I slept… I slept tangled up in his blankets his scent and I dreamt.

It felt so real.


The landscape was desolate sands as far as I could see, all various shades of red. The wind felt cold against my skin and I shivered. This place felt familiar yet I swear I had never been here before. My ears perked at the sound of fighting. Normally I’d turn tail and walk away from the sound of obvious danger - but something drove me forward.

Toward that sound. I saw figures, blurred and shadowed, as though they weren’t actually there. That they were nothing more than flickers upon the sand.

A tall figure stopped, and began to run toward me. Oh… Oh no that wasn’t good was it? The humanoid figure moved at speeds I couldn’t fathom. I took a few steps back, only to stop.

“N-Nevin?”

His visage was still warbled but it looked like him, an older more torn version of him. A large, fresh scar ran down the middle of his face, nearly splitting it and it looked like it was throbbing painfully. His eyes were practically a glowing crimson and his hair tangled. A long tangled mess that made me want to - oh- I already was. I felt my fingers trawl through his tangled locks. “What happen? Where is?”

He wrapped an arm tightly around my waist. The other pressed against my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “Listen to me….Eteri...I need you here.”

“Not understand. Am here now.”

He shook his head and gripped my cheek. “Eteri I need you to come here. To the Crimson Plains - if you don’t I will die.” There was - fear there, a desperation that made my heart ache. My chest burned, why did this feel so sad?

“D-die?”

He pressed himself against me in a warm embrace. “Don’t let me go alone.” His voice was softly pleading, scared, and he sounded so alone right then.

I was confused. Still, I reached up to return the embrace. As my arms tightened around him he… he exploded and I was dripping in blood. “N-Nevin? NEVIN!?”



I awoke with a start, body covered in sweat. My erratic cries still screaming for him. “Nevin? NEVIN? NEVIN!?” Hot tears streamed down my face as I desperately called for him.

There was the sound of feet - and of wood splintering. I felt threads reach me first, rushing around me, lifting me up and cradling me, then a moment later strong arms curled around me, and fingers ran through my hair, stroking my head. “Honey, honey - Eteri, I'm here.” <”Eteri, I am here love. I'm here.”> The words were repeated over and over again in my ears, switching between Common and Akashiman every few repetitions.

I mumbled as I rubbed my face into his neck. “Dream you ...I a...ah...dream you… go.and….and explode...blood….” I sobbed, barely able to get the words out. “You exploded in blood. Because Eteri need go to Crimson Plains.”

I felt him tense and go to pull away but I held fast. “No! NO go!” I screamed at him. “Eteri.. Eteri will come with! Ok! OK?”

“Eteri- Eteri, love. I - OK. OK, we will figure out a way for you to come. I don't - I don't know how, but we will figure it out. I promise, I won't go there alone.” He stopped trying to pull away, and pressed himself around me tighter.

“I saw you….” I said after a few minutes of regaining my composure. “Y-you were fighting and you were losing….” Even with him so close against me my chest ached

“It felt so real…” I was shaking….I was still shaking but at least my words were coming out right now. His fingers ran through my hair...and his arms were wrapped tight around me. Even his tendrils wrapped themselves around my waist and legs. It was almost like I was cocooned.. No… no I was cocooned in everything that was him.

I shifted my head to kiss his cheek, again and again. I was afraid I’d never be able to experience his warmth again and everytime I closed my eyes… all I could see was myself covered in red. The dripping red of his blood. He turned his head, catching my lips with his when I went to kiss his cheek again, and I clung to that kiss desperately. He was still here, still alive and well. But try as I might, the look of desperation on his older face just before he exploded wouldn't leave me.

“I'm here, lover. I'm right here.” He kept repeating it, rocking me against his chest no, his hands rubbing in small circles along my back. “I'm here. And you're making me stronger. I bet that dream me was alone - but I'm not. I have you. You made me face my fear and accept the church, and accept my fear of losing you. I - I will be stronger. Because I have to be stronger, for you. OK? I will not leave you, Eteri. Ever.”

“You looked lo-lo-lonely…” I sobbed. He reached up and wiped away the tears that continued to stream down my face, then pressed me against his chest, where I soaked his shirt with more tears.

“I haven't been lonely for a long time, honey. Not since I met you - not since I rescued you.” He had hesitated, then corrected himself. My heart stung - he had been lonely when Stefan took me. I remembered how broken he had looked then when I walked away. “But I have you. I'm not lonely with you with me.” His hug was almost painful.

“That...that not me Nevin. You know right? Right? Eteri not walk away from you?” He nodded and opened his mouth to say something but I pressed my lips hard against him, silencing any further words.