12. Intention is Key

I used to think I'd never get a glimpse of heaven. Whenever I thought about life after death, I figured I'd just stop existing—my body and brain breaking down into new chemicals, my remains scattered on earth, and my thoughts fading away until I was gone.

But here I am, in a place way better than any human idea of heaven. Who needs that version of heaven when I have my dreamscape? This... this is my real paradise.

The rustling of giant leaves, the hum of water cascading down a waterfall, birds singing in the distance, and the sun warmly kissing my skin without causing harm. I soak it all in, taking a deep breath because I've made it.

I'm here. I made it.

I feel like crying tears of happiness because I've missed this place so much. It's funny. I've only been here twice, but it already feels more like home than my apartment. This feels more real to me than anything else.

It's different, though. I think that the gap between my memories and this place is fading. I remember everything, even the dreams I had forgotten. I remember my talk with that presence on the phone when it hijacked my conversation with Camilla. I also remember the walk to the shop. Honestly, I feel more like myself overall. It's like some kind of veil lifted. The fog is gone from my mind.

But that doesn't make my experiences here any less intense. The moss between my toes feels just as soft as I remember, maybe even softer. My body feels rejuvenated, like I could run marathons with the stamina and endurance of a god. My heart beats steadily, pumping blood through my strong limbs and agile joints.

I'm super aware of my needs, desires, and sexuality. It's like every part of me is coming together, merging from separate functions into a complete whole.

I feel better than ever.

"Echo?" I call out, my voice carried by the breeze, light and full of joy. My chest feels like it might burst from all the happiness inside me.

The thrill of my victory rushes through me as I take in the familiar sights of this place. The high canopies, the twinkling magical lights, the vivid green leaves… The nightmares seem so far away suddenly. For a moment I'm just wrapped in the comfort of this place, forgetting everything bad that has happened to me.

But then I reach the waterfall, and the memory of the last time I was here crashes over me. The shadows had pierced through the veil. They tried to attack me, and Echo stayed behind to fight them off.

Why am I so happy? I shouldn't be.

I spin around, scanning the vast forest around me. Echo isn't here. He's nowhere to be seen.

Oh no... When I escaped, the shadows were still surging, right where he stood, protecting me. Did they get to him?

I've never arrived in the dreamscape without Echo by my side. He was always here, holding my hand, welcoming me into this mysterious world. And yet, here I am, without him. How is that possible? The waterfall is his creation, not mine.

"No, he has to be here," I mutter, worry creasing my forehead and clenching my stomach like an iron vice.

Panic takes over. I sprint through the thick, green undergrowth, eyes frantically scanning for any trace of him.

"Echo!" I yell even louder, my voice bouncing off the trees and mixing with the roar of the waterfall. The constant noise fills the air, making my panic grow. Where could he be? Did the shadows take him? Or worse, did they destroy him?

I shove the dark thoughts aside, hanging on tight to hope. Echo is strong and clever. More importantly, he belongs here, as much as the trees, the water, and the sun. He has to be somewhere.

My feet move faster, barely touching the ground as I go deeper into the forest. The plants get taller and more like boulders, letting in less light. The air cools as I move on, filled with the scent of pine trees and the damp aroma of life hidden between roots and leaves and bushes, brushing against my face.

Thick ferns smack my legs, their fronds catching on my clothes. The underbrush tugs at me, making every step a struggle through the tangled mess. The forest goes quiet as the usual buzz of the dream world is gone. My heart pounds louder with each step, and I feel desperation tightening in my chest.

I'm feeling lonelier by the minute.

"Echo!" I yell again. My voice breaks the silence. The only reply is the rustling leaves and a far-off bird call that sounds... sad, almost creepy. Mournful. It sends a chill down my spine.

Damn it, don't do this to me... Please, just don't do this to me.

I can't lose him. He's the only thing that keeps me going. Without him, everything is lost.

When my eyes start filling with tears, that's when I hear it—a faint response, almost lost in the air. It's weak, barely a whisper, like the wind. "Claire..."

I spin around, scanning frantically. The sound seemed to come from behind me, from the dense foliage. I step cautiously towards it, my heart pounding in my ears. "Echo? Is that you?" I call, my stomach tightening.

