Written in stars

Chapter5

Whispers of the Unknown

Lena’s pulse thundered in her ears.

Adrian Blackwood stood before her, his stormy gray eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made it impossible to look away.

"What the hell is happening to us?"

The words still hung in the air, thick with tension.

Lena wanted to answer.

She wanted to say something that would make sense of it all.

But how could she, when she barely understood it herself?

"I don’t know," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Adrian studied her for a long moment, his gaze searching, almost as if he was looking for something only she could give him.

Then, with a sharp exhale, he turned away, rubbing a hand across his jaw.

"This isn’t normal," he muttered. "This isn’t—" He stopped himself, as if saying it out loud would make it more real.

Lena hesitated before stepping closer. "Adrian…"

His name felt foreign on her lips, but it slipped out before she could stop it.

Adrian turned sharply, his gaze snapping to hers.

And for a moment—just a second—something flashed in his eyes.

Recognition.

As if he had heard her say his name before.

As if he had known it from another life.

Lena’s breath caught.

Adrian clenched his jaw and shook his head.

"This isn’t possible," he murmured. "It has to be some kind of coincidence."

Lena’s chest tightened.

"A coincidence?"

Was that really all this was?

Then why did it feel like something so much more?

Before she could say anything, Adrian’s phone buzzed on his desk.

He glanced at the screen and his expression darkened.

"This conversation isn’t over," he said, his voice firm.

Lena nodded, but deep down, she knew—this wasn’t something they could ignore forever.

Whatever was happening between them…

It was only getting stronger.

---

A Connection Too Strong to Deny

Lena spent the rest of the day in a daze.

She went through the motions—typing reports, answering emails—but her mind kept circling back to him.

To the dreams.

To the feeling that something inside her was waking up—something old, something lost.

By the time the clock hit six, she had barely made any progress.

With a frustrated sigh, she grabbed her bag and headed for the elevator.

The ride down felt endless, her thoughts a tangled mess.

But as she stepped outside, the cool evening air did little to clear her head.

She had barely taken a few steps when—

"Miss Carter."

Lena froze.

She turned.

And there he was.

Adrian Blackwood.

Standing near the entrance of the building, his hands in his pockets, his gaze locked onto her like she was a puzzle he couldn’t solve.

Lena’s heart skipped a beat.

She swallowed. "Mr. Blackwood."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, Adrian took a slow step forward.

"You said you’ve dreamed of a past that doesn’t belong to you," he said, his voice low, controlled.

Lena hesitated before nodding. "Yes."

Adrian’s eyes darkened.

"So have I."

Lena’s breath hitched.

She had known it.

She had felt it.

But hearing him say it out loud made it all too real.

Lena could barely move as she watched Adrian walk away.

His footsteps echoed in the quiet evening air, his broad frame disappearing into the sleek black car that was already waiting for him.

The door shut.

The engine hummed.

And then, just like that—

He was gone.

But the weight of his words still clung to her skin like a second shadow.

"Why does it feel like I’ve known you before?"

Lena shivered, wrapping her arms around herself as she turned toward the street.

She didn’t know how to answer that question.

But one thing was certain—

Adrian felt it too.

It wasn’t just her imagination.

It wasn’t just some dream.

Something was pulling them together—something neither of them could escape.

And that terrified her more than anything else.

---

A Sleepless Night

Lena barely remembered the cab ride home.

Her mind was too full, too tangled.

By the time she reached her apartment, exhaustion weighed on her shoulders, but she knew—there was no way she was going to sleep tonight.

Not with everything that had happened.

Not with the feeling that something bigger was waiting for her just beyond the veil of sleep.

She paced her small living room, chewing on her bottom lip as she replayed the day over and over again.

Adrian had dreamed of a past that didn’t belong to him.

And so had she.

But that wasn’t even the strangest part.

The strangest part was how familiar he felt.

Not just in the dreams, but in reality too.

Like she had already met him.

Like she had already known him.

Lena’s heart pounded.

