Fragmented Dreams

Chapter 22: Welcome to the Team

I was running down the hall of the castle, pulling at the edges of my long dress so that I wouldn't trip. I saw him ahead of me, walking towards the staircase. The man who had awoken me in the temple, the one who claimed to not be my childhood love, Casimir, yet went by his name. I caught up with him, gasping slightly to catch my breath. He stopped but did not move to face me.

"Casimir!" I called out, my hand reaching to touch the back of this strange man's jacket.

He turned to me, his face blank. "My name is Ren, your highness."

I pulled back my hand, frightened by the lack of warmth or familiarity in his voice. It was true, this person barely looked like the man I loved, with his wider shoulders, long face, and deeper voice, but I knew they were the same. I reached out with my powers trying to get a sense of his feelings. They were dull, almost nothing was there, just a slight hint of irritation. I would be lying if I said I wasn't crushed by this revelation. I was still staring at his face, which seemed bare without his glasses. I stood very still, examining closely his longer-than-normal reddish-brown hair, his dark coat, and his subdued expression. What has happened to him?

"You said your name was Casimir Ren," I stressed, pressing my hand against my chest.

"Yes," he responded. "That is my full name. Do you need assistance?"

I scoffed slightly, glancing down at the floor. I need you to remember, I thought bitterly. When I didn't respond to his question he bowed his head, turning to walk back down the stairs.

"No, wait!" I cried out and he stopped. "Don't you remember me?"

I waited with bated breath for his answer. He nodded slightly and my heart took flight.

"You are the youngest daughter of the late King Cynefrith, Princess Taya Sarai Aytas Cadeyrn."

"No..."

"But you are," he insisted.

"That's not what I mean, don't you remember us?"

"Us?"

"We belong together," I whispered, choking on my own words.

"I don't understand," he said simply and I could feel his confusion. He really didn't remember.

Tears began falling from my eyes, I couldn't begin to explain all that I was feeling at that moment. I was crumbling, lost. As I turned to escape, my breathing grew erratic. Panic spread through my body and I barely remembered the walk back to my room. As I slammed the door behind me I broke into hysterics. He wasn't just pretending, Casimir had forgotten me. I laid down upon the cold stone ground of the castle now lost as one of my last anchors in this world had left and I was now adrift.

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I awoke feeling groggy. My head ached like I had been crying and my back was crazy stiff. I slipped out of bed, running to the bathroom to wash my face and take care of other bodily needs. I had slept a solid eight hours, which was almost unheard of. Once again I had dreamt of something new but had failed to retain anything besides a deep sorrow upon waking. I could get used to this. I wondered if learning more about Terra was helping my dreaming issues. I was eager to hear more about this new world and my past life if that was the case. I hummed to myself as I checked out my skin for any unusual bruises. It seemed like the evidence leftover from my adventures the other night was all but gone.

Eventually, I made my way out of the bathroom, drawn by the voices in the living room. Maayan's laughter drifted down the hall and I was intrigued.