"Here…" The voice is closer now. I push through the brush, leaves, and branches scratching at my arms and face. Then, I see him.

He's here.

He's lying at the base of a big tree, partly hidden in the shadows. As I get closer, I can see the stress on his face, his usual lively energy gone. He tries to smile, but it comes out looking painful.

"Echo!" I drop to my knees beside him, taking his hand. It's cold, much colder than it should be in this sun-drenched paradise. "What happened? Are you okay?"

He squeezes my hand, his grip weak. His Hawaiian shorts and simple necklace are dirty and torn, but it's his skin that catches my eye. Dark marks, like bruises, spread across his ethereal form. They cover him all over his body.

"The shadows... they were stronger this time. I held them off, but..." He coughs, and I notice each bruise sinking deep, spreading tiny, spider-like black veins. It looks like his blood is tainted, rotting his skin, turning it gray.

"Oh my god," I mutter, planting a hand over my mouth. "What did they do to you?"

His eyes look like frosted glass, dull and distant as he struggles to focus on me.

"They didn't appreciate me forcing you out of the dream," he murmurs, his voice barely audible above my labored breathing. "The shadow beings... they aren't exactly friendly."

"They're fucking monsters." I squeeze his hand tighter, my heart racing. "But you'll be okay, Echo. They won't win," I say, trying to sound confident, though I'm drowning in doubt. I feel so helpless, so powerless. If even Echo couldn't withstand them, what chance do I have?

One glance at his wounds makes my stomach churn. He looks so bad, it hurts to see. Yet, he manages a weak smile, like he's trying to reassure me, not himself. Trying to make it better for my sake. It shatters me.

"You're right, they won't," he says, his voice cracking. "That's because you came to me. I was scared I wouldn't see you again, that they'd get to you and break our bond. I wanted to help you reach the dreamscape, but... I'm almost out of energy. Those shadows attacked me. They're inside me now, running through me like poison."

I shake my head, refusing to accept this. "We'll find a way to cleanse you," I insist. "There has to be a cure, or a spell, or something. Intention, right? You said that works wonders. Just tell me what to do."

He barely manages a small smile as his eyes meet mine with a slight flicker. I hate to admit it, but it's clear he's struggling just to keep them open. He looks like he's about to fade away. Still, despite everything, he seems proud of me.

"Yes, intention is key," he manages to say, his voice strained. "But it's not as simple as just willing it away. It's deeper, worse. It's unheard of, Claire. I wouldn't want you to..."

I cut him off before he can finish. "What is it?" I press.

He swallows hard, his gaze shifting away before locking back on mine. "To purge this darkness, I need something equally powerful. Energy. It has to be freely given and taken. I would..." He stops, looking pained. "I would have to feed from you, Claire. Like a parasite. Like a leech. And that's exactly what I've promised to protect you from."

His words make me catch my breath. The thought that Echo, who's always had my back, now needs my life force is downright scary. But I can't just sit around and watch him waste away. It's a no-brainer; I have to help.

He and I are in this together.

"O-okay. That's barely an issue," I begin, my voice trembling, "Just tell me what to do and I'll do..."

"It's dangerous," he cuts in, his voice a mix of worry and urgency. "Really dangerous. I might take too much. I might hurt you."

"But without you here, Echo, the shadows will take over." I shake my head, feeling the weight of my words. "I don't think you understand just how much you mean to me. You're worth whatever it takes."

I keep silent about the rest, about how if he vanishes, the presence will come for me too. He seems unaware of what happened after I returned to my world—how it twisted my time and space, turning me into its puppet. It broke me, toyed with me, and left me helpless. A laughingstock. A lunatic.

I can't tell him that. I don't want him to carry the guilt. But the shadows within him threaten not just him, but everything I know. He is the last spark of hope in this dreary world of mine. My last bastion of sanity.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my trembling hands, and ignore the way his eyes gleam with emotion. "I'm asking you again. Please, answer me this time. How can I give you my energy?"

Echo and I are a team. He's been saving me all this time; now it's my turn to repay the favor.

