Oneiric

One Month Later

I hadn’t gone out much after the events in the park, almost one month ago. Also, I had tried to use my powers as little as I could. I would do it just in case of an emergency. Other than that, nothing much had happened. Nothing too great, nor too dull. Life went by, as usual. I went to university, took notes, participated in the seminar discussions, then returned home, played on the laptop, read from my book, and drank tea.

Lavinia would drop by unannounced, at my place, in hopes of trying to make me go out more. I still hadn’t told her that my dreams were starting to manifest upon me. Nor have I told her what I had done to those two guys. She would’ve done worse if anybody tried to take advantage of her, being a pretty woman and seemingly helpless. No, these issues were my own demons. There was no need to bother her with my crap.

The advantage of me being a gamer was that I didn’t mind staying indoors, playing computer games on my laptop. Raging when I would lose to some adversaries, in online multiplayer. One time I got so mad with the opposing team, in my game, that I think I used my magic, unintentionally.  I made all our team’s enemies go kill themselves by running into a group of dangerous monsters. I had no idea I could do that. So, you see why me going out and interacting with people could end up ugly. Especially when my magic was influenced by my emotions.

Also, I had not been bothered by my nightmares this period. I could actually sleep and rest, and I wouldn’t wake up sweating, or drenched in seawater or hell knows what else my mind concocted to surprise me. Nor have I felt like shit, because I hadn’t had sex since the last time I fucked Matt. I could say that this month, I was serene. The problem was to continue being at peace. Which was kind of hard.

It was rather difficult to abstain from jerking off, but I pulled it off eventually, having not ejaculated since the night I showered, after returning from that park. I did look at some porn, read some kinky stories online, and looked at pretty guys whenever I went out to buy food or other stuff I needed. One time I got a massive boner while staring at the ass of the guy in front of me at the cash register line. And I didn't have what to cover my big tent with, besides my hands. After I left the store, I felt everyone's glares on the back of my head. I was so embarrassed that I ordered online the following days.

As I said, it was difficult to be abstinent, when my blood boiled in my veins. I can swear that, sometimes, when I’m very horny and not going to do anything about my hard-on, my whole body warms up so much and I can feel my heart, no, I can hear my heart beating I my chest. Even my magic manifests outside my body, when small light spheres covered in red smoke, circle me, like Moons orbiting their planets.

It was Saturday afternoon and I was heading to the city center, to a mall. I had seen a pair of Vans shoes I really liked and wanted to go try on and buy them if I was pleased. After exiting the Vans store, happy with my new purchase, I felt a bit hungry, so I went toward the restaurant area to grab something to eat. Passing by a shop with men’s wear, formal wear to be precise, I felt cold. That was odd, as it was very warm in the mall. It must have been the air conditioning of the shop, I said to myself and continued to walk.

I hadn’t distanced myself too much from the store when I heard someone calling for my name. I looked back, the cold hit me in the face like a draft directed only to me.

“Claudius!”, said Flavius with a smile on his face, holding a paper handbag, "what a nice surprise!"

“Hello, mister Tracos. I didn’t notice you earlier. Please excuse me.”

“Please, call me Flavius. You couldn’t have seen me, as I was browsing for some clothes, deep into the back of the store.”

“Oh, then I must have been lost in my thoughts.”

“So, what have you been up to lately?”, Flavius asked, looking at me.

“Not much to be honest. University and home. You?”

“Not much from my part either. Work and home mostly. Now, shopping for some clothes.”

“Did you find what you wanted?”, I asked him.

“Not exactly. But maybe my luck will change now”, he said with a smirk. Was he flirting or just being polite?

“Did you find what you were looking for, Claudius?”

“Actually, I did. A new pair of shoes. I was lucky, it was the last one, my size too”

“Well then, I hope to be as lucky as you have been”, he said, smiling. I think he was flirting. I could swear he was checking me out. I resisted the urge to check him out myself. I only looked into his eyes. The cold glare being constantly present. I could feel it. I could also feel my stomach demanding food.

"Are you hungry Claudius?", Flavius seemed to have guessed. A very accurate guess.

"Uhm, as a matter of fact, I am. You were spot on, Flavius!", I was kind of impressed.

"Well, then, let's go to the food area so you can get something to eat."

“Would you join me?”, I dared to ask.

“I am not hungry, but I will gladly join you”, he answered, then he put his hand between my shoulder blades, as an invitation for me to go ahead, towards the food area. When he touched me, I could feel a short electric shock, surging through the muscles on my back. It was probably an electrostatic discharge.

