Petal’s eyes snapped open, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her pulse hammered in her chest as the remnants of the nightmare clung to her mind, her heart still racing. In the dark room, the air felt thick, heavy—unnatural. She lay still for a moment, trying to calm her panicked breath, but everything was unfamiliar. The bed, the low wooden beams above her, the cracked paint on the walls. This wasn’t her room.
Her eyes darted around, the remnants of the dream still echoing in her mind. There was something she had to remember, something about a figure... a man. Her chest tightened as a sudden dread washed over her.
No... no, not now, not again.
She bolted upright, her hands trembling as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. Her breath hitched as her mind scrambled to place herself. Where was she? What was happening?
The door creaked open, and there he was.
Chase.
He stood in the doorway, holding a jug of water, his face unreadable. He didn’t look surprised that she was awake, though his gaze lingered on her with something that might have been concern. But Petal couldn’t see it—not anymore. She couldn't focus on anything but the fear that gripped her chest.
“You woke up,” Chase said, his voice calm, almost too calm.
Petal’s heart thudded in her ears, her eyes wide with terror. She could barely breathe. Her pulse quickened, as the blurry fragments of her nightmare surged back with vicious clarity.
Her lips trembled as she spoke, her voice barely a whisper. “You’re him… right?”
Chase blinked, taking a slow step forward. “What do you mean?”
Petal scooted back against the wall, her breathing sharp and uneven. “You’re him,” she repeated, her voice rising with hysteria. “The man from my nightmares. The one who...” Her breath faltered. “The one who... had my name on his chest.”
Chase froze, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. He put the jug of water down on the small wooden table by the door and took another step closer. “Petal, what are you talking about? There’s no one—”
“No!” She screamed, her eyes wild with terror. “I saw it! I saw my name, carved on your chest!” She covered her face with her hands, shaking uncontrollably now. “Why... why ? Why are you him*?”
Chase’s expression softened, but it was a controlled kind of softness—like he was trying to calm a frightened animal, not understanding the depths of her fear. He stepped closer again, but this time Petal shot up from the bed, backing away from him with panicked, jerky movements.
“No! Stay away from me!” she gasped, her eyes wide, frantic.
Chase stopped, his brow furrowed with confusion. “Petal, it’s just me,” he said, his voice softer now, but there was a firmness to it. “Just calm down. You’re—”
“No! You’re him! You’re him!” Petal cried, her voice cracking with terror. Her hands were shaking so violently she could barely stand. She backed further away, hitting the corner of the room. “I saw it, I know what I saw!”
Chase’s expression flickered between concern and a touch of impatience. He moved slowly, carefully, as if not wanting to frighten her further. “You’re hallucinating. You’re probably just... still shaken up from the nightmare.”
“No!” she screamed again, tears running down her cheeks. “It wasn’t a dream! It wasn’t a dream!” She gasped for air, as if she could find some escape from the suffocating terror in her chest.
"I'm not him how many times should I say this " Chase said .
She wiped her face with the back of her hand, leaving streaks of tears and sweat. She said with a bit of anger “show me! Show me your chest!”
Chase blinked, his brows furrowing, but he slowly unbuttoned the top of his shirt, pulling it open just enough to reveal his bare chest. His skin was pale in the dim light, smooth and unmarred.
Nothing.
No name. No sign of anything unusual.
Petal’s eyes darted over his chest, searching, frantic. But there was nothing.
Chase’s chest rose and fell with a deep breath as he stood still, watching her. His tone was soft, but firm as he spoke. “See there’s nothing here. You must have been seeing things. You’re not well, okay? You need to calm down.”
Petal stumbled back again, her breath sharp and quick, her hands trembling at her sides. “No... no, I saw it. I saw it! I’m not... I’m not crazy!” She held her head in her hands, shaking violently. “I saw my name. You’re him. You’re the one in my nightmares. You are him!”
Chase reached out to her, but she recoiled, her fear flooding her body with a cold, unshakable grip. She turned and ran to the door, pushing it open. She had to get out of here. She had to leave.