He touches my face gently, his hand trembling like a feather in the wind. His touch is cold, almost icy against my skin. It feels like there's an abyss between us now, with my warmth as the only thing fuelling us both.

"Oh, my Little Soul. You're so damn pure," he breathes.

"Echo," I exhale.

He smiles again weakly, and I know he'll do what I ask of him now. He can sense my desperation. I'm sure he can.

"I need to connect with you on a deep level, not just physically but spiritually and emotionally too. It's like a bond," he says. "You'll have to open up to me completely, let me into every part of you. It will be draining. It might hurt. Do you still want to do this?"

I nod, "Yes."

"I'll only take what's absolutely necessary, and nothing more. I promise."

"Okay," I reply, my voice steady but my heart racing. I trust him, but I'm scared as hell. I wish I could just close my eyes and let the energy flow out of me and into him without overthinking it. "What do I do?"

Our time is running out. I can see it in the way Echo's normally perfect skin creases with worry, his pale face glistening with sweat. He's fighting against the clock, yet he still takes the time to explain things to me.

"I… uh," he starts, hesitance in his voice. "I've never done this before, Claire. All I can say is… whatever comes to your mind first, that's it. Don't overthink it. Focus on the intention and give me your energy. How you do it is up to you."

My mind reels. I'm left stunned for a second before an entirely inappropriate thought invades like a poison. I curse myself internally, but it's too late.

How could you even think about it in such a moment?!

"What is it?" Echo asks, his breath raspy. "You thought of a way, didn't you?"

"No, I…" Words fail me. "Believe me, it's not…"

"Try it," he urges.

Little does he know that the first thing that came to my mind is just a filthy fantasy that should be kept locked up in this very moment deep in my mind, rather than a way to save his life.

But just as I start to shake my head, Echo's eyes roll back, his breaths becoming shallow and rapid, and any embarrassment I feel washes away. I'm going to do this. I'm going to give him my energy, even if it's in the most perverted way imaginable.

"Alright," I say, mustering up some courage. "Just don't hate me after I do this."

"I could never hate you, Claire. Whatever it takes, whatever you think of—just do it. Trust yourself."

Taking a deep breath, I try to shake off the stress, pushing aside all my doubts and focusing solely on him. Exhaling slowly, I slip out of the simple floral skirt I've been wearing since I entered this dreamscape this time. It's roughened up by the forest anyway.

"I'm going to, uh… sit on your face, okay?" I warn him. God, this is crazy… His grunt in response sends a thrill through me, making my blood boil. Despite his pain, he manages a slight smirk, his jaw tensing with what I only call anticipation.

Somehow, he wants this. There's not even a flicker of doubt crossing his features.

I never imagined that someone I care about would need to eat me out to survive, but that's exactly the crazy thought that popped into my head. So, that's what we're going to do. I blame all those sleepless nights diving into books, fanfics, and webtoons for putting this wild idea in my mind.

As I crawl over to his head, my heart pounds. When I lower myself onto him, my breath catches. The moment his lips touch my clit, I have to bite my lip hard to stifle a moan.

It's bad. It's completely out of place. It's wrong. But it also fires me up in the best way. My chest feels like it might explode. I'm nervous, worried, and honestly… turned on. I bite my lip.

Echo's tongue flicks out, giving me a long, albeit weak lick from my entrance to my clit. He groans beneath me, bringing a frail hand to grab my ass, licking again, and making me let out a muffled, high-pitched sound. Then he catches me off guard. He pulls me closer, burying his whole mouth between my folds, and starts devouring me.

My legs begin to shake.

"Oh, Echo," I say, the sound something between a gasp and a moan. Worry tinges my voice as I wonder if this might be too much for him, if the effort might make him feel worse. But right now, I can't stop. I couldn't move if I wanted to—he holds me too strongly.

That must be a good thing, right? He must be strong enough to…

Oh. Oh. Fuck!

His tongue pushes against me, pressing into my entrance and teasing the soft, silky muscles of my pussy. My voice catches, breaking into a soft, involuntary mewl.

"This… Wait…" I stammer, my words slurring as waves of sensations spread from my core to my belly, then through my limbs. He's getting stronger, moving quicker, more agile, and full of life.