I tried to keep myself together as we walked to the dining area. I don’t know why I was nervous around him; it was silly as I didn't have a reason to be unsettled. But there I was, and with a godly Adonis following me. Did I dare to wish he would like me back? Because for sure I liked him. 

The mall was full of people, and we couldn’t walk side by side, so I continued walking in front. The strange thing is that, whenever I was leading the way, I never had to look behind, to check if I had lost him in the sea of people. I knew he was close to me. I could feel him right next to me as if we were tied by an imperceptible bound.

It felt like when you hold two magnets and they either repel or attract each other. The way I felt his presence was a mix of the two forces. There was this pressure that kept him from bumping into my back, but there was also an attraction, pulling him, guiding him to me, and me to him if need be. Would the tether break if we distance ourselves too much? I did not want to find out.

I ordered what I wanted to eat and headed to the table, where Flavius was waiting for me. He was on his phone while I was away, but had put it away when I sat down. I offered some of my food, but he politely refused. I guess he wasn’t hungry. I felt a bit uneasy to be the only one eating my fries and burger, while this handsome man was eating my looks with his eyes. I could tell he was looking at me, studying me. I did not mind. But I did want to taunt him.

“Do I have something on my face? Because you’re looking at me like I do”, I asked, then took a bite from my burger.

“No. I apologize, you don’t have anything on your face.”

“Oh, good. I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of you”, I said, smiling then took a sip from my drink.

“You are like a source of light”, he said, out of the blue.

“I beg your pardon?”, I was confused.

“As we walked from the clothes store, to here, I could count twelve girls and five boys that turned their heads, staring at you”, he explained, smiling.

“Looking at me? Dare I think the opposite. I bet they were actually staring at you.”

“Why would you think that Claudius?”, he asked.

“You’re a tall, blonde, handsome man, and elegantly dressed. Need I say more?”, I replied smiling back.

“True, that I cannot deny. However, I know they were looking at you. They were all in front, so you were the first one they saw”.

“Oh…I don’t know what to say”, I was surely blushing. His remarks caught me by surprise.

“You’re the light, they were the butterflies.”

“I hope I won’t attract too many. I’m not that kind of guy”, I said.

“What kind of guy are you, Claudius?”

“I have always thought about myself as a one-butterfly-attracting-guy”, I said, not able to hold a giggle.

“Well then, we have something in common”, said Flavius smiling. I think he liked what he just heard.

“What makes you say that?”

“I am a good judge of character. And I can tell you are an interesting person. I would like to get to know you better”, I was surprised he said that. I wished he was into me, in a way. I hadn’t expected him to actually be interested. Or was my mind playing with me? Misinterpreting his answers? Also, his confidence was all too inviting.

“I would like that”, was all I could say, smiling, trying not to blush or act silly.

“Then how about tomorrow evening?”, he said, he was happy I agreed.

“That sounds great.”

“If you would excuse me, I must leave you to your shopping. But not before exchanging telephone numbers!”, he said.

We exchanged numbers, then he left. I couldn’t help myself and stared at him while leaving. He had a hot ass, and he walked so gracefully, as if there were no people around, crowding themselves. 

When I got home, I was so anxious about the next day, that I wanted to make time fly. It was odd for me to feel like this, almost happy about another guy. I was craving for him to be gay, but I never had expected my wishes to materialize. Maybe he was interested in making friends. Or, maybe Lavinia had asked her brother Iulian, to talk with Flavius into befriending me. What if this was all a plot of Lavinia’s, to make me go out more, to socialize and make friends? I cast out that thought, it was preposterous. How could I think about my friend, the way I just did?           

I wasn’t too sleepy so I downloaded a movie to view on my TV. Usually, when watching films, videos on YouTube, or something on the TV, I usually get drowsy. The film I had chosen was nearing its end however, I still wasn’t tired. After browsing everything I could ever browse on my phone, sleepiness had finally got a hold on me.

People came, and people left, but the manor house remained in its place. Once this place was alive, filled with denizens, but now, it was a refuge from what was lurking outside.

Outside? What could there be outside? Wilderness. Nature claimed what humans had appropriated, in the past. In its days of glory, the manor house and its surroundings were a work of art, birthed by the mind of a great artist. Today, the forest had mercilessly swallowed all, except what remained of the grandiose mansion. 