“Petal!” Chase called out, his voice sharp, concerned now. He was close—too close—but she didn’t care. She just had to get away.
She flung the door open, her feet carrying her into the dim hallway. She ran. She had no idea where she was going, but she couldn’t stay in that room. She couldn’t stay with him.
But Chase was faster. He caught her arm as she tried to flee down the hall, spinning her around and pulling her back toward him. “Petal, stop!”
“Let me go!” she screamed, struggling to break free of his grip.
His fingers tightened on her arm, his voice low but firm. “Petal, calm down. ”
She fought against him, her body shaking with terror. “No! Let me go! You’re him, you’re that man—don’t touch me! Don’t touch me!”
Tears streamed down her face as she struggled, sobbing between ragged breaths. She couldn’t stop the panic, couldn’t control the overwhelming fear that flooded every inch of her body.
“Petal…” Chase’s voice softened. His hand gently cupped her face, but she jerked her head away. “You’re just scaring yourself. I’m not him. I’m not the man from your nightmares. It's just your mind playing games with you ”
Petal shook her head violently, her chest heaving. “I don’t... I don’t know what’s real anymore.” Her voice broke as she whispered, “I don’t know what’s happening.”
Chase’s face softened with something like regret, and he slowly released his grip on her. “It’s okay. You are safe here. You are safe with me . Whatever you saw, whatever you think you saw... it’s not real, alright? You’ve been through a lot. You just need to rest.”
Petal stood there, her body trembling uncontrollably. Her mind was a tangled mess of doubt and fear, and she didn’t know who to trust anymore. She didn’t know if what she had seen had been a hallucination or something else entirely.
But Chase’s voice, steady and insistent, filled the space around her. “You’re at my farmhouse. You were exhausted. I thought if I take you home in this condition Maya would get worried "Petal not replied . " You need rest. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”he asked
She didn’t respond, her eyes just staring at him, searching for any sign of something she could trust. But she wasn’t sure anymore.
.....
"How’s she doing? Did she remember anything? Did she remember you?" the voice asked, calm but tinged with curiosity.
Chase leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers rhythmically against the armrest, staring out the window with a faraway look. He exhaled slowly, his mind still reeling from the chaos of . "No," he said flatly. "She doesn’t remember anything... yet."
His friend paused for a moment. "You sure? Because if she remembers even a fraction of what happened—"
"I know, I know," Chase interrupted, his voice tight with frustration. "I made sure she didn’t remember. I did everything I could. But... she’s still suspicious. She's doubting me. She thinks I'm the man from her nightmares." His voice dropped, barely a whisper at the end.
There was a silence on the other side of the phone, then his friend spoke, his tone sharp. "You should’ve hid it better. How could you be so reckless, Chase? You know better than this."
Chase clenched his jaw, irritation bubbling under his skin. "I did hide it. I had it under control. But..." He paused, his thoughts straying to that moment when Petal had looked at him with those wide, frightened eyes, questioning everything. "I think it was the ice cream," he muttered.
His friend’s voice was incredulous. "Ice cream? Really?"
"Yeah," Chase replied, almost bitterly. "She is saying I'm man from her nightmares. But I don’t think she remembers everything. At least not yet. She’s just... doubting me."
The psychiatrist’s voice was more measured now. "What was Maya’s reaction?"
Chase hesitated, glancing away, the memory of the confrontation still raw. "I didn’t bring her home," he said slowly, voice low. "I couldn’t take the risk. It’s... too dangerous."
"Then where did you take her?" his friend pressed.
"A farmhouse," Chase replied, a hint of exhaustion in his voice. "I thought it would be safer, more controlled. I was worried about how much she remembered. If she remembered too much, it could get... difficult to handle."
His friend didn’t respond immediately. Instead, there was a slight exhale on the other end of the line, followed by, "So how was it? Was it... what you expected?"
Chase leaned back further into his chair, the memory of the night still fresh in his mind. "Complete nightmare," he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. His mind replayed the moments over and over: Petal’s fear, her confusion, the way she had looked at him like she was on the verge of recognizing him.