I turn to look at his body. The dark spots are still there, but the skin around them loses its gray hue, returning to that ethereal glow he used to have.

"Oh god," I pant. "It's working."

But the thing is… he doesn't just feed on my energy. He devours my pussy with an intensity that makes everything else disappear. It's like he wasn't on the brink of death just moments ago. He feasts on me like he's been starving for this exact moment.

His nails trace over my ass, oblivious to my words. His tongue starts gentle, but then he digs in, holding my cheeks apart and plunging his tongue deep inside me. He teases, grazing my sensitive flesh with his teeth, sucking and probing like a man possessed.

"Echo," I groan, hoping he can hear me. "It's working."

But I'm right there with him, losing myself. I bite my lower lip, the pain adding a sweet twist to the pleasure building inside me as I dig my fingers into the forest floor, nails scratching the soil.

"Yes," he rasps underneath me. But even as his wounds close, his hunger isn't sated. He presses his tongue deeper, and my muscles clench around him, desperate for more.

I don't protest. No, not at all. I might have been scared before, but now, as my energy flows out of me in waves, building in my abdomen and pushing me to the edge, I don't want it to stop. It feels divine. It doesn't hurt at all. And even if it does, I can't feel it because the pleasure is so strong it drowns everything else out.

"Please, don't stop," I beg, throwing my head up and feeling my throat stretch.

Humiliation flickers through me whenever a sliver of rational thought pierces the haze. Echo was supposed to be the one I healed, a dying man. Now, he's the one tending to me, his groans mingling with the wet sounds of his tongue lapping at my juices.

It only arouses me more.

The forest hides us from the sun, darkness playing with rare rays of light in the air. It's darker than it was the last time I was here. I should be scared. I should feel what I always do in the dark—fear. Instead, I experience something completely different. I am liberated, my blood buzzing with white-hot pleasure that lights me up from the inside.

"Mm, you're so sweet, my Little Soul," Echo croons. His fingers are reaching to my back now and slide down ever so slowly. He presses them into my ass crack and keeps sliding until he reaches the rim of my butt. There, he circles me slowly, eliciting another raw moan from me. "So very good."

My legs shake so hard. I don't know how long I'll be able to stand this without tipping over the edge. My head gets dizzy. The world spins. Suddenly, I feel like I'm in the clouds.

"Oh god... Echo, oh, Echo," I moan. My whole body trembles when he slips a finger into my ass, still moving it slowly, unlike his tongue. "I feel like I'm flying…"

I try to explain how I feel like a tiny dot in a vast expanse of swirling colors, like the aurora borealis dancing around the stars. But if I were a star, I'd be alone in the sky, outshining every other being. But he's here with me, fueling this rising, threatening energy within me. He's making me burn brighter than ever.

I feel powerful. Strong, amazing, blinding.

And then, right before the light spills over, something happens. My knees lift off the mossy ground, and air whooshes around me.

"What is... Oh my god." I can't even ask Echo what's going on because he brings his other hand into play, pressing his thumb against my clit. He starts rubbing and caressing my swollen bundle of nerves, and it's all I need to tip over the edge.

The weird sensation becomes less important as the orgasm hits me like a waterfall, shaking my body. My eyes roll back, and a raw, primal cry escapes my throat, echoing in the distance and startling a flock of birds high in the canopies.

But wait... the canopies aren't as high as I thought. Just as Echo growls and grips me hard enough to leave bruises, I manage to open my eyes amid my ragged, gasping breaths.

We're… flying. We're actually fucking flying.

What the hell?

It wasn't just something that I thought I felt—we're literally lifted into the air by some unknown force, like a flower petal caught in the wind.

"Echo," I call to him. He's still lost in the moment, his movements more frantic than ever. "Echo, wait."

At first, he doesn't seem to hear me, so intense is his focus. But slowly, his pace eases, and his eyes meet mine—wild with confusion and sudden realization. He licks his lips, his pink tongue gliding over his front teeth, as he comes back to the present.

"We're in the air," I manage to say, my voice trembling with a mix of pleasure and awe. The ground below has blurred into streaks of green and brown already, and the trees around us thin rapidly.