It was a classical building, with gothic windows and stone gargoyles who kept watch when daylight faded. It had countless rooms, each decorated differently than the other, a ballroom with an interior resembling that of a small cathedral and a beautiful library, in the heart of the house. Ah, the marvelous library! A circular room with bookshelves wherever one might look, with a glass roof instead of a chandelier. The light of the Sun would caress the myriad of books, neatly arranged on their shelves.

Wilderness. The advance of the forest had brought the animals closer to the mansion’s walls. At night, one could hear the wolves howling, and swear to have heard the prowling in the back yard. Owls would hoot their foreboding “hoo”, on a branch, under the full moon. It didn’t use to be like this. The nights were silent if the voices of young people didn’t break the noiselessness. Or when the cooks would work in the kitchen, preparing courses to be served at the events. And how could the sound of classical music be forgotten by these walls, when its melody made everything dance gracefully in the rhythm.

Now, nothing of this prevailed. A miasma of silence had taken over this fortress of solitude. Sometimes, when the wind blows, in the frosty winter nights, it whistles by the old windows, and chilled breezes penetrate through the cracked walls. The interior, once warm and lighted, had fallen into ruin. Eerie shadows form lugubrious shapes, and unnerving sounds roam in the emptiness of the rooms.

Why am I here? Why did I leave my home to come to this wreck? It’s as if I was drawn to it, like a moth to the flame, gliding through time, witnessing the beginning and, now, the end of this mansion. Its masters had departed, and the servants had fled to other manors. But one had stayed. Alone. Forsaken. The sole ruler of this secluded castle. Resting his body in an armchair, in front of the fireplace. Listening to the wood crackling in the fire. Listening to the calmness. Never closing his eyes. Never moving, or sleeping. Never eating, or drinking. Lying there, in the dusty armchair, looking into the blown-out fire.

“Who are you, stranger?”, the voice of the seated man asked. 

“Why have you brought the warmth of light into my room?”, he asked again.

“Beautiful light, I am but an eternal moth. Death is not what you seek”, he voiced.

As I approached the upholstered chair, to take a glimpse of the man seated in it, I startled. My brightness had shone on a corpse that seemed rather familiar. As if, I had known it, when it breathed life. Coldness emanated from the dead man. I could feel it intertwine with the warm aura of my light.

Flavius.

I woke up to the sound of chirping little birds. The light of the sun shining off the mirrors of my wardrobe, gleaming into my eyes. My head was still on the pillow, I was not sleepy, but my eyelids were falling heavy, closing, then opening again. Was that a nightmare? I was not sweating, nor breathing heavily. Did I do magic in my sleep? It didn’t feel like magic. It was a dream. It was beautiful and peculiar. I have never seen that manor house, yet it felt like I knew more than I could admit.

It was as if I was there when it was lived in. I could see its beauty. But I was also there when it had fallen into ruin. And I saw its unseemliness. I could feel the vibes that the entire grounds emanated. And in the armchair, the person sitting there, gazing into the gloom of the fireplace, I knew that person. It was Flavius. But how could it be him? That was a corpse, which moved, and talked, and had thoughts.

Yet I was certain of its identity. Was the mansion Flavius’ home? Was the dead man an ancestor of his, bearing perfect resemblance? I must have traveled through realms and stumbled upon this lost soul. However, Flavius didn’t seem lost at all. He was lively and sure of himself.

My mind could not find answers to its own questions. I was oscillating between me either having dreamt about it or having contacted the dead. With this last thought, I felt a light pain, on my right foot’s ankle. I got up and out of the bed and checked the source of the pain. It was bearable, more like a nuisance than an actual ache. A slim, dark line circled my ankle; it was barely visible. I didn’t have a memory of me hitting my leg. I didn’t give it too much thought, as it wasn’t bothering me. I remembered that tonight I will meet with Flavius.

But it was just ten in the morning and I didn’t have much to do, besides some house chores. Those would be finished quite rapidly. Sometimes I can be a little impatient when I really want something. Was that what it was? Did I really want Flavius?  It’s true that I barely knew him, but he had that je ne sais quoi which drew me in. I can perfectly be described as the moth, and him the flame I am flying into. I hope it won’t burn. Much.

I busied myself as much as I could, trying to survive the slow passing of time. Or so I thought because at one point I looked at the clock and saw I had just one hour to get ready. I tried not to panic and went to take a shower. After getting out of the bath, I went to my room to get dressed. I saw a message on my phone. It was from Flavius. My heart started beating faster. What if he wanted to tell me the date was canceled? Was it a date? I was overthinking too much. I clicked on the message and read it. Flavius just wanted to know my address so he could drive here and pick me up.

