The room was quiet.

Too quiet.

The only sound was the soft hum of the air conditioner and the occasional rustle of the curtains whenever the wind slipped through the crack in the window.

She lay beneath her blankets, staring at the darkness above her.

She couldn’t remember falling asleep.

One moment, she’d been scrolling through her phone, fighting the exhaustion that had been weighing on her all evening.

The next…

Nothing.

No dream.

No thoughts.

Just darkness.

Then her eyes opened.

She stared at the ceiling.

For a few seconds, everything seemed normal.

Until she tried to move.

Nothing happened.

Her fingers wouldn’t twitch.

Her legs wouldn’t respond.

Even her head felt as though it had been nailed to the pillow.

Her breathing quickened.

No.

Not again.

She knew exactly what this was.

Sleep paralysis.

She tried to force her hand upward.

Nothing.

She tried moving her toes.

Nothing.

Her chest felt strangely heavy, as though someone had placed an invisible weight over her.

She swallowed.

Or at least tried to.

Her throat barely responded.

Wake up.

She screamed inside her head.

Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.

Her eyes darted toward the bedroom door.

Nothing.

Then toward the window.

Nothing.

She forced herself to look toward the corner of the room.

And froze.

There was someone standing there.

Her heart slammed against her ribs.

A figure.

Tall.

Motionless.

Completely black.

She couldn’t make out a face. There were no recognizable features. It looked almost as though a person had been carved from the darkness itself.

She stared at it.

The figure stared back.

Her breathing became shallow.

She had experienced sleep paralysis before.

She’d heard strange noises.

Felt pressure on her chest.

Once, she’d even thought she’d seen a hand hanging over the edge of her bed.

But never this.

Never someone standing in the corner.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

It’s not real.

She opened them again.

The figure was still there.

Except…

It had moved.

Her blood ran cold.

It was no longer in the corner.

It stood halfway across the room.

She couldn’t hear footsteps.

Couldn’t see it walking.

It simply appeared closer.

She tried to scream.

Nothing came out.

The shadow moved again.

Closer.

And closer.

Until it stood beside her bed.

She stared upward.

The figure leaned over her.

Darkness spilled from its body like smoke, curling around its shoulders and reaching toward her.

She wanted to look away.

She couldn’t.

A hand slowly lifted.

Long fingers emerged from the darkness.

They hovered beside her cheek.

Then—

They touched her.

Warmth spread across her skin.

And suddenly…

She could move.

Her entire body jolted.

She gasped.

But before she could sit up, before she could even understand what had happened, the mattress beneath her disappeared.

Her stomach dropped.

She blinked.

And found herself somewhere else.

In his arms.

Her arms were wrapped around his body.

One of his hands rested against her back while the other supported her beneath her legs.

She stared at the figure holding her.

She couldn’t see his face.

Not even now.

His entire body remained shrouded in darkness, as though some invisible force refused to let her see what was underneath.

She could feel his chest rising beneath her hands.

He was real.

At least…

He felt real.

She looked up.

The shadow lowered its head toward her.

She heard something.

A voice.

Deep.

Quiet.

Almost a whisper.

“Don’t be afraid.”

Her heart stopped.

She opened her mouth.

“Who are—”

She blinked.

The bedroom was gone.

The shadow was gone.

And she was falling.

Wind rushed past her.

She screamed.

But instead of hitting the ground, she suddenly found herself floating.

She opened her eyes.

A vast field stretched beneath her.

Endless green grass moved gently beneath a violet-blue sky.

Golden particles drifted through the air like fireflies.

There wasn’t a house.

There wasn’t a road.

There wasn’t another person anywhere.

She slowly lowered toward the ground.

Her bare feet touched the grass.

She looked down at herself.

She was wearing a long, flowing white dress she definitely hadn’t been wearing when she’d gone to sleep.

She touched the fabric.

It felt real.

Everything felt real.

She looked toward the horizon.

A strange feeling settled in her chest.

She was dreaming.

She knew she was dreaming.

Yet somehow…

This didn’t feel like an ordinary dream.

She turned in a slow circle.

That’s when she saw it.

A cave.

It sat at the edge of the field, partially hidden behind a cluster of twisted trees.

A faint orange glow flickered from inside.

She hesitated.

Every instinct told her to stay where she was.

Instead, she walked toward it.

The grass brushed against her ankles.

The closer she got, the colder the air became.

She stopped at the entrance.

“Hello?”

Her voice echoed into the darkness.

No answer.

She stepped inside.

The cave was surprisingly warm.

A small fire burned farther ahead.

And sitting beside it…

Was an old man.

He looked ancient.