I should be scared. I should panic over the weightlessness in my bones or the fact that gravity isn't pulling my hair down but making it float as if I'm in space, not a humid rainforest. But I'm far from it. Instead, a sensation of lightness and happiness pulses in my chest, like my heart has transformed into pure bliss.

"Did you do this?" I ask as he rises from between my thighs and floats up to meet me face to face. His skin still glistens from my release, and he casually brushes his thumb over it, licking it off. Just watching him gives me tingles all over.

"No," he replies, his eyes hungry yet intensely bright, completely different from the weak, faint gleam they had when I found him—like a match flame next to a wildfire. "You did."

"What?"

"You felt like you were flying, didn't you?" he says, a thrill in his voice that matches the thrill in my heart.

His gaze sends a shiver through me. His eyes are squinted, and there's a tension in his jaw that makes my heart flutter with something, an intense anticipation perhaps. Or at least, that's what I think. It's… strange.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask. But instead of answering right away, Echo grabs my hand and pulls me close until our chests are flush and our noses nearly touch. I can smell a faint scent of musk on him. My scent.

"Thank you for saving me, Claire," he whispers. "I never imagined that nearly dying could lead to something so pleasant."

My blood turns hot. Embarrassment heats up my cheeks so much my skin is surely a bright crimson. But even though his words are setting me on fire, that weird look in his eyes isn't fading at all. If anything, it's getting even more noticeable.

"Of course," I mutter, caught off guard. A cold shiver runs down my spine, each vertebrae feeling the icy touch from the nape of my neck to my lower back.

Echo lifts my chin with a finger, and for a moment, it feels almost romantic, but the energy he exudes tells a different story. I don't know what's going on. I'm confused.

"When I was so weak," he whispers, "I couldn't get into your mind. I didn't know how bad of a girl you were to me right before feeding me your delicious energy."

His words send another wave of chills down my spine, this time mixed with fear. I don't know why this fear arises, but it does, mingling with the excitement of being suspended in air, defying gravity.

"What are you trying to say?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady. But his closeness, his dark and raw look, and that touch of unhinged intensity do weird things to me.

His grip on my chin tightens slightly, and his gaze sharpens. "I'm just grateful, Claire," he murmurs, voice dropping lower. "Grateful, yet curious... curious about the thoughts you hid from me, the feelings you harbored while I was vulnerable. That ugly, hard truth you kept from me. It's nearly the same as lying, my Little Soul. Lying by omission."

"A lie…" I repeat, swallowing hard.

I didn't tell him the shadows had gotten to me. I didn't mention how much they messed me up because I didn't want him to worry or blame himself. Honestly, I was even ready to lie just to give him some peace of mind.

But I forgot one detail. Echo can read my mind. He can sift through my thoughts as he pleases, uncovering things I'd rather keep hidden.

What he's saying is... when he was injured, he couldn't see through me, but now he can. And he's not pleased with what I've kept to myself.

"You were a bad girl, weren't you?" he asks, his eyes narrowing into dark slits. His blue eyes could match the sky, but only if it were stormy. Otherwise, they're just too dark, edged with something deeper than sunlit skies.

"You were in danger," I reply, my voice steady, despite the heat swirling inside me. "My only thought was to save you. There was no time for... for anything else."

"Mm, another little lie," he quips, one corner of his lips lifting. "I think I should show you just why you shouldn't lie to me, Claire. You need to be taught a lesson."

Suddenly, I'm acutely aware that I'm not wearing any panties. A bolt of pleasure strikes at my core, and I can feel my wetness coating my thighs. Being scolded by a guardian spirit shouldn't be this arousing, yet I can't stop rubbing my thighs together.

"What are you going to do to me?" I ask, my voice dripping with desire.

I could blame it on the weightlessness, the breathtaking view of the vast rainforest below, the ponds, rivers, and the waterfall where we last made love. But the truth is undeniable: he awakens something deep within me, something primal.

I like this new side of him. Fuck, maybe I should hide things from him more often.

"What am I going to do?" he echoes thoughtfully, more like to himself rather than to me, his gaze drifting down to where my thighs press together, then back up to meet my eyes. "Strip, Claire. Take your shirt off and let it drop down. I want to see all of you."

