Lucid Nightmares - Fated Flowers Saga

Ch 7: Fated to Fall

The boy saw her true power as she burned away. As her skin peeled away, exposing her true weakness, she appeared calm. Brave.

When the boy charged a final blast to end her life, their eyes met and everything changed.

Her gaze softened and stared straight into his soul. Her eyes were saddened, but hope was clear. She looked at him like nobody else had in years.

She saw him as a person.

Not a villain. Not a monster. Not somebody dangerous or evil. Not as Nefario.

She saw him as Orferio. A boy trying not to be forgotten. A boy trying to survive and save his brother from the Council.

He hesitated to kill her and she managed to escape.

He returned to his base, disoriented. He couldn't think straight for days. He swore she had the power to see into somebody's soul, but the evidence wasn't there. It drove him crazy that somebody, a total stranger, could see through him.

He never wanted that. He didn't want to be reduced to a mere mortal when he worked so hard to become a god.

Even so, he couldn't stay away. He dreamt of her and those honey-brown eyes. The vulnerability in her gaze conflicting with the strength in her heart. She was exposed, dying, and terrified yet she felt like the most powerful being in the universe. Her kind gaze was a weapon that disarmed him and caused his guard to slip.

He went to see her again and again. Hiding in her dreams. Watching her from the shadows. Sometimes he'd catch her eye and feel disarmed all over again.

To his horror, he enjoyed it. He liked how she could make him feel like the weakest man in the world. Only she could do that. It was thrilling. Invigorating. The only person in the universe that could destroy him.

He grew to be obsessed with her. He calculated her every move. He fought every battle she would be at. His generals began to question his leadership, but he paid no mind.

She trained hard and became bolder than before. She learned to control part of her power but there would be accidents. She was powerful. Wild. Dangerous as fire itself. He was the moth drawn to her light. Her flame.

In the final days, she came to him and claimed she betrayed the Flowers, his brother's special army.

He knew it was a trick and saw straight through her lie. Even so, he welcomed her into his ranks and held her in his fortress. He finally was near her. They no longer had to fight against each other. And he enjoyed every second of it.

He loved her company and was around her at all times. He showed off his powers and offered her anything she could have wanted. Her mind fascinated him beyond belief. He couldn't pull himself away from her.

The strangest part is that she enjoyed it too. She lied about her betrayal, but she sympathized with him. She wanted to help him return to the light. Juliette understood his motives and encouraged him to let go of his anger and focus his energy elsewhere.

His generals began to doubt his motives for keeping her there. They claimed it would be safer if they killed her, but he never made the order.

Something changed in his heart.

Love seemed too pure for the emotions he felt. He admired her strength. He treated her nicely and found himself encouraging her to relax. He wanted to give her everything he had.

"What if things were different?"

His mind wandered to the insane possibilities. What if they weren't sworn enemies? What if she was on his side? What if there wasn't a war?