Chapter One
The body lay in perfect repose on the Victorian fainting couch, looking more like a sleeping beauty than a victim. Detective Sarah Chen had seen enough death in her ten years with the Metropolitan Police's Special Cases Unit to know that natural death never looked this peaceful. Something was very, very wrong. 'No signs of struggle, no marks on the body, and yet...' She leaned closer, studying the victim's face. Charlotte Mills, aged 28, was found by her roommate this morning, apparently having passed away in her sleep. Her expression was serene, almost blissful, but her eyes - those were what caught Sarah's attention. Behind the closed lids, her eyes were moving rapidly, as if still deep in REM sleep. "You see it too, don't you?" The voice came from behind her, rich and cultured with a slight Irish lilt. "She's still dreaming." Sarah turned to find a tall man in an impeccably tailored charcoal suit standing in the doorway. He hadn't been there a moment ago, she was certain of it. His dark hair was streaked with silver at the temples, and his eyes were an unusual shade of amber that seemed to shift color in the light. "This is a closed crime scene," she said firmly, her hand instinctively moving toward her weapon. "How did you get in here?" He smiled, but it didn't reach those strange eyes. "Dr. Marcus Thorne," he said, pulling out a card that somehow both looked official and seemed to shimmer slightly. "I'm a consulting specialist with the Department's new Oneiric Phenomena Division." "The what division?" Sarah frowned, taking the card. The moment her fingers touched it, she felt a slight electric tingle, and the letters seemed to rearrange themselves before her eyes. "Dreams, Detective Chen. We investigate crimes involving dreams." He moved into the room with fluid grace, his attention fixed on the victim. "And this is the third one this month." Sarah's mind raced. There had been two other deaths recently - both young women, both found peacefully dead in their sleep. She'd seen the reports but hadn't made the connection until now. "How do you know about those cases?" "Because I've been tracking the killer for quite some time." Thorne knelt beside the body, his eyes now definitely more gold than amber. "He's what we call a Dream Collector - someone who has learned to enter and steal dreams. But this one has developed a taste for more than just dreams. He's taking souls." Under normal circumstances, Sarah would have dismissed such talk as nonsense. But there was something about the scene, about the victim's still-moving eyes, about Thorne himself, that made the impossible seem suddenly plausible. "If you're tracking him," she said carefully, "why haven't you caught him?" Thorne's expression darkened. "Because he only appears in dreams. The physical world is my domain, but his... his is the realm of sleep. To catch him, we need someone who can walk between both worlds." He turned those unsettling eyes on her. "Someone like you." "Me?" Sarah almost laughed, but the sound died in her throat as memories she'd long suppressed began to surface. The dreams that felt too real, the nights she'd awakened to find objects moved in her room, the way she sometimes knew things she couldn't possibly know... "You've always known you were different, haven't you, Detective?" Thorne's voice was gentle now. "The dreams that come true, the hunches that turn out to be right, the way you can sometimes see how people died just by touching objects they owned..." Sarah took an involuntary step back. "How do you know about that?" "Because I've been looking for someone like you. A Natural - someone born with the ability to cross the threshold between waking and dreaming." He gestured to the victim. "Charlotte here won't be his last. There will be others, and their souls will remain trapped in an eternal dream unless we stop him." Just then, the victim's hand twitched, her fingers moving as if writing something. Sarah moved closer, watching as invisible words were traced in the air. Thorne pulled out what looked like an antique monocle and held it up. Through its lens, golden letters shimmered in the air where Charlotte's fingers moved. "Help me," Thorne read aloud. "He's coming for the others." Sarah felt a chill run down her spine. She looked at the victim's peaceful face, at those restlessly moving eyes, and made a decision that would change her life forever. "Tell me what I need to do." Thorne's smile was grim. "First, you need to learn to control your abilities. Then..." he held up the monocle, through which Sarah could now see strange symbols glowing all around the room, "you need to learn to hunt in dreams." Outside the Victorian townhouse, storm clouds gathered, and Sarah Chen, homicide detective and newly discovered dream walker, took her first step into a world where nightmares were real, and death was just another kind of sleep.