Was it possible?

Could past lives be real?

She had never believed in that kind of thing before.

But now…

She wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

With a sigh, she ran a hand through her hair and sank onto the couch.

Her gaze flickered toward the window, where the city lights flickered like distant stars.

She exhaled.

Tomorrow, she and Adrian would talk again.

Maybe then, she’d get some answers.

Maybe then, she’d finally understand what was happening to her.

Or maybe—

It was only the beginning.

---

A Dream That Feels Too Real

Lena knew the moment she fell asleep.

Because the second her eyes closed, she was somewhere else.

The scent of burning wood filled her lungs.

The sound of shouting echoed in the distance.

And when she turned—

She was there again.

In the past.

In a world that wasn’t hers—

But somehow, was.

She stood in a dimly lit corridor, stone walls rising high around her.

Torches flickered, casting long shadows.

And in front of her—

Him.

The man who looked like Adrian Blackwood.

Only this time, he wasn’t dressed in a suit.

He wore dark armor, his sword drawn, his storm-gray eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made her chest ache.

"You're late," he muttered.

Lena blinked, her heart pounding. "Late for what?"

Adrian—or the man who looked like him—exhaled sharply.

"For your escape," he said.

And then, before she could even process his words, he grabbed her hand and pulled her forward.

Lena gasped, stumbling to keep up as he led her through the corridor.

His grip was strong, firm, familiar.

Like he had held her hand before.

Like this wasn’t the first time.

Lena’s throat tightened.

"What’s happening?" she asked, breathless.

Adrian glanced over his shoulder.

"You're in danger."

The words sent a chill down her spine.

Danger?

She didn’t understand.

This was a dream, wasn’t it?

It wasn’t real.

And yet…

Everything about it felt too real.

The way her pulse pounded in her ears.

The roughness of his grip on her hand.

The way his voice sent shivers through her chest—

Lena squeezed her eyes shut for a brief second, trying to calm herself.

Then—

A loud crash echoed behind them.

She turned sharply—

And her blood froze.

Soldiers.

Dark armor.

Swords raised.

And they were coming straight for her.

Lena’s breath hitched.

Adrian cursed under his breath and yanked her forward.

"Run."

Lena ran.

The corridor blurred as she followed him, her heart hammering in her chest.

The footsteps behind them grew louder, closer.

They weren’t going to make it.

Lena could feel it.

And then—

They reached a dead end.

Lena’s stomach dropped.

Adrian cursed, his grip on her tightening.

"There’s no way out," she whispered, panic rising.

Adrian turned toward her.

And for the first time—

There was fear in his eyes.

Not for himself.

For her.

"Lena," he murmured, stepping closer.

She barely had time to react before—

A blade struck.

Pain exploded through her chest.

She gasped, eyes widening—

And then everything went black.

---

Waking Up to a New Reality

Lena shot up in bed with a gasp, clutching her chest.

Her skin was clammy, her body shaking.

She looked down—

No wound.

No blood.

Just the lingering, ghostly pa

in of something that had felt too real to be fake.

She pressed a trembling hand to her forehead, trying to calm her racing pulse.

What the hell was happening to her?

And why did she have the horrible, sinking feeling—

That this was just the beginning?

Adrian exhaled, glancing away for a brief moment.

"I don’t believe in fate," he said. "I don’t believe in destiny or past lives or any of that."

Lena swallowed hard. "Neither do I."

Adrian’s gaze returned to hers, sharp and unreadable.

"Then tell me," he said, his voice dropping lower.

"Why does it feel like I’ve known you before?"

Lena’s chest tightened.

She had no answer.

Only the truth.

"I don’t know," she whispered.

Adrian held her gaze for a long moment.

Then, he exhaled and took a step back.

"Get some rest, Miss Carter," he murmured. "We’ll talk about this tomorrow."

Lena nodded, but

deep down, she knew—

This wasn’t something that could wait until tomorrow.

Because whatever was happening between them…

It was already in motion.