He lets me go, floating away from me faster than I can grip him and hold on for my dear life. For a moment there, I think I'm going to fall down without him. Then, I realize I stay in the air just fine.

The look he gives me is full of expectation, charged with anticipation and command. He challenges me, and the thrill of it adds an electrifying tension to the air. I can taste it in the wind.

With trembling fingers, I reach for the hem of my shirt. As I lift it over my head, the cool air brushes against my skin, and the shirt flutters away in the breeze like a fallen leaf.

"Mm, such a pretty liar you are," he purrs, his eyes raking over me. Goosebumps rise on my breasts as the cool air teases my nipples. "Tell me, is your pussy still clenching after I ate it so well?"

He already knows the answer. He just wants to hear me say it.

"Yes," I breathe, my eyes tracing the hard lines of his jaw, neck, and shoulders. He's nearly as naked as I am, with only a thin piece of fabric clinging to his hips. It barely covers him, but I can tell he's just as aroused.

"I'm going to make you come around my cock, Claire," he murmurs, drawing closer. He floats like I do, but with more control. If I tried to run, he'd catch me effortlessly. "I'm going to make you writhe and spasm and salivate right here in the sky."

I listen to him breathlessly, the pleasure from my last orgasm still spreading through me like liquid warmth. It's delicious and inviting, and if I didn't maintain a bit of self-control, I'd spread my legs right here to show Echo exactly what he's doing to me.

But I doubt he'd appreciate that—he's scolding me right now, after all. He wants to be the one in control, and honestly, that's perfectly fine by me.

He reaches for his ravaged pants, loosening the laces at the front, which are somehow still holding together. With one swift move, he unties the strings, and his pants drop to the floor. His cock is... it's enormous.

My eyes go wide thinking it was already inside me before. If I didn't remember him stretching me so perfectly under the waterfall, I wouldn't believe it. It's just too big.

"I can feel your fear, my Little Soul," he says. "I can feel it all the time. I can smell it, taste it in the air, taste it in the way your juices are still present on my tongue. You're so drenched by it that it became a part of your identity. But don't start fearing me now."

"I'm not scared of you," I manage to say, swallowing hard. "Not at all."

"Are you sure?"

His nostrils flare, and I can see the tension in his body. Suddenly, in the span of a heartbeat, he's right in front of me, his fingers tangling in my hair, tugging at my scalp. He inhales deeply at the base of my neck.

"Another little lie," he whispers.

Before I can react, he spins me around. There's no resistance as he does so. There's no ground beneath me for my feet to rub against. There's no gravity pulling me steady. There's only the weightlessness, and now, him.

I gasp, a shiver running through me as his fingers trace my pubic mound. He pulls me close, his face buried in the nook of my neck, his other hand gripping my breast.

"Fuck," I mutter, biting my lower lip. Yes, if this is what punishment for lying feels like, I should lie more often. Absolutely. He trails his tongue over my skin as if he likes the idea too—not the lying, but the delicious things he's about to do to me because of it.

"Such a sensitive little thing," he murmurs against my skin, nudging my legs open as his other hand teases my nipple. His fingers find my clit, pinching it just right, and my eyes roll back. "See? So sensitive..."

His point is crystal clear, and all I can do is moan, lost in the mix of his dirty words and dark, commanding presence. I'm dripping wet, my brain a haze, my body flushed with heat.

I've never given in to anyone so easily. With Echo it's different. I know that beneath his dark facade, he truly cares for me. Rough sex excites me, and I've always craved domination, but there's usually a whisper of caution in my mind, a need to stay alert. With him, that whisper is silent. I can let go.

And, oh, it just makes the way he's touching me… The pleasure that's building within me from a bare pinch makes my toes curl.

"I wanted to take only as much energy from you as I needed," he groans, "but you were so sweet, so pure and tantalizing, like honey for a wasp."

He plays with my pussy, rubbing my clit, and I shake in his arms, pressing my ass against his hardness, desperate for relief. But he doesn't give it to me right away. His fingers tease my opening, gathering my wetness to make my clit even slicker.