Chapter Two
The basement of the Natural History Museum was the last place Sarah expected to find the headquarters of a secret dream investigation unit. Yet here she was, following Thorne through a maze of storage rooms filled with artifacts that seemed to pulse with their own inner light. "The mundane world only sees what it expects to see," Thorne explained, using an ornate key to unlock a heavy wooden door marked 'Private Collection.' "To them, this is just museum storage. To us, it's the largest collection of dream artifacts in the Western Hemisphere." The room beyond defied physics. It stretched impossibly far, filled with glass cases containing everything from ancient masks to modern-looking devices. Floating orbs of soft light illuminated collections of bottled dreams - actual dreams, swirling like liquid mercury behind glass. "Your badge, Detective," Thorne held out his hand. Sarah hesitated before handing over her police credentials. He placed it on a strange device that looked like a Victorian music box crossed with a computer. When he returned the badge, it felt different - heavier, somehow more real. "Now you'll be able to access both worlds officially," he said. "Look at it again." The badge had changed. Alongside her regular police credentials, new text had appeared: 'Special Inspector, Oneiric Investigations Division.' The letters seemed to shift between English and something older, something that made her eyes water if she looked too long. "Before we can hunt the Dream Collector, you need to understand what you're dealing with." Thorne led her to a case containing what looked like a normal pillow. "Touch it." Sarah reached out hesitantly. The moment her fingers made contact, the world tilted. She was suddenly standing in someone else's dream - a sunny beach, but the sky was green and the sand whispered secrets. She jerked her hand back, gasping. "Good," Thorne nodded approvingly. "Most people can't pull back from their first dream artifact. You have natural barriers." "What was that?" Sarah's heart was racing. "A dream fragment from 1892. A young girl's last dream before the influenza took her." His voice softened. "We preserve them here. Dreams carry memories, emotions, sometimes even pieces of souls." "And this Dream Collector... he takes entire souls?" Sarah remembered Charlotte Mills' peaceful face and restless eyes. "He traps them in eternal dreams, feeding off their essence." Thorne moved to another case, this one containing what looked like a cracked mirror. "Each victim becomes part of his collection, their souls powering his abilities, letting him dreamwalk without natural talent like yours." Suddenly, the cracked mirror began to frost over. In its surface, Sarah saw Charlotte Mills' face, mouth open in a silent scream. Then another face appeared - another victim, she presumed - and another. "He's showing off," Thorne growled. "He knows we're investigating." The temperature in the room dropped dramatically. Frost patterns spread from the mirror to nearby cases, and Sarah heard what sounded like distant laughter. "Well, well," a voice echoed through the room, seemingly coming from everywhere and nowhere. "A new player in the game. And such interesting dreams you have, Detective Chen." Sarah felt something brush against her mind, like cold fingers trying to pry open a door. Instinctively, she slammed her mental barriers shut. The presence withdrew, but not before leaving behind an impression of amusement. "He's already caught your scent," Thorne said grimly. He pulled out a small velvet bag and removed what looked like a dreamcatcher made of silver wire and black pearls. "Wear this when you sleep. It won't keep him out entirely, but it'll stop him from stealing your dreams while you're still learning to defend yourself." As Sarah took the dreamcatcher, her fingers brushed Thorne's, and suddenly she was hit with a flash of his dreams - centuries of memories, battles fought in realms of sleep, and a profound sense of loss that made her gasp. Thorne withdrew his hand quickly. "Your abilities are stronger than I thought. We'll need to work on your control." "What are you?" Sarah asked directly. "You're not just some government consultant, are you?" Before he could answer, an alarm began to sound throughout the facility. One of the dream bottles had turned black, its contents writhing like smoke. "He's hunting again," Thorne said, already moving toward the exit. "Someone in the city has just entered their last dream. Are you ready for your first real case, Detective?" Sarah touched her new badge, feeling its power hum under her fingers. "Do we have time to save them?" "If we're lucky, we might catch him in the act. But remember - in dreams, he's incredibly powerful. One wrong move and you could lose your soul." As they rushed from the dream archive, Sarah caught one last glimpse of the cracked mirror. In its surface, she saw her own reflection smile back at her with eyes that weren't quite her own. The hunt was about to begin.
