You, Me, and the World Between Us (Dragon Quest)

X - Sweet Dreams

As the pink and orange tones in the sky faded to blues and blacks, the evening became night. All was still in the little town of Hamlet, save for the four inhabitants of Eliza's home. Dinner had been expertly prepared and feasted upon; though a simple meal, the pink-haired woman had made it with the utmost love and care. Maxim and Inessa's parents weren't particularly skilled chefs, so a home cooked meal proved to be a wonderful change. Chatter after the meal soon grew sluggish, and more yawns than words were being exchanged. Eliza cleared off the table and showed her visitors to the guest room. "I've only one bed in here, so the pair of you will just have to share for the night, I suppose. But I bet sharing is nothing new to you, seeing as you're siblings and all. You've probably dealt with it all your lives!" she chuckled.

"We can make do with what we have. If all else fails, Maxim can sleep on the floor," Inessa jested with a laugh, earning a jab in the ribs from her brother. She reached out, clasping both of Eliza's hands between hers. "Once again, thank you so much for offering us a meal, as well as a place to rest our weary heads. We're so grateful you gave us a helping hand, Eliza," the Tsarevna spoke, shaking the pink-haired woman's hand energetically. The woman smiled and nodded, bidding them goodnight and closing the guest room door as she left. Inessa then spun on her heel, turning to face Maxim and Thorn. "Alright," she glanced between the pair of them, "we are all aware of what happened the last time the pair of you were in close proximity with one another, which eliminates the option of you sleeping in the bed," she said, pointing a finger at the minidemon.

"No need to bother with that, I wasn't even thinking about it," Thorn spoke with a yawn, stretching his stubby arms. The green imp tapped his foot impatiently, glaring down at the floor. "And I don't think Miss Eliza would appreciate me sleeping in her bathtub, or even her sink, so I guess that's ruled out, too," the minidemon paused, beady eyes glancing hurriedly around the room. He gasped, suddenly sprinting past Maxim and Inessa towards the dresser behind them. Grasping the handle of the bottom drawer, he wiggled the first compartment open. Thorn jumped inside, landing on the pile of extra sheets at the bottom. He poked his head up, grinning at the Zamoksvan siblings. "Look! It's a perfect fit for me! Awful comfortable, too. It's a shame you guys aren't small enough to fit in one of these," he smirked as he laid down.

Inessa laughed at the minidemon, bending down and ruffling the top of his head. "It's as if it were made for you! Certainly an improvement from last night's bathtub in Endor," she remarked, standing upright and looking to her brother, who shook his head disapprovingly at the minidemon. The Tsarevna cleared her throat, bringing his gaze up to her instead. "We should go to sleep soon, tomorrow is a big day. We will want to set off early in the morning if we would like to make it to Casabranca like we wanted to today. Now, if you do not mind, I want the left side of the bed," Inessa said with a smirk. Without another word, the two began dressing for bed. As they crawled under the sheets, the eldest blew out the candle on the nightstand, plunging the room into darkness. "Goodnight, Maxim," his sister said softly.

"Goodnight, Inessa. Sweet dreams," he spoke out into the night. At first, sleep did not wash over Maxim as it usually did. Although he was tired and his eyelids felt as heavy as lead, his brain refused to let him rest. Shifting around, he faced the wall. In retaliation, his younger sister grunted, tugging the blankets closer to her. The Tsarevich groaned, pulling the blankets back his way to cover his body. While he waited for the night to overtake him, he attempted to isolate things and focus on them; the soft breeze that blew through the curtains, the moonbeams shining through the open window, and Inessa's soft, rhythmic breathing as she slept. Soon, Maxim found himself following a pattern, not unlike his sister's. He closed his eyes, curling his legs towards his torso. The night soon captured him, and he fell into a deep slumber.

Something was wrong; every cell in Maxim's body told him that. The sky above him loomed with an aura of darkness, but it wasn't nighttime, not even close. Nearby sat a lake, but rather than glistening blue in the sun, red waters rippled against the land. The Tsarevich took a few cautious steps towards the body of water, reaching towards it. Immediately he retracted his hand with a yelp. The liquid felt nothing like water, and it clung to his fingertips, staining them red. "Blood," Maxim whispered to himself, his bottom lip quivering. He bent down, wiping his hand through the blades of grass, hoping to remove all traces from his body.