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A residual energy swirled around them. It was electric, and Aurora had never felt more alive and connected to another soul. Each caress was a promise, each kiss a declaration of love that defied the constraints of their reality. She sensed his passion, his longing, and in that moment, nothing else mattered.

She rested her head on his shoulder, letting herself drift on the tide of the little time they had left. She felt utterly spent, but it wasn’t until Tristan whispered softly into her ear, “I love you, too,” that she was finally able to fall into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The reverberating echo of the front door slamming shut jolted Aurora awake. She quickly scrambled to cover herself, pulling the sheets up to her chin. Beside her, Tristan blinked in bleary confusion, his ruffled hair illuminated by the hazy morning light that filtered through the curtains.

“Up! Get up, both of you!” Millie’s voice rang out as she strode into the room like a gust of wind. “Up, up, up!”

Through the haze of drowsiness, Aurora squinted to witness Millie’s flurry of activity. Bags dangled from her arms as she buzzed about, animatedly discussing plans for her departure from the Dreamworld.

Aurora massaged her temples while Tristan roused himself to a seated position, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

A flicker of amusement danced in Millie’s eyes as she looked at the disheveled pair. “Perfect! I see my concoction worked.”

Aurora shot her a pointed glare. “Your concoction almost froze me to death,” she grumbled, clutching the sheets around her.

Millie’s grin broadened. “Yes, but it got you two to cozy up under the covers, and that only strengthens our chances of leaving this empty void of a world.”

“You mean it strengthensyourchances,” Aurora corrected.

“Primarily, yes. Now, hurry up and get dressed. There’s no time to waste.” Millie turned her back on them, her hands digging into the depths of her bags as Aurora and Tristan scrambled to slip into their clothes.

“Here it is! I knew I had it here somewhere,” Millie announced triumphantly, holding up a vial filled with neon liquid from her bag. She handed it to Aurora with a flourish. “Here you go.”

Aurora took the vial, turning it in her hands as she examined it. “What is it?”

Millie’s eyes rolled skyward in mock exasperation. “What do you think? Scorpion’s venom, of course. The last one, by the way. Thanks to you finally getting stung, they’re all gone. I didn’t see a single one out there. It’s as if they’ve fulfilled some sort of purpose and ceased to exist. I hate the unpredictability of this wretched world.”

Aurora handed the venom to Tristan, only to have Millie reclaim it with a swift motion.

“What are you doing?” Millie asked.

“I’m giving it to Tristan since he’s the only one of us who can actually leave this world,” Aurora said.

Millie’s gaze turned steely as she met Aurora’s eyes. “You and I both know you are the only one who can get close enough to your father to feed him the venom. This is the last vial, and I’m not taking any chances.”

A heavy sigh escaped Aurora’s lips. “Well, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m stuck here for good.”

“Actually…” Millie chewed on her lip. “That’s not entirely true.”

Aurora’s gaze snapped to Millie. “Are you telling me you’ve known there’s a way out for me this whole time?”

Millie’s shrug held a touch of sheepishness. “We weren’t on good terms then. But now we are, so cheer up!”

Aurora huffed, wrapping her thin robe tighter around her body as she shot another glare at Millie. “You’re lucky I'm indecent right now, otherwise I would strangle you with my bare hands.”

“Now that’s the spirit you need to take back to your father.” Millie’s clapping hands seemed to set the rhythm for a new momentum. “Now, chop-chop. We have work to do.”

“Is it true?” Tristan’s voice cut through the tension. “Is there really a way to wake Aurora up in the real world, or is it just some sick joke to get back at her?”

Silence hung heavy in the room, and then Millie spoke. “Okay. I can see why you wouldn’t trust me. I did hurl a knife at your heart. But to my defense, there was no doubt in my mind that Aurora would’ve stopped that blade.”

“So, you are telling the truth, then?” Tristan pressed, his voice cautious, hesitant, and hungry for assurance. “There is a way she can awaken?” He needed to hear her say it. Needed that seed of hope to take root in the soil of his doubts.

“Fine. The truth is, it’s no guarantee. But I’m hoping that thanks to your shenanigans”—Millie motioned toward the disheveled sheets on the floor— “you both made it that much more possible. Now, let me think, what else will you need…”

“Nothing happened—” Aurora ventured to say, but Millie lifted a finger, signaling for Aurora not to interrupt her thinking process.