Chapter Two
The basement of the Natural History Museum was the last place Sarah expected to find the headquarters of a secret dream investigation unit. Yet here she was, following Thorne through a maze of storage rooms filled with artifacts that seemed to pulse with their own inner light. "The mundane world only sees what it expects to see," Thorne explained, using an ornate key to unlock a heavy wooden door marked 'Private Collection.' "To them, this is just museum storage. To us, it's the largest collection of dream artifacts in the Western Hemisphere." The room beyond defied physics. It stretched impossibly far, filled with glass cases containing everything from ancient masks to modern-looking devices. Floating orbs of soft light illuminated collections of bottled dreams - actual dreams, swirling like liquid mercury behind glass. "Your badge, Detective," Thorne held out his hand. Sarah hesitated before handing over her police credentials. He placed it on a strange device that looked like a Victorian music box crossed with a computer. When he returned the badge, it felt different - heavier, somehow more real. "Now you'll be able to access both worlds officially," he said. "Look at it again." The badge had changed. Alongside her regular police credentials, new text had appeared: 'Special Inspector, Oneiric Investigations Division.' The letters seemed to shift between English and something older, something that made her eyes water if she looked too long. "Before we can hunt the Dream Collector, you need to understand what you're dealing with." Thorne led her to a case containing what looked like a normal pillow. "Touch it." Sarah reached out hesitantly. The moment her fingers made contact, the world tilted. She was suddenly standing in someone else's dream - a sunny beach, but the sky was green and the sand whispered secrets. She jerked her hand back, gasping. "Good," Thorne nodded approvingly. "Most people can't pull back from their first dream artifact. You have natural barriers." "What was that?" Sarah's heart was racing. "A dream fragment from 1892. A young girl's last dream before the influenza took her." His voice softened. "We preserve them here. Dreams carry memories, emotions, sometimes even pieces of souls." "And this Dream Collector... he takes entire souls?" Sarah remembered Charlotte Mills' peaceful face and restless eyes. "He traps them in eternal dreams, feeding off their essence." Thorne moved to another case, this one containing what looked like a cracked mirror. "Each victim becomes part of his collection, their souls powering his abilities, letting him dreamwalk without natural talent like yours." Suddenly, the cracked mirror began to frost over. In its surface, Sarah saw Charlotte Mills' face, mouth open in a silent scream. Then another face appeared - another victim, she presumed - and another. "He's showing off," Thorne growled. "He knows we're investigating." The temperature in the room dropped dramatically. Frost patterns spread from the mirror to nearby cases, and Sarah heard what sounded like distant laughter. "Well, well," a voice echoed through the room, seemingly coming from everywhere and nowhere. "A new player in the game. And such interesting dreams you have, Detective Chen." Sarah felt something brush against her mind, like cold fingers trying to pry open a door. Instinctively, she slammed her mental barriers shut. The presence withdrew, but not before leaving behind an impression of amusement. "He's already caught your scent," Thorne said grimly. He pulled out a small velvet bag and removed what looked like a dreamcatcher made of silver wire and black pearls. "Wear this when you sleep. It won't keep him out entirely, but it'll stop him from stealing your dreams while you're still learning to defend yourself." As Sarah took the dreamcatcher, her fingers brushed Thorne's, and suddenly she was hit with a flash of his dreams - centuries of memories, battles fought in realms of sleep, and a profound sense of loss that made her gasp. Thorne withdrew his hand quickly. "Your abilities are stronger than I thought. We'll need to work on your control." "What are you?" Sarah asked directly. "You're not just some government consultant, are you?" Before he could answer, an alarm began to sound throughout the facility. One of the dream bottles had turned black, its contents writhing like smoke. "He's hunting again," Thorne said, already moving toward the exit. "Someone in the city has just entered their last dream. Are you ready for your first real case, Detective?" Sarah touched her new badge, feeling its power hum under her fingers. "Do we have time to save them?" "If we're lucky, we might catch him in the act. But remember - in dreams, he's incredibly powerful. One wrong move and you could lose your soul." As they rushed from the dream archive, Sarah caught one last glimpse of the cracked mirror. In its surface, she saw her own reflection smile back at her with eyes that weren't quite her own. The hunt was about to begin.
