Timeless Ties || Volturi Kings

11. Meltdown Pt. 2

Talkin' to yourself in the bathroom
Losin' your mind in the mirror like you have to
Screamin' in your car in the driveway
Spinnin' out think your life's going sideways

— Niall Horan

◇────◇────◇

There was a dead flower and a relief stone in her trembling hands.

Alessia closed her eyes, wishing herself to wake up. This was not a good time to dream of things like these.

She opened her eyes.

There was still a dead flower and a relief stone in her hands.

A dead flower and a relief stone.

No. Fucking. Way.

Alessia's heart started to race. The flower's delicate petals were withered and its colors muted — one of the petals fell from the flower as she observed, landing on her bed. The relief stone was cold to the touch, Caius' artistry carved into its surface, the two men who had tried to rob the wine's village still there.

Her anxiety escalated, causing her breaths to grow shallower and quicker. She urgently searched for something to anchor her focus on, hoping to prevent herself from losing consciousness. Her gaze landed on the One Direction poster adorning her wall, depicting the band during their vibrant era with five members. She immersed herself in scrutinizing every detail for a while, feeling a slight wave of calm wash over her. Once she had regained some composure, she redirected her attention back to the current issue at hand.

There must be a logical explanation for this situation. It seemed quite plausible that she was still caught in the midst of a dream. Alessia felt the need to put this hypothesis to the test. She recognized that she would have to draw upon the knowledge she had gathered from the internet about distinguishing dreams from reality during her childhood years. In those earlier times, she hadn't fully grasped the divide between ̶n̶i̶g̶h̶t̶m̶a̶r̶e̶s̶ ̶ dreams and waking life. Her father had emphasized that by the age of 10, she should start learning to discern them on her own, so she had had to rely on Google.

Hence, she directed her gaze towards her hand, confirming its presence. Next, she conducted an internal inquiry, questioning herself if she was in a dream. With a shaky inhale, she concentrated on the details of the surrounding walls, focusing on her poster again. Then, she returned her attention to her hand once more.

And it was normal. Her hand was not purple nor had sketches nor had been substituted by tentacles. It continued a normal hand which meant—

Not a dream.

Not a dream.

Although— she could be ̶h̶a̶l̶l̶u̶c̶i̶n̶a̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶ imagining the flower and art piece. Which was terrible. And she would need to go to a hospital. But it could be happening.

Alessia drew in another unsteady breath, then reached for her cellphone. With hands still trembling, she navigated to WhatsApp and located Julia's contact. Confirming that her friend had received her messages, she proceeded to initiate a video call with her.

Julia responded to the call, seeming somewhat groggy as if she had just woken up. Alessia glanced at the hour for the first time and realized it was 6:30 in the morning.

"Ale, I swear that if you are calling me to ask about the group assignment—"

"Ju," Alessia interrupted, maintaining a calm demeanor even though she wanted to yell. "Can you see this flower?"