ROGUE🖤 (Cole x OC! Lavellan) ✓ [COMPLETED]

Ch. 22 *Dreams*

COLE
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Darkness surrounds me. There is not a single source of light or life anywhere, it's just me and the black hole I seem to be standing it.

Slowly, I walk forward. Afraid, hesitate, until a green figure appears before me, hovering a foot off the ground.
I furrow my brow, approaching it. It doesn't say anything, I can only hear it's low rumbling breathing.

This thing...it feels familiar.

I step so close that there's barely an inch of space between us. Gently, I reach out to touch it. My hand falls right through, but I feel a warmth.
"Are you me?" I ask softly, a little afraid to hear it's reply.

"Not anymore," it whispers, it's voice faraway and pained. "Why, Cole? Why did you let me go?"
It sounds so hurt, so sad that it makes my chest ache.
This was what I was...before I became more human.
Compassion...

"I didn't mean to," I say, "I didn't want anyone to bind me."
Suddenly, it laughs, so loud that it rings my ears. "Do not make that as your excuse!" It snarls, "the real reason why you let me go was because of the Knife Ear!"

Knife Ear? Does it mean Nalia?

In a blink of an eye, I fall. Down, down, down, so fast that I can barely see anything.
Soon, I land on the ground on my stomach, colliding onto stone. The sudden smack sends a bolt of pain running up and down all my bones, making me groan as I lift my head.
I see that I'm now in a dungeon, with only a single little window as a light.

In the corner is a dirty, blond hair boy, lying weakly against the wall after hours of screaming. His hands are red, blood running down his arms as his legs curl underneath him.
His eyes are closed, and his breathing is becoming less and less...
He is skin and bone.
My eyes widen.

"Cole," I whisper, seeing the green spirit hover by his side, holding his hand while the boy begins to die.

My heart beats out of my chest, hard and painful against my ribs. I turn and try to run, but suddenly I trip and fall again, this time landing on lush green land, with trees surrounding the area and grass tickling my face.

Emerald Graves...

I get up, and off towards the side, I see a young female in a brown dress with a sack full of herbs slung over her back.
She bends down, gently picking yellow wild flowers, placing them in the sack before tucking a strand in her ear.
Her black hair falls past her shoulders, her eyes are a dark blue, and her ears are pointed.

It's Nalia.

I start to run towards her, the distance between us too great. Why is she here? What's going to happen?
I'm nearly there, when suddenly the scenery around us shapes into fire, flames surrounding us, biting.

I stop, and Nalia stands up. She's not affected by anything, and she can't see me, she hums and sings words that she can remember, unaware of what's happening.

Someone laughs, a dark sound. "How pathetic," it says, the voice deep and scary.
Corypheus?

Suddenly, he appears, walking past me, towards Nalia.
My heart beat quickens.
He approaches her, standing off to the side as he stares. His eyes look her up and down, taking in all that she is. "You may be less vulnerable to binding, boy. But I know your weakness."

He grabs her by the neck, lifting her off the ground.
I scream.
He looks at me. "You think she loves you?" He asks, "watch how fast she'll let you go once she realizes what you truly are." He squeezes her even more, and I hear a cracking noise. Her body, once struggling, now goes slack. Lifeless, dead.

Corypheus tosses her away like a piece of trash, no use to him anymore.
"You are mine, Cole," he turns towards me. "Binding or not, I will have you. You will experience the new era," he chuckles under his breath, "without the Knife Ear whore to stop you."

He rushes towards me, yelling.
I scream so loud that it wakes me up.

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I sit up in a rush, panicked, eyes looking everywhere all at once.
I'm in Nalia's quarters, in a bed with the blankets thrown from thrashing in my sleep.
There is no danger...no Corypheus.

It sends shudders down my spine as I breathe in and out, fast and heavy.
I look beside me to see Nalia sleeping. Her hair slightly covers her face and she snores softly.

I have to touch her, just to know that she's feel.
I poke her in the shoulder, which makes her grunt as she shifts more towards that side of the bed.
She's alive...she's alright.

I lay back down, wrapping my arms around her, pulling her so close that her back is against my chest. I refuse to let go.

She grunts softly. "Cole?" She says groggily, "are you alright? You're squeezing a bit tight."
I bury my face in her hair. "Nothing is wrong, everything is fine," I whisper, more to myself than her. I don't loosen my grip, I can't. I can still hear his voice in my ears, still feel his presence near. I need to protect her. I can't let him-

She flips around so that we're face to face. Gently, she cups my cheek. "Nightmare?" She asks. I only nod.
She wraps her arms around me in a hugging way. "There's no need to be scared, vhenan," she whispers, "nightmares can't hurt you."
This one tried...I want to say, but I don't. It'll only worry her, and I don't want that.

Her hand feels warm against my skin, giving me a tingling feeling only she can give.
She kisses my forehead, lips lingering there. "Just relax, take a breath, and let your eyes close."

With her arms around me, and her body so close to mine, my pounding heart begins to go back to its regular speed.
Soon, any fear I felt is washed away...and I relax.

I curl into her side, staying there until the sun demands us to wake up for the day.
Corypheus will not take me...I won't allow it.
He won't touch me, Or Nalia.
Even if I have to die trying, I won't let him hurt my Nalia...