Kaye:
I knew I had to repeat myself, even louder this ti, and explain to my brother the plan that had been brewing in my mind all along.
"I’m going into the Dream Prison," I repeated, noticing how clueless my brother seed.
"Huh?" He tilted his head, slowly standing up and setting the bottle and glasses aside as he walked toward again. I knew he would try to stop , but I was determined to go through with it.
It was my responsibility to keep these cursed roses away from my people, and instead, I had failed miserably.
"I’m doing it," I said more firmly this ti. He shook his head in response, his expression hardening.
"You’ve lost your mind. I won’t allow this. Norman trusted with this duty. He knew the mont he left, you’d try to convince too. So no! I’m not letting it happen," he said sternly, coming closer, standing right in front of as if daring to try and head toward the bed to begin the dream-travel process.
"Maximus! If you respect my decision, you’ll let do this. I need to go in there and bring her out—" I was tired of the back-and-forth. I was an adult capable of making my own choices. The re thought of soone suffering because of was unbearable. How on earth did Norman expect to go on living as if nothing had happened?
"No! Are you serious? You don’t even know how it works," Maximus argued, standing so close as if to block any attempt I might make to lie down. Then his eyes fell on the envelope I was holding, and he realized what he had to stop .
He tried to snatch the envelope from my hand, but I quickly hid it behind my back. I needed to speak to him first.
"I know how to get in there and bring soone out, okay?" The mont I said it, his jaw dropped.
"Then why have you never brought anyone out before?" he asked, genuinely curious. He knew how protective I was of these victims—whether from herbs, cursed plants, or otherwise. It made sense that I’d have jumped in to save them if I could.
"Because they didn’t have their roses with them when they were taken. She does. She has her rose, and I’ll have mine in hand. I just need you to keep an eye on us and make sure no one steals the roses," I said confidently, even though deep down, I wasn’t entirely sure how I’d manage to rescue her. All I had was what I’d read in the old texts.
"First, explain how!" he insisted, ready to seize the envelope if I didn’t start talking.
"By breaking the haze and waking her up inside her dream. I need to do it quickly, or she’ll lose touch with reality and beco part of the dream world forever," I explained, recalling the account of soone who had allegedly escaped the Dream World. I wasn’t sure who this person was, as the book never ntioned a na. It only described the experience of leaving the Dream Prison.
"Please, do you not trust ?" I was starting to worry that if we kept arguing, we might lose Helanie to the Dream Prison forever.
"Norman is going to kill for this," Maximus muttered. "But fine, if you’re that certain, I’ll let you go in. Just know this: if you don’t co out, I swear I’ll jump in and stay there with you forever." He finally relented, as I had expected. Despite our constant bickering, we were close—closer than anyone else.
Our dynamic was unique. With Norman, we always tried to be on our best behavior. He was more like a father than an older brother. Whenever we were in trouble—any kind of trouble—we knew we could count on Norman. We were his top priority.
With Emt, though, things were different. He often made us feel judged. He’d scold us first and then offer help, and even then, he wasn’t as reliable. Once he started drinking, he’d forget about everyone, and we’d have to take care of him.
But Maximus and I? We were a ss together. We were everything Norman and Emt weren’t. Maximus was Dad’s favorite, and even when we got into trouble together, I’d end up taking the bla.
So, the decision was made. I pulled out the rose and walked over to the bed.
"Bring a purple ribbon," I instructed Maximus, who still looked confused and worried.
"You think I keep ribbons lying around here?" he tried to joke, searching for sothing to ease the tension before sighing in resignation.
"I’ve got a purple tie. Will that work?" he asked, holding up a tie.
"Yeah, that’ll do," I said, reaching out for it.
He handed the tie, and I climbed onto the bed after taking off my shoes. I took Helanie’s cold hand in mine. As soon as our hands touched, I felt sothing strange. Her skin was so soft, and even though it was cold, there was a subtle comfort in her touch.
"Feeling a bit awkward lying next to your stepsister?" Maximus teased, snapping back to reality. I forced a grunt, pretending not to be distracted by the fact that I was, indeed, lying next to my ’stepsister.’
"What? No!" I quickly replied.
"She’s not my sister or even my stepsister," I muttered inwardly, as I quickly tied the purple tie around her wrist and let her hand fall limp beside her.
Her touch had shaken my sense of reality.
I lay down next to her awkwardly, feeling Maximus hovering over as he secured the other end of the tie to my wrist. The tension between us was palpable, though neither of us said anything.
Then, I brought the rose to my nose, inhaling its delicate, intoxicating scent. A wave of drowsiness washed over .
It felt strange—yet sohow familiar.
Before I knew it, I was slipping into sleep. And the next thing I know, I am gaining awareness in a whole different environnt.
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