Sweet Dreams

Ravana felt her mother’s words wash over her, her young mind calculating even in the dreamscape. She leaned into Aurelia's spectral warmth, not entirely for comfort, but to analyze the emotions she knew she should feel. This closeness. This bond. Yes. She felt it. But so distant it was painful. Her eyes flickered with curiosity, soft yet unyielding against the ghostly touch. “I understand.” She murmured, her voice devoid of true sorrow but soaked in a hollow longing.

Turning her gaze to Zagan, a slight smirk played on her lips at his revelation. She watched him with detached interest, noting the jealousy and pain that marred his features. With a deliberate slowness, she moved closer, not for comfort, but to maintain solidarity as she peered up at him. “Life isn't fair, Zagan.” She said, her voice cool and matter-of-fact. She knew it well, how easy she could kill a rabbit or bird – imagine how easy it would be to snuff her own life out, or her sibling’s. “The Sultan’s actions are just another lesson in power.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly, a spark of something combative gleaming behind her words. “And he has her skin because he wanted it. You want something, you take it.” She glanced at Xairo, reading the shock and horror in his toxic green eyes with a hint of amusement, her lips curling into a faint, almost predatory smile.

“He did it because he could.” She stated bluntly, her tail flicking for emphasis. “It's the truth. It's not about what we want or what's fair. Mother Absinth has told us as much.” Ravana nuzzled closer to her brothers, her touch more a statement of assertion than affection, her determination sharp.

Her eyes met her mother's, sharp and probing. “We'll always have these dreams.” She echoed, her tone flat and calculating. “Won't we, Mama?” She tilted her head slightly, her gaze unwavering, challenging the dream-mother to affirm the only connection she felt she truly controlled.
ravana