A Dream

Chapter 6: The Garden's Farewell

The days that followed were a tapestry woven with threads of laughter, shared secrets whispered under the canopy of ancient trees, and stolen kisses under the watchful gaze of the moon. Aster and Luna built a life within the garden, a world where time seemed to stand still, where every moment was a precious gift.

They learned to read each other's thoughts, their souls intertwined like the roots of the ancient trees that surrounded them. They knew when the other was feeling sad, when they needed a hug, when a shared silence spoke volumes. They had found solace in each other, a refuge from the storms of the world, a love that bloomed in the heart of a dream.

One morning, as the sun painted the sky in hues of gold and rose, they sat by the pond, their hands clasped together. The water shimmered like a thousand tiny diamonds, reflecting the azure sky above.

"Do you ever think about waking up?" Luna asked, her voice soft.

Aster looked at her, his heart clenching. He had been avoiding that thought, burying it deep within the recesses of his mind. But the question hung in the air, a shadow looming over their idyllic world.

"Sometimes," he admitted, his voice barely a whisper. "But then I look at you, and I don't want to."

Luna smiled, a bittersweet smile that mirrored his own. "Me neither," she said. "But I can't help but wonder what's waiting for us on the other side."

They sat in silence for a while, the only sound the gentle lapping of the water against the shore. The thought of waking up, of leaving this paradise, filled them with a sense of dread. They had built a life here, a love that felt real, a connection that had become their anchor.

But as the days turned into weeks, a subtle shift began to occur. The air, once filled with the scent of honeysuckle and jasmine, now carried a faint, almost imperceptible, chill. The colors of the garden, once so vibrant and alive, seemed to have lost their luster. The birdsong, once a symphony of joy, now sounded muted, distant.

One evening, as they sat by their hut, the stars twinkling above them, Luna felt a strange sensation. It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a world she had almost forgotten.

"Aster," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I... I think I'm starting to wake up."

Aster felt a cold dread creep into his heart. He knew what she meant. He had been feeling the same way. The dream, their paradise, was starting to fade.

"Me too," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "It's like... like the world is coming back into focus."

The garden around them began to blur, the colors fading, the sounds muffled. The trees, once towering giants, now seemed to shrink, their branches twisting and contorting. The stream, once a gentle murmur, now roared in their ears, its waters swirling and churning.

Aster felt a wave of despair wash over him. He had never felt so lost, so alone. He had been living in a dream, a beautiful, perfect dream, and now it was slipping away.

"Luna," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "I don't want to wake up."

Luna's eyes filled with tears. She felt the same way. She had found a love here, a connection that had filled her with a sense of joy and belonging she had never known before. And now it was all slipping away.

They hugged each other tightly, their bodies trembling with a mixture of sadness and fear. They knew what was happening. They were waking up.

The garden around them began to collapse, the trees dissolving into mist, the flowers wilting and fading, the stream disappearing into a swirling vortex. The ground beneath their feet crumbled, the grass turning to dust.

Aster felt a crushing weight in his chest, a sense of loss so profound it threatened to consume him. He had never felt so sad, so empty. He had been living in a dream, a beautiful, perfect dream, and now it was all gone.

Luna cried, her tears falling onto the fading grass. She couldn't bear to let go. She clung to Aster, her arms wrapped around him, her body trembling with grief.

"I don't want to leave," she sobbed, her voice a broken whisper. "I don't want to wake up."

Aster held her close, his heart breaking for her. He felt the same way. He didn't want to wake up either. But he knew there was nothing they could do. The dream was ending.

They hugged each other one last time, their bodies vanishing into the swirling mist, their love a fading echo in the heart of a dream.