His silver hair fell around his shoulders, and his skin was lined with wrinkles. He wore a dark robe and held a wooden staff across his lap.

He slowly turned his head.

His eyes met hers.

And he smiled.

“You’re late.”

She frowned.

“Late for what?”

The old man chuckled.

“I was beginning to wonder when you’d finally find your way here.”

Her stomach tightened.

“Do I know you?”

“No.”

He stared at her for a long moment.

“But you will.”

She took another step into the cave.

“Where am I?”

The old man’s smile disappeared.

“Between.”

“Between what?”

“Dreams and waking.”

She glanced behind herself.

The entrance seemed much farther away now.

She turned back.

The old man was watching her carefully.

“You’re looking for someone.”

Her heart skipped.

“The shadow?”

The old man’s expression changed.

Only slightly.

But she noticed.

“You’ve seen him.”

“Who is he?”

The old man leaned closer to the fire.

“That’s the question you should be asking yourself.”

She frowned.

“What does that mean?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he looked directly into her eyes.

And for the first time, she noticed something strange.

His eyes weren’t old.

They were bright.

Golden.

Almost glowing.

The wrinkles on his face began to disappear.

His posture straightened.

His silver hair darkened.

The fire behind him suddenly turned black.

She stepped backward.

“What are you?”

The man smiled.

This time, there was nothing human about it.

“You came looking for a demon.”

His eyes flashed.

“But you found something else.”

Black shadows climbed the walls.

The cave seemed to breathe around her.

And the old man’s appearance began to change.

She stood frozen.

Terrified.

Yet strangely unable to look away.

He wasn’t an old man.

He was something much older.

Something beautiful.

Something dangerous.

A succubus.

And he had been waiting for her.

“Welcome,” he whispered.

The cave went completely dark.

And somewhere far beyond the dream…

Something was watching.

Something that had been waiting in the corner.

Something that didn’t like the fact that she had wandered somewhere she didn’t belong.

She couldn’t breathe.

The cave had changed.

The warm little fire that had been burning only moments ago was gone, replaced by a strange blue flame that crawled along the walls. Shadows moved where nothing stood, stretching across the stone like living things.

And the man sitting before her…

Was no longer an old man.

He looked nothing like the figure she’d first seen.

His silver hair had become dark, falling loosely around his face. His skin was smooth, almost unnaturally pale, and his golden eyes glowed against the darkness.

Two curved horns rose from his head.

She stumbled backward.

“What are you?”

The creature tilted his head.

“I already told you.”

“No.” Her voice shook. “You didn’t.”

A faint smile touched his lips.

“Perhaps I didn’t want to frighten you.”

“You turned into a completely different person!”

“Technically…”

He rose from the stone.

“…I was never an old man.”

She glanced toward the cave entrance.

It was still there.

But the field beyond it was gone.

Only darkness remained.

She swallowed.

“I want to leave.”

The creature didn’t move.

“You can.”

She stared at him.

“Then let me.”

“You haven’t answered my question.”

“What question?”

His golden eyes narrowed.

“Why did you follow the cave?”

She didn’t know.

She’d simply felt drawn toward it.

“I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do.”

He stepped closer.

She instinctively backed away.

“I was looking for someone.”

“The shadow.”

She nodded.

“Why?”

She hesitated.

Because she didn’t have an answer.

She should have been terrified of him.

She should have wanted to wake up.

Instead, she kept thinking about the way the shadow had held her.

The warmth of his arms.

The quiet voice.

“Don’t be afraid.”

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

The creature smiled.

“That’s what makes you interesting.”

He walked past her and toward the cave wall.

She watched as he lifted one hand.

The stone surface shimmered.

An image appeared.

Her bedroom.

Her bed.

Her sleeping body.

Her eyes widened.

“I’m dreaming.”

“Yes.”

“Then why can I see myself?”

“Because you’re not completely asleep.”

She looked at him.

“What does that mean?”

His expression became serious.

“It means a part of you is still awake.”

Her stomach dropped.

“Then how do I wake up?”

“You don’t.”

She stared at him.

“What?”

“Not yet.”

The image of her bedroom disappeared.

The cave became silent.

Then the creature turned toward her.

“Tell me about him.”

She frowned.

“Who?”

“The one who stays in your corner.”

Her heart began beating faster.

“You know him?”

“No.”

The answer came too quickly.

She noticed.

“You’re lying.”

His smile returned.

“You are very observant.”

“Who is he?”

The creature stepped closer.

“I don’t know his name.”

“Then how do you know about him?”

“Because he has been watching you longer than you realize.”

She froze.

“What?”

“He was there before tonight.”

She shook her head.

“No.”

“You’ve seen him before.”

“I would remember.”