Chapter Three
They arrived at St. Bartholomew's Hospital just as the emergency lights began to flash. Sarah followed Thorne through corridors that seemed to blur at the edges of her vision, her new badge somehow clearing their path without ever being shown. "Room 307," Thorne said, his voice tight with urgency. "Young male, admitted for minor surgery, slipped into an unusual coma during recovery." The patient, David Parker, age 23, lay perfectly still on his hospital bed, his eyes moving rapidly beneath closed lids. Just like Charlotte Mills. But this time, something was different - the air around him rippled like heat waves over hot asphalt. "He's still in the process of taking him," Thorne said, pulling out what looked like an antique pocket watch. "We can follow if we're quick. Are you ready for your first dream dive?" Sarah's heart pounded. "What do I need to do?" "Take my hand. Focus on the patient. Let your consciousness slip between the moments of reality." Thorne's eyes began to glow that strange amber color. "And whatever you see in there, remember - dream logic is real logic in that world." Sarah grasped Thorne's hand and looked at David Parker. The world tilted, twisted, and suddenly... They were standing in a hospital corridor that wasn't quite right. The walls breathed slowly, the floor was made of flowing water that somehow supported their weight, and the ceiling was a swirling mass of constellation maps. "His dreamscape," Thorne explained, his voice echoing strangely. "Every dreamer creates their own reality. Look." Down the impossible corridor, a figure in a doctor's coat was leading David Parker by the hand. But the 'doctor' was wrong - his shadow moved independently, reaching out with grasping tendrils towards other dreams that floated past like soap bubbles. "The Dream Collector," Sarah whispered. As if hearing his name, the figure turned. Sarah's breath caught. His face was a beautiful mask of shifting features, never settling on one form, but his eyes... his eyes were endless pits of swirling dreams. "Ah, the new dreamer," his voice was like silk over broken glass. "And my old friend Marcus. Still trying to police the dream worlds?" Thorne stepped forward, and Sarah noticed his appearance had changed in the dream. His suit was now made of living shadows, and wings of dark light stretched from his shoulders. "Let him go, Collector. You've taken enough souls." The Collector laughed, the sound causing the hospital walls to crack, leaking golden dream-light. "Taken? Oh, Marcus, you still don't understand. They give themselves to me. Show her, David." The young man turned, and Sarah saw his eyes were glassy with bliss. "It's beautiful here," he said dreamily. "All my pain is gone. All my fears. He takes them all away." "By taking everything you are," Sarah found herself saying. She took a step forward, instinctively reaching for her police badge. In the dream, it transformed into a shield of pure light. "David, this isn't real healing. It's theft." The Collector's face rippled with anger. "You dare interrupt my collection?" The corridor began to twist, reality bending around them. "Let me show you what happens to those who interfere with my work." Suddenly, the floor beneath Sarah liquefied completely. She started to sink, but instead of water, she was drowning in dreams - thousands of them, each containing a fragment of someone's stolen soul. She saw Charlotte Mills dancing endlessly in a ballroom of mirrors, saw other victims trapped in perfect moments that had become eternal prisons. "Sarah!" Thorne's voice cut through the chaos. "Remember - dream logic! Make your own rules!" Dream logic. Sarah closed her eyes, focusing on her years of police work, of protecting people, of solving puzzles. When she opened them, her badge-shield had transformed into a sword of pure thought. With a cry, she slashed through the dream-flood. Reality reasserted itself - or at least, this dream's version of reality. She stood on solid ground again, facing the Collector. "Impressive," he purred, but she sensed uncertainty in his voice. "You're stronger than the usual dreamers Marcus recruits. Perhaps we could make a deal..." "No deals," Sarah said firmly. She could feel her power growing, reshaping the dream around them. "David, look at what he really is. Look with your heart, not your fears." For a moment, David's eyes cleared. The Collector's beautiful mask slipped, revealing something ancient and hungry beneath. David screamed, pulling away from the creature's grasp. The Collector snarled, his form shifting into something monstrous. "If I can't have him willingly..." Shadows exploded from his body, reaching for David. What happened next seemed to unfold in slow motion. Thorne spread his dark wings, shielding David. Sarah's sword of thought became a net of light, trapping some of the shadows. But the Collector himself simply... stepped sideways, vanishing into a door that appeared in the air. "Sweet dreams, detectives," his voice lingered behind. "We'll meet again soon. After all, Sarah, your dreams are particularly... appetizing." The dreamscape began to dissolve. Sarah felt Thorne grab her arm, pulling her back through layers of reality. Then... They were standing in the hospital room again. David Parker was awake, gasping, but alive and whole. A nurse was rushing in, responding to his sudden revival. "We saved one," Thorne said quietly. "But he'll be angry now. And he'll come for you." Sarah touched her badge, still feeling echoes of its dream-power. "Good," she said grimly. "Because I have some questions for him about Charlotte Mills. And about what you really are, Marcus Thorne." Thorne's expression was unreadable. "All in time, Detective. For now, you need to rest. Tomorrow, your real training begins." As they left the hospital, Sarah could have sworn she saw her shadow move independently, reaching for dreams that floated just beyond the edge of sight. The world would never look quite the same again.