Half an hour later, his car was waiting for me in the parking lot of my block of flats. I could not go down the stairs fast enough. When I got close to the car, he had stepped out and greeted me by shaking my hand. He opened the passenger door and invited me to get in. When he returned to the driver’s seat, he looked at me and smiled. That smile could melt a glacier. I smiled back, but I didn’t say anything. I was very nervous. I just looked at him.

Flavius was dressed casually tonight. He was wearing a black jean jacket; under it, I could presume he had a T-shirt or a thin blouse. His jeans were black and slim and I couldn’t actually see, but I think he was wearing some light footwear as well. He looked very handsome.

I liked the look of a man, seated at the driving wheel, but looking at him, I loved what I was seeing. I’m glad I didn’t exaggerate by dressing too formally. Our attire was matching, as I wore blue jeans, my new Vans shoes, a purple blouse, and a denim jacket.

“I am glad to see you, Claudius”, Flavius said with joy.

“Likewise!” was all I could say.

“You are looking good tonight if you don’t mind me saying”, he complimented me.

“Thank you very much. You look good as well”, I was so nervous. This was surely a date.

“Do you have a preference as to where you want to spend this evening with me Claudius?”, he asked while starting the engine. It purred like a cat.

“Uhm, I haven’t really given it a thought, to be honest”, I had no idea where to tell him to go. We could have just stayed in that car for the whole evening. It would not have mattered to me at all.

“Hmm, I think I know of a place. You will like it”, he was mysterious.

“Where to then?”, I was curious.

“It’s a surprise. You’ll see soon enough”, he said as the car was exiting the parking lot.

“Oh, mysterious, are we?”, I teased him.

“That’s the most fun part of it, the unknown”, Flavius replied.

“I can’t argue with that. You’re right.”

“So, how was your day?”, he asked.

“Not too busy. I did some house chores and then I read my notes from university."

“What were they about?”, Flavius looked at me before turning his attention to the road.

“It was for the ‘History of psychology’ class, about its object of study.”

“So, you’re studying history at university.”

“Psychology actually. This is an into course”, I answered.

“And what did it say?”

“Well, there were several interesting things, but I wouldn’t want to bore you with it”, I said.

“I am a very patient man. I would like you to tell me. Pleasure me”, when Flavius said the last word, I shivered a bit. Just imagining being intimate with him was quite an overwhelming feeling.

“Okay. The main idea of this course is that psychology is a science that studies the human soul, and the lectures revolve around the concepts of other civilizations, regarding the soul. What the ancient Egyptians, Indians, Chinese, and even Thracians or Dacians, wrote about it.”

“The Egyptians’ entire religious culture revolved around the soul. Having erected pyramids and other tomb-like monuments, preparing the departees’ path for the afterlife.”, Flavius answered, he caught me by surprise.

“Somebody knows his history”, I replied.

“I love history. I like to think of myself as being part of it. Also, in the ancient Egyptians’ culture, the heart was first considered to be the source of the soul. The ancient Chinese thought the same, as well”, he said.

“That was exactly the next thing I was about to say!”, I was astounded.

“I told you, we have many things in common”, he looked at me and winked.

“Yes, you are right”, I was anxious.

“What does your lecture say about the Thracians and Dacians?”, he asked.

“Thraco-Dacians were not afraid of death. When someone died, they would celebrate, and when a child was born, they would weep, for the newborn had an entire life of difficulties ahead.”

“That’s very accurate”, Flavius was smiling.

“Furthermore, they considered that the soul suffers together with the body on earth. For the soul to liberate itself from the body, rituals of abstinence and morality were necessary.”

“I would beg to differ regarding the abstinence part, but the rest is accurate”, he seemed to be well-read into this subject. “Most of the fasting and abstinence was introduced by Christianity”.

“You seem to be very informed about this subject”, I was positively pleased by his knowledge. “The Dacians didn’t seem to be afraid of death. Not even when fighting the mighty Romans.”

“The Romans were ahead of their time. But not even the greatest technology can save man from greed and lust for power. Had they reduced the Empire’s span, only fortifying the European borders, they would’ve stood a chance against the invading barbarians.”

“You’re like a living book!”, I said, mesmerized by his lecture.

“One could say I have lived it all. I think we will arrive at our destination.”, he said.

“Do you believe that the Romans’ conquest had negative effects on the conquered populations?”

“Most of the history we know is told from the perspective of the victors”, Flavius answered.

