Entwined Destinies - Morpheus/Sandman Part 1

21/ The Promise

As Selena immersed herself in the books of her mother and her own forgotten past, Morpheus stood in the shadows of the Dreaming, watching her. His thoughts drifted through the history of their bond, from the moment he had first dreamt of her to the unexpected depth of their connection now.

He had not foreseen this. When she first appeared in his dreams, she was a fleeting enigma, a figure wrapped in shadows. Yet, over time, their lives had intertwined in ways even he, the Lord of Dreams, could not have anticipated. Each encounter strengthened the thread between them, pulling tighter, unbreakable.

He could feel her presence in the Dreaming as if it were an extension of his own essence. She was not just a visitor to his realm—she was becoming part of it, her connection to the Dreaming deepening with each passing day. And with that connection, so too had their love grown—one he had not sought, one he had long believed beyond him after the losses of countless millennia.

But with that love came a growing sense of danger.

His thoughts turned to Desire. His sibling, ever the manipulator, had orchestrated their meeting, weaving unseen threads behind the scenes. Desire had always thrived on disruption, exploiting the weaknesses of others, and now Selena stood at the center of their sibling's schemes.

The revelation of Desire's interference still haunted him. The game had been set long before he had realized it, and now, he and Selena found themselves caught in its snare. Morpheus knew their love, however genuine, made them vulnerable. Desire would not stop until their bond was broken, their union turned against them.

More troubling still was the doubt that lingered: How much of what had happened between them was truly theirs? How much had been twisted by Desire's hand? Morpheus had no answers, only the gnawing uncertainty that their love might have been woven into a larger, darker plot.

Yet, even with the knowledge of manipulation, Morpheus could not abandon Selena. She had become too important—her presence in his life a source of hope he could not deny. He could not step away, even if it meant walking into the heart of Desire's trap.

As he stood there, his gaze fell to the bracelet on her wrist, glowing faintly with an unfamiliar energy. A relic of her mother's past, but also a reminder of the danger that loomed over them. The deeper their bond grew, the more perilous their path became. Despite the storm gathering on the horizon, he could not resist the pull of his love for her—a love that defied the dangers they faced.

One evening, as the Dreaming shimmered under the soft light of twilight, Morpheus made his decision. He found her by the reflecting pools, her gaze lost in the shimmering waters that rippled gently under the eternal twilight sky. She looked peaceful, yet there was something fragile in her stillness, something that mirrored his own uncertainty.

Without a word, he approached her, his footsteps silent, his presence a comforting shadow beside her. Selena looked up at him, her eyes soft and questioning, sensing the gravity of the moment.

Morpheus offered his hand, the gesture as much an invitation as it was a silent promise. She took it, her fingers curling around his, and together they walked through the winding pathways of his realm. He led her to one of the more secluded parts of the palace—the hidden garden untouched by time.

Here, the air was different, heavier with meaning. The garden felt timeless, as though it existed beyond the reaches of both the waking world and the Dreaming. The ancient trees towered above them, their leaves glowing faintly in the twilight, casting long, serene shadows. Flowers bloomed around them, their petals glowing with an ethereal light, untouched by the outside world. It was a sanctuary, a place where words held more weight, where promises could be made without fear of being broken.