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The shadows were reaching out to him. He ran. He continued to run, even when he could hear his heart beat in his hears. Feeling sweat drip down from his temples as he forced his feet to keep moving. There was a laugh behind him, almost taunting him.
“You won’t get far, boy. There’s nowhere you can run.”
He ignored it, desperately trying to reach for the light at the end of the tunnel. It was there, just beyond his reach! If only he could reach it in time—
“There is nowhere you can hide where I cannot find you.”
His scream was quiet as inky darkness wrapped around him, tugging him back and away from the light.
“You belong to me.”
Ventus jerked awake, breath caught in his throat and sweat beginning to drip from his forehead. He held back the cry that wanted to escape from him. Shuddering, he forced himself to sit up, needing to get away. He felt suffocated. He felt like he was going to drown in these blankets that surrounded him. He had to get away. Get away, get away, get away—
“Ventus.”
The voice had him freeze. Fingers wrapped around his wrist, grounding him.
“Ventus.”
The voice was louder this time. Ventus blinked, snapping out of it as golden eyes peered into his. There was a flicker of concern, but the voice grew quiet as he fought to steady his breathing. The hand moved this time, drifting from his wrist in order to cup on his cheek.
“Ventus.”
A firmer tone.
Ventus swallowed, vision finally aligning as Vanitas stared at him with a frown. “…Sorry.”
Vanitas was quiet for a moment. Then he exhaled softly, moving so that he was laying down again and brought Ventus down with him. Ventus didn’t fight. He curled up against his darker half, trying to relax into his touch.
If anyone had told him the two of them would have reached this point, he would have laughed. He and Vanitas had been enemies for so long, it was almost ridiculous to think they would be like this. Finding Vanitas after the war had been both a blessing and a curse. Their new beginning together was…rough. They still fought, even when they tried to understand each other. They said words meant to hurt, but later that progressed to whispered words of reassurances in the dead of night.
Now, it was Vanitas who was there for him when the nightmares threatened to take him. Like now.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Vanitas asked after a moment.
Ventus exhaled softly. “…I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t even know what I dreamed about.”
A beat of silence, then he felt fingers card through his hair. “Alright. Try to go back to sleep. I’ll still be here.”
“Okay…”
Fear clawed at his heart, threatening to take hold of him. This time, he found himself standing in an empty house. Nothing but shadows surrounding him with the only light coming from the open door. Nothing else can be seen. Nothing else can be felt.
“Why…?”
It was a girl’s voice. It sounded weak, breathless even. It tugged at his heart, but he felt like he couldn’t move. His feet were planted in place and all he could do was watch. There was a young girl on the floor with vibrant orange hair, so out of place within this room of shadows. Next to her was the shadow of a Chirithy.
“…Lauriam…”
“Take the book, Ventus,” another voice echoed in his mind. He felt his feet move forward towards the girl and her Chirithy. “Take the book. Once you do, everything in your life will change for the better.”
Despite himself, despite every voice inside of him yelling at him to stop, he bent down and picked up the book. He can feel the stickiness of the blood against his fingers. He can feel the life of the girl fading away—and there was nothing he can do to stop it.
“Ventus!”
Ventus jerked awake, quick to feel hands gripping his shoulders. He looked up, seeing those golden eyes staring at him.
“V-Vanitas…?”
The other boy’s eyes searched him, trying to find something. Then he exhaled as he slowly relaxed his grip on him. “You were tossing and turning in bed again. Another nightmare?”
“Y-Yeah.”
Vanitas tilted his head at that. While he never said anything outright, Ventus knew that he was debating his options. Finally, Vanitas exhaled and pressed their foreheads together.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
A beat of silence. Then Ventus shook his head. “No. Just…”
“I’ll be here with you, Ventus.”
“Thank you…”