His teeth nip at my throat, his tongue ever so often licking sore spots and sucking my sensitive skin in.

"Echo… Please," I gasp, the tension building so quickly that it's almost unbearable. Just as I'm about to shatter, he stops.

"Yes, my Little Soul. Beg me to fuck you," he commands, his grip on my hips making sure I can't move against him. My whole body screams in protest, my core pulsating so intensely it's pure torture.

"Please, Echo," I repeat, panting breaths lifting my chest.

"Please what?"

"Please, Echo," I answer. "Please, fuck me. I really want it. I need it."

There's a small pause during which the anticipation nearly kills me. Then, he's guiding himself into me with a low rumble in his chest.

"Ah, truthful at last," he murmurs, thrusting into me in one smooth motion. My back arches, and my breath catches in my throat.

It feels like we've been waiting forever for this moment, and I'm already on the brink of falling apart. My muscles tremble, too tense to last much longer.

I inhale sharply as Echo starts thrusting into me with increasing urgency, each stroke faster than the last. Then, I cry out when he releases my breast and wraps my hair around his fist, the delicious pain overwhelming me completely.

"You're so breathtaking, Little Soul," he grunts, rocking himself into me. "So sweet, so perfect. I want to see you break apart for me. Will you come for me? Will you squeeze my cock and give me pleasure for all the lies you told me?"

"Yes!" I gasp. "Yes, please… I want…"

The words escape me, my thoughts a jumbled mess.

"That's my girl," he murmurs. "So sweet and yet so filthy. Moan for me, Claire. I want to hear your cries."

Even if I wanted to stay silent, the pleasure is too overwhelming, too primal. Tears gather at the corners of my eyes as I close them, surrendering to the sensation.

"Such pretty noises," he groans, unable to hold back. "Such a tight, wet pussy."

He clamps his teeth down on the shell of my ear, forcing my gaze to the blue sky as he tugs my hair. My neck stretches, my back arches, and my muscles tighten until pain and pleasure blend into a searing white heat.

"Oh, god… Echo!" I open my mouth, my voice failing me as he rocks me back and forth. And then, just as I become as taut as a bowstring, all the tension releases in an explosion that has me spasming in his arms.

"Yeah, just like that. Come for me, Claire," he whispers, holding me firmly in place. "Give me all of you."

I do. In this moment, I'd give him everything. He groans, thrusting deeper, and my muscles quiver around him. I love every moment of it—the comedown, the way everything in me turns limp and defenseless, the way I never want this feeling to end.

"Mm," he purrs after a moment, still inside me, licking the shell of my ear like I'm a candy he can't resist. "Now you're my good girl again, Claire."

And just like that, a bubble of laughter rises within me, pure and uncontrollable.

"So, tell me exactly what happened," Echo says as we sit on a cloud. Yes, we're literally sitting on a freaking cloud, with him across from me, his eyes piercing through me.

Unfortunately, the good mood I had vanished quickly because of all the heavy stuff we need to discuss. I had my five minutes of sunshine, but now came the rain. I can't even muster a smile.

"Do we really have to talk about it?" I start, my voice barely more than a whisper against the vast, open sky. "Can't you just read it from my mind or something?"

He smacks his lips and runs a hand through his messy black hair. Aside from the cloudy mist enveloping us, we're still naked, and I can see his injuries clearly. Most have scarred over, leaving small black marks. The rest are still red, as if the skin had been burned. At least the graying is completely gone.

"Sure, I could," he replies. "But I only know what you remember. Now, I want you to relive everything. Maybe there's something you missed. Talk me through it. Refresh your memories."

I roll my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose, understanding his point even if I don't want to admit it. I take a deep breath, my thoughts shrouded by the cool mist of the cloud like a veil.

"Okay," I say, steeling myself. "Makes sense. But I don't even know where to start because all my thoughts are jumbled."

"Let's start from the beginning," he says, casually propping his leg up on the cloud. He looks like he stepped right out of a Renaissance painting, especially with the sunlight hitting him just right. "From the very first moment you felt something was off. We'll figure it out, step by step."

I nod, taking a moment to gather my thoughts.