“Dreams are strange things.”

He came closer until there was barely any space between them.

“Sometimes the mind remembers what the waking world forgets.”

She stared into his golden eyes.

“Why does he come to me?”

The creature studied her face.

“Perhaps he isn’t coming to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Perhaps…”

He leaned slightly closer.

“…you are going to him.”

A chill ran through her.

Before she could respond, he lifted his hand.

His fingers brushed lightly against her cheek.

She flinched.

He stopped.

“Do you fear me?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

His voice became softer.

“Fear keeps you alive.”

She looked away.

“And what about him?”

The creature’s expression darkened.

“You shouldn’t be searching for him.”

“Why?”

“Because there are things in this world that look like nightmares…”

His thumb brushed away a strand of hair from her face.

“…and there are nightmares that look like salvation.”

She stared at him.

“What is he?”

The creature didn’t answer.

Instead, he stepped away.

The cave suddenly began to shake.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

She looked around.

“What is happening?”

“You’re waking.”

Her heart sank.

“No.”

The creature smiled.

“You’re afraid to leave.”

“I want to know who he is.”

“You will.”

“When?”

“Perhaps sooner than you think.”

The cave began disappearing around her.

The fire.

The walls.

The creature.

Everything dissolved into white light.

She felt herself being pulled backward.

“No!”

She reached for him.

His golden eyes remained fixed on hers.

“Remember…”

His voice echoed around her.

“Dreams have doors.”

She blinked.

The cave vanished.

She was falling again.

Her body felt heavy.

Her chest tightened.

She could hear something.

A faint voice.

Then another.

Her fingers twitched.

Her eyelids fluttered.

She tried to hold onto the dream.

But it was slipping away.

“No…”

She opened her eyes.

Her bedroom ceiling came into view.

She gasped and sat upright.

Her heart hammered against her chest.

The room was dark.

Quiet.

Normal.

She looked toward the corner.

Nothing.

She stared at it for several seconds.

Nothing moved.

She slowly pulled her knees toward her chest.

She should have felt relieved.

Instead, she felt disappointed.

She looked down at her hands.

For some reason, she could still feel the warmth of the shadow’s arms around her.

She closed her eyes.

“Don’t be afraid.”

The words echoed through her mind.

She opened them again.

The corner remained empty.

She whispered into the darkness.

“Who are you?”

No answer.

Only silence.

And somewhere in the distance, completely beyond her awareness…

a pair of silver eyes opened.

Morning came too quickly.

She hadn’t slept again after waking from the dream.

She remained sitting against her headboard, staring at the corner of her bedroom as sunlight slowly pushed through the curtains.

Nothing was there.

Of course nothing was there.

It was just a corner.

A lamp.

A pile of clothes she’d promised herself she’d put away.

A bookshelf she’d been meaning to organize.

Normal things.

Real things.

Yet she couldn’t stop staring.

Because last night, something had stood there.

Something had watched her.

Something had touched her.

And somehow, she missed it.

She rubbed her face.

“What is wrong with me?”

She climbed out of bed and walked toward the corner.

Her bare feet touched the cold floor.

She crouched down and examined the area.

Nothing.

No footprints.

No strange marks.

No evidence that anyone had been there.

She stood again.

Maybe it really had been a hallucination.

Maybe her mind had created the entire thing.

The figure.

The embrace.

The cave.

The strange creature with golden eyes.

She shook her head.

It was ridiculous.

Dreams weren’t real.

Sleep paralysis wasn’t real in the way she had experienced it.

At least, that’s what she told herself.

But then she remembered his voice.

“Don’t be afraid.”

She closed her eyes.

The memory felt too vivid.

She could still remember the warmth of his arms around her.

The strange feeling of being held by something she should have feared.

She opened her eyes.

“I need to see him again.”

The words left her mouth before she could stop them.

She immediately laughed at herself.

“Okay. I’m officially losing it.”

But the thought wouldn’t leave.

She wanted another dream.

She wanted the cave.

She wanted answers.

Most of all…

She wanted him.

⸻

That night, she prepared for sleep differently.

She turned off every light.

Closed the curtains.

Put her phone on the nightstand.

Then she climbed beneath the blankets and stared into the darkness.

“Come back.”

She felt ridiculous saying it aloud.

Still, she whispered it again.

“Come back.”

Nothing happened.

She closed her eyes.

She tried to remember the field.

The green grass.

The purple sky.

The cave.

The creature.

But every time she reached for the memory, it slipped farther away.

She rolled onto her side.

Just sleep.

Her breathing slowed.

The room became quiet.

Minutes passed.

Then hours.

Nothing.

No dream.

No paralysis.

No shadow.

