Episode 13: The War for Claire
550 Words
The Dream That Shouldn’t Exist
Claire sat up in bed, her chest heaving.
Her skin cold.
Her fingers trembling as she pressed them against her temples.
Ryan.
She had seen him.
She had heard him.
"Wake up."
She wasn’t crazy.
She wasn’t imagining things.
Something was wrong with this world.
And Ryan?
Ryan was trying to save her.
But save her from what?
From Ethan?
Or from herself?
Ethan Feels Her Slipping—And He Won’t Allow It
Ethan knew something had changed.
Claire was different.
She wasn’t just fighting him.
She was scared.
Not of him.
But of something else.
And Ethan?
He hated it.
Because Claire wasn’t supposed to doubt him.
She wasn’t supposed to question reality.
She was supposed to belong to him.
But now?
Now, she was pulling away.
And Ethan wouldn’t allow it.
The Seduction That Should Have Never Happened
Claire barely made it out of class when Ethan caught her wrist.
She gasped, spinning around.
"Ethan—"
But he didn’t let her finish.
He pushed her into the nearest empty classroom, closing the door behind them.
Her heart pounded.
His hands were on her waist.
His breath hot against her neck.
"Tell me what’s wrong," he murmured.
Claire’s fingers trembled.
"Nothing," she whispered.
Ethan’s lips curled.
"Liar."
She swallowed hard.
"Let me go."
Ethan didn’t move.
"Say you don’t want this," he murmured. "Say you don’t want me."
Claire’s throat tightened.
Because she couldn’t say it.
Not when her body was already betraying her.
Not when her pulse was racing.
Not when she was leaning into him.
And Ethan?
Ethan smirked.
Because he had won.
Or so he thought.
Ryan’s Return—And the First Fracture in Reality
Claire gasped.
Because for a split second—
She saw something else.
The classroom blurred.
The walls shifted.
And suddenly, she was somewhere else.
A hospital.
Machines beeping.
Ethan lying in a hospital bed.
And standing beside her—
Ryan.
His voice was sharp, urgent.
"Claire, don’t let him win. This world isn’t real."
Claire stumbled back.
The vision vanished.
She was back in the classroom.
Back with Ethan.
But her chest was tight.
Her lungs couldn’t pull in air.
Because now?
Now, she knew the truth.
Ethan Sees Her Fear—And He Tightens His Grip
Ethan frowned, his eyes narrowing.
"Claire?"
She shook her head, pushing past him.
She needed to breathe.
She needed to think.
But Ethan?
Ethan grabbed her wrist.
"Where are you going?"
Claire’s pulse pounded.
She was trapped.
Trapped between what she felt for Ethan…
And the truth she was starting to remember.
Her lips parted.
And for the first time—
She looked at Ethan and wondered if she should be afraid.
Adrian Steps In—And the Battle Begins
Claire ripped away from Ethan.
And when she turned—
Adrian was watching.
His jaw was tight.
His eyes dark with something unreadable.
"Everything okay here?" Adrian asked smoothly.
Ethan stiffened.
Claire’s stomach twisted.
Because now?
Now, Ethan wasn’t just fighting for control.
He was fighting for her.
And Adrian?
Adrian was fighting back.
She was no longer just Ethan’s obsession.
She was a woman between two men who refused to let her go.
And the worst part?
She wasn’t sure who she wanted more.
(To Be Continued…)
- Writer