“Indeed. But still, even if it's one side of the story, it does tell a lot about those times”, I said.

“Some might not know for real how a certain battle was fought and won, but war never brings anything good with it”, Flavius seemed so serious when he said that.

“Maybe peace, that comes after.”

“Yes, that could be the only good thing coming after a war...”

“But the Romans had civilized and upgraded the lifestyle of barbarian populations”, I replied.

“In a way. However, some were exterminated.”

“Wouldn’t that be the survival of the strongest?”

“It was, it still is. But slaughtering innocents in the way to glory is not a righteous path”, said Flavius. “But I do agree upon upgrading the quality of life.”

“The coin has two faces, one might be ugly, but the other can be pretty.”

“You like to see the glass half full. I like the way you think, Claudius. Also, we have arrived at our destination”.

“Oh wow, I have not even noticed we’re not in town anymore. I was so absorbed by you”, I didn’t notice the last thing I said. Flavius just looked at me and raised an eyebrow, smiling.

“I mean, by you and your knowledge regarding this discussion”, I tried to save myself, but who was I kidding.

The car had stopped. The Sun was about to set when Flavius first came to pick me up, but now it was completely dark. I didn’t really know where he had taken me. It looked like we were in a forest, as far as I could tell, in the light of the moon. There were trees everywhere, the wet road slithered forward through the woods, and it shone like a dark river of tar. I thought of the Underworld and the river on which the boatsman Charon, ferried the souls of the damned, to their final place of torment. It was weird to think about torment because I was having a very nice time with Flavius.

We got out of the car and he asked me to follow him into the forest. Too bad it was so dark; I couldn’t admire him from behind. He was using the LED from his phone to light the path we were walking on, but it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t risk using my magic, to better see into the night. It could get out of my control, myself being all nervous in his presence, and I didn’t want to screw it all up.

It was so quiet, not even a cricket, or an owl. Not even a gust of wind. It was as if everything was frozen in time, except for Flavius and me. If it weren’t for his presence, being alone here would have been quite terrifying. I was so concentrated on trying to look at Flavius, that I didn’t pay attention to where I was stepping. I tripped over a tree root and fell to my knees. I didn’t hurt myself, but I was embarrassed by my clumsiness.

Flavius had immediately come to my aid and helped me get up. I was fine, except for my pride. He insisted we return to the car so he can check if I had injured myself. I was very tempted to say yes, just to have him touch me. But that meant I had to get my pants down, and I didn’t want to give a bad impression. I told him I was fine, that my knees hurt a little, but other than that there was no need for such a fuss. The stoic in me took over.

We didn’t walk much after that incident, and we arrived at the top of a hill. It didn’t feel like walking upwards, probably because we had driven up the road in the first place. There was an improvised bench made out of a tree stump. He invited me to take a seat and, after I did, he joined sitting next to me. The view from there was beautiful. In the distance, we could see the entire city, lit, and glowing like an aureate jewel. Its twinkle shone high into the night sky, fading slowly, making way to the vastness of the universe above.

“It looks amazing”, I said.

“I knew you’d like it”, he responded, looking at me.

“I didn’t know about this place. But I’m glad I do now. Thank you for bringing me here.”

“Told you, a bit of mystery makes it more rewarding”, Flavius said, gazing far away.

“I never doubted you, Flavius.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Claudius. Although, I feel bad you fell.”

“Don’t. It was nothing”, I replied, even if I could feel pain in my knees. A true stoic.

After a little while, I got up and walked toward the metal fence, at the edge of the ravine. I put my hand on the balustrade, it was cold. I stood there, looking into the distance, beyond the city, with nothing else coming into my visual field. I could have easily stood on top of the world. The wind started to blow, making the leaves in the trees rustle before departing from their branches. I could hear them as they touched the ground.

I felt his hands touching me from behind, making their way past the left and right sides of my torso, curving, caressing my chest, and finally uniting into a mild grip at the sternum. As Flavius got closer to me, my heart had started beating like a drum. I could feel its pressure in my veins. As his body closed to mine, making the gap between us inexistent, I felt soft. If it weren’t for him holding me, I would just melt to the ground. He rested his chin on my left shoulder, taking much care as to not put too much weight. I could feel his perfume, manly, but sweet, peppery, and fragrant; an evening perfume.

Flavius was holding me, arms wrapped around my chest, his body was hugging mine. His grip was so gentle as if I were a fragile crystal he didn’t want to shatter with his strength. I couldn’t explain what I felt. I did not recognize the sentiment I was feeling. But I was certain of one thing: it was pleasantly overwhelming and warming my entire being.