When she woke the next morning, sunlight was already filling the room.

She sat up.

Disappointed.

“Seriously?”

She tried again the following night.

Nothing.

The night after that.

Nothing.

Then another.

Still nothing.

She began keeping track.

Night four.

Nothing.

Night five.

Nothing.

Night six.

Nothing.

She started becoming frustrated.

She tried falling asleep at different times.

She stayed awake longer.

She drank less caffeine.

She listened to calming music.

She even searched online for ways to induce lucid dreams.

Nothing worked.

It was as though the dream world had simply closed its doors.

And she couldn’t understand why.

⸻

On the seventh night, she stood in front of her bedroom mirror.

Her eyes were tired.

She looked exhausted.

She had spent an entire week trying to return to a place she wasn’t even sure had existed.

She touched the glass.

“Why can’t I find you?”

She didn’t even realize she was talking about him.

Her forehead rested against the mirror.

“I just want to know who you are.”

Silence answered.

She sighed.

Maybe she should stop.

Maybe she should accept that it had been a strange dream and move on.

She climbed into bed.

For the first time in a week, she didn’t try to dream.

She didn’t think about the shadow.

She didn’t think about the cave.

She didn’t think about the golden-eyed creature.

She simply closed her eyes.

And let herself sleep.

⸻

She didn’t know how long she had been asleep.

There was no transition.

No feeling of falling.

No strange sensation.

One moment she was lying in bed.

The next…

She was standing barefoot on cold stone.

She looked around.

Her heart immediately began racing.

She knew this place.

A ruined cathedral stretched around her.

Broken pillars disappeared into darkness.

Massive stained-glass windows had been shattered, leaving fragments scattered across the floor.

Gray ash drifted through the air like snow.

She slowly turned around.

“Hello?”

Her voice echoed.

No response.

She took a step forward.

A sound came from behind her.

Flap.

She stopped.

Another sound.

Flap.

She turned.

A man stood several feet away.

He was tall.

Very tall.

Black clothing hung loosely from his body, and enormous dark wings extended from his back.

But the wings were damaged.

Feathers were missing.

Some were stained with what looked like ash.

He stared at her with an expression she couldn’t understand.

Not anger.

Not fear.

Recognition.

She swallowed.

“Who are you?”

The man didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he looked toward the darkness behind her.

Then back at her.

“You found the door.”

She frowned.

“What door?”

“The one you weren’t supposed to open.”

A chill moved through her.

“I don’t understand.”

“You will.”

He stepped forward.

She didn’t move.

“Are you an angel?”

His eyes lowered.

“Once.”

Her gaze traveled to his broken wings.

“What happened?”

“I fell.”

“From Heaven?”

He looked at her.

“From grace.”

The answer sent another chill through her.

She glanced around the cathedral.

“Where am I?”

“Somewhere between Heaven and Hell.”

She stared at him.

“Why am I here?”

The fallen angel’s expression became serious.

“Because you’re searching for him.”

Her heart stopped.

“The shadow?”

He nodded.

“You’ve seen him.”

“Yes.”

“And you want to see him again.”

She hesitated.

Then nodded.

“Yes.”

The fallen angel studied her.

“You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

“I don’t care.”

“You should.”

“I just want to see him.”

His face hardened.

“You barely know what he is.”

“I know he held me.”

Silence.

“And he didn’t hurt me.”

The angel looked away.

“You think that means he’s safe.”

“Doesn’t it?”

“No.”

Her expression fell.

“Then what is he?”

The angel turned back toward her.

His eyes seemed almost sorrowful.

“He’s someone who belongs to a place you have never seen.”

He stepped closer.

“And if you truly intend to find him…”

His wings slowly spread behind him.

“…you’ll have to go through Hell.”

She stared at him.

For some reason, she wasn’t afraid.

Not anymore.

“If that’s what it takes…”

She took a step forward.

“…I’ll go.”

The angel’s expression changed.

“You don’t even know what Hell will take from you.”

She met his eyes.

“I don’t care.”

He was silent.

She took another step.

“I think I’d go through Hell if it means seeing him again.”

The cathedral suddenly fell silent.

The angel stared at her for a long moment.

Then he whispered:

“That’s exactly what I was afraid you’d say.”

The ground beneath her feet cracked.

She looked down.

A thin line of glowing red appeared across the stone.

Then another.

And another.

The cracks spread rapidly.

The angel stepped backward.

“Wake up.”

She looked at him.

“What?”

“Wake up!”

The floor shattered beneath her.

She screamed as darkness swallowed her whole.

And somewhere beneath the world of dreams…

something opened its eyes.

Something that had heard her promise.

Something that had been waiting for her to say those exact words.