Binding Fate: Betrothed to the Otherworldly Duke

Chapter 7: Shared Dreams

I found myself standing on the edge of a vast lake, its waters shimmering under the sunlight. As I looked down, I saw the reflection of my younger self, a child of about eight years old, with wide, curious eyes gazing back at me from beneath the water's surface.

Confusion clouded my mind.

 What is this? Why am I a child again?

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted as a figure darted past me, splashing water onto me. "Hey, watch it!" I heard my younger self exclaim, my voice a blend of annoyance and surprise. The response was a cascade of laughter emanating from the water, emanating from a figure whose face remained frustratingly obscured, bathed in a halo of sunlight reflecting off the lake.

"Come on, you said you wanted to learn how to swim," the figure called out. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized the voice - the same young boy who had invaded my waking thoughts.

That's him! But who is he?

"I do, but I'm scared. And the water is cold," my younger self protested, timid yet intrigued.

"Don't be such a child; come on in!" the boy encouraged with a playful yell.

As a child, I hesitantly waded further into the lake, feeling the chill of the water encroach upon my skin. I felt a profound disconnect - this was my memory, yet it felt like a dream.

Where is this place? Who is this boy?

My view was locked onto the rippling water, now lapping higher against my young form. "You're being too slow," the boy teased, splashing water toward me.

"Stop it! That's not nice," I protested, but my words only fueled his joy, leading to more enthusiastic splashes.

Frustrated and soaked, my younger self turned to leave, yelling, "I don't want you to teach me anymore. You're not being nice." As I returned to the shore, I noticed two adult figures lounging nearby, engrossed in their books.

Are they my parents?

"Don't go, I was just playing around," the boy pleaded from behind.

Ignoring him, I continued towards the shore.

"Come on, Sammy."

Sammy? Who calls me that?

As his hand gripped my arm, a sharp, searing pain shot through my elbow, snapping me awake, my heart pounding, and a myriad of questions swirling in my mind.

I sat up, clutching at my left arm where an inexplicable pain had surged and then faded, leaving behind an unsettling warmth. Confusion clouded my thoughts as I looked around me in the now dark room, the sun now a distant memory in the sky. My stomach rumbled, echoing the house's emptiness, but my mind was preoccupied, replaying the strange memory that had interrupted my slumber.

Why can't I remember going to a lake with my parents? And who was that boy?

The memory was familiar yet alien, a fragment of a past that didn't feel like my own. The sound of the front door creaking open broke my trance, and the soft chatter of Cyril and Adelia soon filled the quiet space. Their silhouettes appeared in the doorway, their eyes sparkling with relief and excitement at seeing me awake.

*

I abruptly rose from my armchair, scattering papers and inkwells in a clatter. My heart pounded in my chest as my mind reeled from the long-forgotten memory.

Why am I remembering this now?

"What is the matter?" I heard Belmont ask.

When had he entered the room? I wondered as my mind tried to make sense of what was happening.