"Honestly, it started out painfully normal. I thought I was awake," I confess, remembering everything that happened after the last time I saw him. "I didn't know you had pushed me out of the dreamscape. I just thought I had woken up from a beautiful dream that turned into a nightmare. Little did I know, I had just jumped into yet another dream that was too damn realistic to start with."

Echo's expression flickers subtly, the sun casting shadows that dance across his features, giving him that otherworldly look.

"You didn't have any doubts?"

I purse my lips.

"I mean... I felt off, but at first, there was nothing specific, so I just ignored it. You know, I often feel weird. Real life isn't like it is here. Out there, I'm a complete mess. I can't tell what's strange and what's normal. It's like... everything's strange, if that makes sense."

He leans forward, his gaze sharp with interest—or is it something else? "And how did that strange feeling manifest this time?"

"It was the way I remembered feelings from here, the dreamscape. It's like it wasn't me who felt them, but I was merely a spectator. All happiness seemed so bleak, so faint, as if it had been sucked out of me. And then, slowly, all I could clearly feel was fear."

Echo's brow creases slightly, and he nods slowly, as if absorbing every word, weighing it. "Go on," he prompts.

"I kept jumping at every sound. Sometimes, it was just the noise I made that sent chills down my spine. Other times, it was the people," I continue, the unease I felt then slowly creeping back. "That time in the store was the worst. The people looked normal, but their eyes... their eyes were empty, soulless. They moved as if controlled by something or someone else. It was like walking through a town full of puppets. They were chasing me."

"That sounds terrifying," he comments.

"It was," I reply. "It was awful."

My hands start trembling at the memory. Suddenly, the sun isn't enough to keep me warm. It feels as if the air turns to ice, each gust of wind slashing at my skin.

Echo watches me intently, his gaze resting on my trembling fingers. I try to steady my breathing, reminding myself that I'm not out there anymore. I'm in the dreamscape. Here, I'm safe.

"How is that even possible?" I ask, my forehead creasing with confusion. "A dream within a dream. Why would that even happen?"

He turns to stare at the sun and takes a deep breath.

"When I pushed you out of the dream, the shadows must have been too close. I did everything I could to prevent it, but some must have slipped out with you."

"Okay," I say slowly, my throat tightening. "But still... Echo, the things I saw... It wasn't about losing track of what was real. Everything happening to me was real. I saw shadows in the store and I heard your voice. After that, my memory turns blank, but… I somehow came back home. The same thing happened when I talked to Camilla. I had a conversation with her on the phone. That's when I heard the… the presence, talking to me. Camilla said I freaked out, too. It wasn't just a dream. These events, they really happened."

Echo turns away from the sun, his expression somber, reflecting the seriousness of my words.

"What you experienced is rare, even within the intricate layers of dreamscapes. It's called dream bleed-through. Your reality and the dreamscape merged due to the close presence of the shadows during your transition. That's why everything felt so real yet so distorted." He pauses, lips pursed thoughtfully. "In other words, when you were ejected from the dreamscape, you were still in a receptive state, normally under my control here. Sure, you have some power in this realm, but primarily, you receive whatever I create for you. When you were suddenly forced out, you continued to receive, but without guidance, allowing the shadows to exploit this. They merged your reality with your receptive state and twisted your perceptions to suit their needs."

My stomach churns. "Their needs... what do they even want from me then?" I ask, my voice cracking.

"I don't know, Claire," he answers solemnly. "But whatever it is, it can't be good."

I'm left breathless.

"But surely... it won't happen again, right? It was just a one-time thing, the shadows following me, wasn't it?" The thought of it happening again terrifies me. I can't imagine anything worse than not being able to live my life normally—well, perhaps only the inability to return here, to the dreamscape.

But instead of Echo smiling and reassuring me, he clenches his fists and tightens his jaw. "I wish that were true, Claire," he says calmly, though his voice is heavy with gravity. "But once they've latched onto your subconscious, they can exploit it again."

My mouth falls open helplessly. "But then, how do I know what's real and what's not out there?" I ask, my heart squeezing painfully.

"That's the thing," he replies. "You don't. The only place you're safe is here, with me."