Entwined Destinies - Morpheus/Sandman Part 1

6/ Wounds Unveiled

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As they made their way toward the palace of the King of Dreams, the ethereal mists swirling around them seemed to echo Selena's growing unease. The palace loomed in the distance, its spires piercing the twilight sky, but her thoughts were preoccupied with something else. A feeling she had felt today after being in the waking world with Morpheus. Something she couldn't help but glimpse.

After a long silence, she glanced at Morpheus, her voice soft but laced with curiosity. "Why do I feel you have... contempt for mortals?"

Morpheus, his expression inscrutable, replied in a tone that was both firm and distant. "I do not."

"Okay, but why do I feel you do?" Selena's brow furrowed as she pressed on.

"It is not contempt that you sense, but rather your own fears and doubts projected onto me." Morpheus responded, his tone remaining calm.

"Or perhaps I'm right. It's weird for the King of Dreams to dislike humankind, isn't it?" Selena retorted, her voice unwavering, unwilling to let the topic drop.

Morpheus's patience thinned, his tone growing sharper with each word. "I do not harbor hatred."

"Something happened?" Selena asked, her curiosity piqued.

Dream's gaze darkened, the mists around them thickening as if mirroring his mood. His voice, though still controlled, carried a sharp edge. "This conversation is over." With a sweep of his cloak, he vanished into the mist, leaving Matthew and her standing alone on the misty path.

Selena looked at Matthew, feeling a mix of frustration and confusion. "Did I say something wrong?"

Matthew shook his head. "You definitely struck a nerve. Dream has a long, complicated history with humans, and recent events have made it even more sensitive. It's best not to push him too hard right now."

"What happened?" she asked, her curiosity deepening despite herself.

Matthew hesitated, clearly weighing his words carefully. "He was captured by humans. For a hundred years. Not so long ago."

Selena's eyes widened in shock. "A hundred years? How did that happen?"

Matthew sighed, knowing he had to explain. "It was during a ritual. They wanted to capture Death but ended up trapping Morpheus instead. He was imprisoned for a century, unable to return to the Dreaming. Humans kept him in a glass cage, stripped of his tools and power."

Selena absorbed this information, her heart heavy with empathy. "That's... horrible. No wonder he's so guarded."

"Yeah," Matthew agreed, his voice tinged with sadness. "It's a wound that's still healing. So, just give him some time."

Selena nodded, her respect for Morpheus deepening. Memories of her own past, moments where she felt powerless and trapped, surfaced in her mind. She understood that kind of pain, and it made her want to help him even more. "I understand. Thanks for telling me, Matthew."

The raven flapped his wings and perched on a nearby tree. "Let's head to the palace. He'll meet us there when he's ready."

Selena nodded and continued walking, Matthew flying close by. The ethereal landscape of the Dreaming seemed to shift and change with each step, the mists thickening and thinning as if reacting to her inner turmoil. The path before them twisted and turned unpredictably, much like the thoughts racing through her mind. She couldn't help but feel there was more to Morpheus's story, something that might be crucial. She wanted to help him, to be there for him in a way that no one else had been.