I leaned my head back a bit, to the right, exposing the left side of my neck. As I closed my eyes, I could feel his breath on my skin. The tip of his nose tickling my ear. He was taking in my scent, I could hear his breath while closing with his lips. When he kissed me on the neck, an impulse of pleasure ran through my entire body. I was shaking; however, it wasn't from the cold outside.

“You are shivering. We should return to the car”, he said, while still holding me into his arms.

“It’s not cold”, I answered.

“Are you feeling ill?”, he asked.

“Not at all.”

“Are you sure, Claudius?

“I am certain.”

The last time I felt like that was when I met Liviu. On our first date, he was so nervous, he wouldn’t take a step, so I did it instead. We were walking in the park, it was late into the night, not a soul nearby. I could tell he wanted to do it but didn’t have the courage. He wasn’t sure if I would approve. So, when we reached an area covered in darkness due to the park lamp being defective, I took his hand into my right one, placed my left hand around his waist, and closed in to kiss him. I was shivering in pleasure, for I had wanted to kiss him since the first minute we met that day.

It seemed so long since I felt like that and Flavius had succeeded in making me, no, reminding me how to feel for another. Or, me to allow myself to fall… for him. He has made me feel joy, real happiness, for the first time, in a long time. A tear escaped from my eye and caressed my cheek. I never wanted this night to end. I could stay there with him, wrapped around me, for eternity. Then it happened. He gently and slowly made me turn around, to face him.

His hands rested on my hips, while he looked into my eyes. His gaze was mesmerizing, it was like a spell. My body felt light as a feather, my head was buoyant in a nonexistent sea, and my mind had surrendered to thoughtlessness. He closed into my body, even more, pushing his pelvis into mine. I was starting to get aroused, my cock pulsed once, making its presence felt on his thigh. Flavius instantly drew a deep breath, his chest inflating with air, pressing into mine. I wrapped my hands around his neck and closed my eyes. I felt as if my lips were luring his lips, closer and closer. I could swear I had physically felt the force.

His lips touched my lips, leading them into a slow, passionate kiss. He was delicate, savoring me, tasting me, playing with my lower lip. His tongue had discreetly made its way inside my mouth and met mine into a dance. Slow, long kisses soon transformed into deep, rushed ones. As the intensity of the moment was leading toward more sensual things, he stopped. I opened my eyes. He was looking at me, at first, I thought he was in pain, but then he smiled. I smiled back and buried my head into his chest.

“Nearby is a historical site. Would you…”, he didn’t get to finish.

“I would love to”.

He didn’t say anything else. He was happy I had accepted. I was happy to be with him, anywhere he took me. He led me back into the woods, but this time he was holding my hand., which was cold, but mine wasn’t warm either. The frosty night air had permeated our thin clothes. After walking for quite a while, the forest started to get less dense, then we reached a tall stone wall, inconsistently covered in vegetation. He guided me along the wall as if he knew the way, and we reached what used to be an entrance, but the gates were missing.

We trespassed into the said property and walked until we had reached a fountain. At its base lion heads would have spouted water, a column rose from the circle of manes and ended with a stone eagle spreading its wings, on top. There was no water inside. Behind the fountain I could see a structure rising, hiding in the gloom. As we approached, I could see it better. Tall gothic windows, stone gargoyles. Then I realized I had seen this building before.

“Do you like it?”, Flavius asked.

“I’ve seen it before”, I said, looking in awe.

“Have you been here before?”

“No. Well, not physically”, I answered.

“What do you mean?”

“I had a dream about it, last night”, I said.

“That’s interesting because I had dreamt of it too, last night”, Flavius said while looking at it.

I couldn’t believe it. He had a dream about this place in the same night I had a dream, about it too. It seemed that I did travel through realms, after all. Having known I would meet with Flavius this day, my subconscious wanted to treat me by accessing my magic and sending me into his dream. I didn’t know if I should feel happy or worried. I didn't think too much about it though, as I was concentrating all my being on him. I learned that it used to belong to his family, but the last owner had donated it to the Romanian Government. 

We couldn't get in, although Flavius offered to find a way. But it wasn't necessary, I was glad he brought me here, and being with him was all that mattered to me that night. His touch, his smell, his lips - all of these made me want more. And his personality and knowledge of history, his intelligence, attracted me even more. 

I only hoped this was not a dream.