.....
Petal sat alone in room, she pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms tightly around them. The weight of what had happened, what she had seen, clung to her like a heavy fog, refusing to lift.
"I clearly saw it," she whispered to herself, her voice barely more than a breath. She shook her head, trying to push the images from her mind, but they kept replaying in her thoughts, relentless. "How can it just disappear?"
Her eyes darted around the room, as if hoping the walls could offer some kind of answer. But there was nothing—just the suffocating silence and her swirling doubts.
Is Chase really the guy from my nightmares? she asked herself, the question lingering like an unwelcome shadow. She bit her lip, staring at the floor, trying to sort through the jumble of thoughts. The way his gaze had pierced through her , the intensity in his eyes—it was as if he knew something she didn’t. It felt... too familiar.
"He says he’s not, but—" Her voice faltered. She clenched her fists around her knees, her heart pounding in her chest. "The way he looked at me when I saw it... he clearly saw it too."
Her mind raced. No. He’s right. I’m overthinking this. She let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes, trying to calm the storm of thoughts inside her head. How could he be the one from my nightmares?
She let out a bitter laugh, the sound hollow in the quiet room. "He was helping me, and I’m doubting him." She squeezed her eyes shut, as if the act could block out her doubts. "Why am I even questioning this? He helped me."
But the look. That damn look. It stayed with her, an imprint on her memory she couldn’t shake off. His eyes, the way they looked at her , She remembered them clearly .
Could I be imagining it? Was it just a hallucination, like Chase said? The question lingered, unanswered, spinning in her mind like a broken record.
Her breath hitched in her throat as the weight of uncertainty crushed her. She buried her face in her knees, unable to look up. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest as she rocked back and forth slightly, trying to find some kind of comfort in the stillness.
"God, what’s happening to me?" she whispered, the tears finally coming, though she didn’t let herself cry.
She layed down there in the dark, clutching her knees tighter, her mind a swirl of conflicting emotions. The darkness felt suffocating, like it was closing in on her, and yet there was nowhere else to go. She not noticed when she slept.
....
The moonlight filtered through the thick curtains, casting an ethereal glow across the room where Petal lay sleeping. Her chest rose and fell with the rhythm of deep, peaceful breaths. The quiet stillness was broken only by the faint creak of the wooden floorboards as someone slowly approached.
It was Chase's brother, a figure cloaked in shadows, slipping into the room with the stealth of a predator. He paused near her bed, a look of sheer wonder and something darker in his eyes as he watched her sleep. He took a step closer, his breath catching in his throat.
"Unbelievable," he muttered to himself, voice barely above a whisper. He sat on the edge of the bed, so close he could feel the warmth radiating off her. "So innocent, so beautiful… I’ve never seen anything like it."
His hand hovered for a moment before gently brushing a lock of her hair away from her face, revealing the soft curve of her cheek. He stared at her, his eyes tracing every feature, every delicate detail. His lips curled into a small, almost reverent smile.
"I always wondered… why Chase would risk everything for you. He’s the best, you know? He never gets caught, always so smooth, so precise. But you, you were different. You were the one thing that slipped through his grasp, and I couldn’t understand why." His fingers brushed against her skin, lingering a moment longer than necessary.
"He could’ve just killed you when he had the chance. Why keep you alive? It didn’t make sense to me at first, but now… now I get it." He leaned in closer, his voice almost a whisper, filled with something that bordered on obsession. "You’re worth every risk, Petal. Every single one."
He laughed softly, a sound filled with quiet madness. "This innocence, this beauty… It's intoxicating. But there's one problem, isn’t there?" His eyes darkened. "You’re too young. That makes it forbidden… but then again, forbidden things are always more enticing, aren’t they?"
He exhaled a shaky breath, staring down at her with an expression that was both captivated and consumed. "Chase, he’s playing a dangerous game now, much more dangerous than before. I saw what happened today. I need to know what it means. What exactly is it you don't remember? I’ll find out. And when I do… well, I hope I don’t spoil your plans, Chase."
