this particular depth of torment it left her in. A shudder ran through her slender frame as she broached the edge of her nightmare, the threadbare veil between imagined horror and reality. Her silver eyes clouded with apprehension, the resilient spark within them flickering like a candle against a chilling gust.

"I..." She paused, gathering strength from the steady rhythm of Caedes heartbeat beneath her touch. "In my dreams..." Her voice broke and she swallowed hard, pushing past the lump in her throat. "Moros... this man... I don’t know him …" Fear sparked in her eyes as those haunting images flashed before her. The dark void, the grotesque form of the monster, the feeling of violation. But she pushed on, for Caedes. She owed him this. Owed herself this. "He...he looks like my father, but not. He is … well, also like me, more red. More sinister.” Her voice was a mere whisper in the cool night air, her words painting a grim picture of the nightmares plaguing her sleep. “Almost every night … I dream of him ..his presence, suffocating and oppressive..." Mariah's words trailed off, her breath hitching as she fought to keep the tremors from her voice. "He...he attacks me in the dreams," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. The confession hung heavy in the air between them. The weight of it seemed to pull at the corners of Mariah's mouth, dragging her lips into a tremulous line as her eyes filled with a silent plea for understanding.

"Mariah Mendacium"