In Dreams, We Are Never Apart

Two weeks ago Clary would never have put her hopes on fate. She only felt cruelty towards the force that supposedly governed our lives based on the choices we make—whether good or bad. She believed in a god that loves and protects each of us, a god that would never harm us but rather shield us from harm.

It was Thursday, 25 July 2024, A date that will determine her fate. Whether the outcome was good or bad, she chose to accept. Three days ago, she made a decision that will bring joy to her face or tears. A choice that will determine the consequence of her fate. Yet three days ago, 23 July 2024, she put her hopes on fate. She sended a risky message to the one person she knew for a fact is forbidden and she had no future with yet her heart begged to differ. Yet her heart longed day and night, but she could only leave it up to fate to decide the consequence of her choice.

On 24 July 2024, at 22:00, she went into a slumber filled with dreams. What she didn't realize was that her choice had caused her to fall into lovesickness, suffering for three days with no cure—even in her dreams.

It was a very nice day, The weather was particularly pleasant , and Clary felt oddly good about herself today. She and her friends wandered off to their daily activities. As they walked, they stumbled upon someone she never thought she'd see again. Her friends walked ahead, but she was drawn to the murmurs until she forced her way to the front, and that's when she saw him—Matt Davis, just a few centimetres away.

The odd thing is his gaze was intently focused on her small figure which emerged out of nowhere into his sight. His gaze was so intense she had to hold her breath for a second in case she gave herself away, especially with the way his gaze affected her heart. Her eyes lit up unintentionally, and a smile crossed her face. Entranced by his gaze, she unknowingly waved at him.

Something felt off. His gaze seemed cold and distant, making her uneasy. As they passed each other, their eyes never broke contact. Clary's friends were confused but didn't ask, continuing to walk until they were near his house. Matt stood next to his gate, still watching her intently. She turned towards him, confused, and stepped closer, not breaking eye contact. Her shy demeanour disappeared, replaced by confidence.

Until he finally spoke, “Where are you going?”

Clary was both shocked and intrigued. She had no reason to lie and leaned closer, inches away from his heart. She looked up with an adorable, genuine smile.

"Oh, we are going to buy some cheese, you know, to blow some smoke," she replied, winking playfully. A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Okay, let's go," he said abruptly, opening his gate and walking towards her. Surprised, she stumbled backward and almost fell, feeling his warm arms around her waist. She opened her eyes to see the handsome, hazel-eyed boy she had long admired. He was a stranger, yet in this dream, he felt familiar.

"You okay?" he asked, breaking her thoughts. She nodded as he helped her to her feet. As they walked side by side, she couldn't help but study his physique, finding him not just beautiful but strong.

"Are you really sure you want to come?" she asked suddenly, looking away.

He stopped, lifting her chin with his finger to look into her eyes, causing butterflies to bloom in her stomach.

"Yes. Do you have a problem?" he inquired softly with a slight smile.

Her thoughts raced, but she shook her head no. They continued walking, and she saw her friends giggling at the encounter.

Halfway through their journey , many people walked by them, gazing at them weirdly. One thing about Clary she never liked to be the centre of attention. And she never thought it'd come to this walking with the handsome stranger she had only been observing throughout the years. She softly grabbed onto his arm,

“Why is everyone staring at us?” Her hands went to her face hiding herself from the stares and murmurs.

“They probably think we have something going on!” She frustratedly replied to her own question, still keeping her hands covering her face. The next move took her off guard. Matt took one of her hands and linked it with his. At this Clary was at a loss of words, her heart was beating so fast, she didn't know what to do but confusingly looked up into Matt’s eyes.

“Then let's give them something to talk about.” Matt smiled.

Not the faint smile from earlier , a true and genuine one. For a second Clary believed he felt the same way as her. So she played along. She took his hands and combined it properly like real couples hold hands. At this Matt looked surprised at her playing along. They kept walking and Clary couldn't help but feel safe holding Matt's hands. Asif having him by her side , she could be confident in herself and look at the people who are gazing at her. As long as it was with the one she had longed for. The person she had liked for all her life.

Until she saw the dark cloud, that would eventually bring her dream to an end. It was the same dark cloud that broke her heart. The same dark cloud that was close to the one person she had put her heart on.

“Matt, what is the meaning of this?” The dark cloud asked his friend. Matt left her hand immediately as if he regretted holding it. It was that moment Clary realised that, the dream she had longed for, the love she thought she had could only be a dream. And that the dark cloud would never let her dream come true.

That night, Clary woke up sweating, her heart shattered. The cliché of it all was that it was all just a dream that would never come true. From that day on, she left her choices and their consequences to fate. She carried Matt secretly in her heart, in fear of summoning the dark cloud that could break her heart again.