He chuckled softly, his eyes never leaving Petal's face. His voice dropped to a whisper, almost as if he were speaking directly to her, despite her unconsciousness. "I’ve always stayed out of your work, but this time… this time it’s different. I was angry at you for fighting with me over a girl. A mare girl? But now I see it she is not just a mare girl, even I would go any length for her .what if…" He paused, a slow smile spreading across his lips. "What if I snatch you from Chase, petal?"
A low, unsettling laugh bubbled from his throat as he stood, pacing a few steps, his mind clearly working in overdrive.
Just as he returned to her side, Petal shifted slightly in her sleep. She groggily blinked her eyes open, the fog of sleep clouding her vision for a moment. When she finally saw him, her eyes widened in confusion.
"Chase?" she asked softly, her voice thick with sleep as she tried to sit up, alarm flashing in her eyes.
Before she could react further, he moved with practiced speed. With one swift motion, he pulled a syringe from his pocket and injected it into her arm. The needle barely pierced her skin before he whispered, "Just sleep, darling."
Her body went limp almost immediately, and the confused panic in her eyes faded as she slipped back into unconsciousness. He leaned over her, watching her for a moment, his smile widening.
“It’s not the right time to meet" he murmured, voice dripping with a dangerous, almost possessive affection. "But soon. Very soon."
As he watched her sleep, a sense of fulfillment washed over him. This was just the beginning. And soon, Petal would belong to him—just like she belonged to Chase.
He sat there, his gaze fixed on Petal's serene face, and for a moment, the world around him seemed to blur. All he could focus on was her. So beautiful, he thought, as if he had never truly understood what beauty was until now. Every detail, every soft curve of her face, the way her lashes rested so perfectly against her skin—she was like something out of a dream, an impossible vision brought to life.
"God, you’re perfect," he whispered under his breath, leaning closer, his eyes tracing her features like he couldn’t get enough. "I never thought I’d see something so pure, so untouched. I thought I was just coming here for revenge—just a little revenge, just to teach my brother a lesson. But this… this is more than that."
His hand hovered above her cheek, as if unsure whether to touch her or simply admire her from a distance. "I didn’t expect this. I didn’t expect you. What is it about you that makes everything else fade away? This innocence, this vulnerability—it's more than I can handle."
His fingers brushed against her hair, his expression twisting with a blend of admiration and something far more dangerous. "You’ve become more than just a pawn in a game, Petal. You’re the prize. And I’ll have you."
Author's Note:
Hey everyone!
Sorry for the delay—I was caught up with something important. First of all, thank you so much for your responses and suggestions. Your feedback always motivates me to write better! Most of you suggested revealing chase's identity, and I genuinely tried to write a chapter where the reveal happens. But, no matter how many versions I wrote, none of them seemed to make sense!
So, I went with one of the other suggestions you guys shared and ended up writing this chapter instead. What do you think about it? Does it live up to your expectations? If it feels a little dull, I can totally relate because, well, I’ve been feeling a bit dull myself lately (LOL). For now I drop the idea of revealing his identity but I promise I won't take long to do it.
On a brighter note, I’m doing fine health-wise now, though I’m still procrastinating on a few tasks (who else can relate?). I promise to bring my A-game in the next chapter and make it even better for you all.
Thank you so much for reading. Vote only if you liked, and let me know your thoughts in comments, don't you think Chase’s brother praising Petal too much🥲😅 .
To My Lovely Readers,
I just want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for your love, support, and constant encouragement. Every read, vote, comment, and message means the world to me. You’re the reason I keep writing, keep creating, and keep believing in the stories I tell.
Your support turns my words into something more—it gives them life. Whether you’ve been with me since the beginning or just joined recently, know that you are deeply appreciated. This journey wouldn’t be the same without you.
Let’s continue growing together, exploring new emotions, falling in love with characters, and diving into stories that stay with us long after the last chapter.
With all my heart,
– Your Author, primpetal ❤
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