Verena

The dream was so vivid: laughing with a sweet but unfamiliar friend, and then meeting a tall woman in black, staff in hand. Your mind whispered it was a demon, but your heart was drawn to her. When you were alone, the world turned upside down, and you found yourself in a quiet, peaceful place with the sea on the horizon. There, in this woman's arms on the grass, you felt happy for the first time in a long time, even when you realized this was Hell.

The woman in black, with a gentle smile, took your hand and pulled you along. You sat down on the grass, and she embraced you, and in that moment, the realization came—pure and undeniable. This place was Hell. But it didn't frighten you. You didn't care, as long as you remained in this deceptive calm and in this woman's arms. Awakening brought bitter devastation, but soon the dream was erased from memory.

A few days later, a trip to the beach with friends turned into déjà vu. The same curve of the shore, the same sea... And She. The same woman standing in the distance, only now without her staff. An icy horror pierced you. "I have to run," flashed through your head.

But it was too late. The woman was already walking toward you across the sand, her black dress fluttering in the wind. She came close, and her smile was gentle and merciless.

"Did you think it was just a dream?" she said quietly, and her voice was the same, from a dream. "I was waiting for you. You made your choice."