EIGHTEEN - PART 1

In the realm of slumber, Ava became acutely aware that she was ensconced in an extraordinary, lucid reverie. The world around her was awash with surreal hues and captivating textures, leaving no doubt that this was indeed a dream. Amidst this phantasmagorical landscape, her senses were stirred by an eerie presence hovering above her bed: a mysterious figure shrouded in a cloak. Ava was convinced that this could only be a figment of her dreaming mind.

She felt as if she had slumbered for an eternity, her eyes encrusted with fine grains of sand, her body laden with weariness, and her lips tender and chafed, as if they had been the recipients of fervent kisses. The memory of the sugar statue came rushing back, and a sense of trepidation took hold. But the cloaked figure interrupted her train of thought, dismissing the concern with an enigmatic statement.

"No, fret not about him. He's inconsequential. It's only you, and me," the figure murmured, as his eyes were suddenly engulfed in dark