Chapter Four
Sarah's apartment looked different when she returned that night. The shadows seemed deeper, more alive, and ordinary objects cast reflections that didn't quite match reality. The dreamcatcher Thorne had given her pulsed softly in her pocket, responding to the changed way she now saw the world. She was exhausted but afraid to sleep. The Collector's words echoed in her mind: 'Your dreams are particularly appetizing.' Instead, she spread her case files across the coffee table - photographs of Charlotte Mills, the other victims, and now David Parker's medical records. A soft chime from her badge interrupted her concentration. The metal had grown warm, and when she touched it, words appeared in that strange shifting script: 'Archive. Now. Emergency.' The museum was different at night. Sarah's new badge led her through doors that hadn't existed during her first visit, down stairs that seemed to descend far deeper than the building's foundation should allow. She found Thorne in a circular room she hadn't seen before, surrounded by floating screens of light that showed various dreamscapes. "We have a problem," he said without preamble. "The Collector's attack pattern has changed. Look." The screens shifted, showing a map of the city overlaid with points of light. "Each light is a dreamer," Thorne explained. "The blue ones are normal dreams. The red..." He gestured, and several dots pulsed an angry crimson. "Those are nightmares being actively shaped by outside forces." "He's attacking multiple targets at once?" "No." Thorne's expression was grim. "He's leaving traps. Dream-snares. Anyone who falls asleep in these areas risks being pulled into a constructed nightmare. He's trying to overwhelm our ability to respond." Sarah studied the pattern of red dots. "They're forming a shape... a symbol?" "A summoning circle." A new voice joined them. Sarah turned to see an elderly woman emerging from what appeared to be a door made of starlight. Her eyes were milk-white, but she moved with absolute certainty. "Sarah, meet Dr. Eleanor Price, the Archive's keeper," Thorne said. "And yes, she's blind in the waking world, but in dreams..." "I see everything," Eleanor finished. Her unseeing eyes fixed on Sarah with uncomfortable accuracy. "Including what our friend the Collector is truly planning. He's not just taking souls anymore. He's building toward something larger." She gestured, and the room transformed around them. They were suddenly standing in what looked like a vast library, but the books were made of dreams, their pages flowing like liquid memory. "Every dream ever archived is stored here," Eleanor explained. "Including the oldest nightmares of humanity. The Collector isn't just a thief - he's trying to wake something that should stay sleeping. Something we locked away centuries ago." She pulled a book from the shelf, and its pages burst open, projecting a scene of ancient horror - a time when the boundary between dreams and reality was thinner, when nightmares could walk in daylight. "The Last Nightmare," Thorne said softly. "We thought it was safely contained, but if he completes that summoning circle..." A sudden tremor ran through the Archive. One of the red dots on the map had grown larger, pulsing violently. "He's starting," Eleanor's voice was urgent. "Sarah, you need to see something before you face this." She pressed her fingers to Sarah's forehead, and suddenly... She was in a memory. A younger Thorne stood with a woman who looked remarkably like Sarah herself, facing down a shadow that threatened to devour the world. The woman - another dream detective? - sacrificed herself to help seal away the nightmare. "Your mother," Eleanor's voice echoed in her mind. "She was one of us. Her sacrifice helped lock away the Last Nightmare, but the Collector has never stopped trying to free it. And now he's found you - her daughter, with her power." The vision ended abruptly as another tremor shook the Archive. More red dots were pulsing on the map. "Why didn't you tell me?" Sarah demanded, turning to Thorne. "Because I promised her I'd keep you away from this life," he replied, pain evident in his voice. "But now the Collector knows who you are, and we're running out of time." "The summoning circle will be complete at the next new moon," Eleanor added. "Three days from now. If the Last Nightmare wakes..." "Then we stop him before that happens," Sarah said firmly, though her mind was reeling from the revelations. "How do we break these dream-snares?" "It's dangerous," Thorne warned. "Each one is a trap designed specifically for dream walkers. If you're caught..." "Then you'll just have to watch my back," Sarah said. She touched her badge, feeling its power respond. "Where do we start?" Eleanor smiled, her blind eyes somehow twinkling. "First, you need to understand what you truly inherited from your mother. It's time you learned about the true history of the dream walkers - and why the Collector fears your bloodline above all others." As if in response to Eleanor's words, the books around them began to glow, their pages rustling with the weight of secrets about to be revealed. In the map above, the red dots pulsed like a countdown to catastrophe, and Sarah realized she had less than three days to master powers she never knew she had. The true game was about to begin.
1
"Ne? Tekrar söylesene?" Mitchell Carter şaşkınlıkla yataktan fırladı, cep telefonu yere düştü.
"Dedim ki, Nora Collins'e aşkımı itiraf edeceğim, Nora'ya kur yapacağım! Beni duyuyor musun?" Ethan Sullivan'ın yüzü kararmıştı, bunu onlarca kez tekrarlamıştı!
"Nora Collins mi? Bu nasıl olabilir?"
"NJeden olması,n?I"( ElthNacn _birkaz TşaşırsmzışY &htiKs(sendipyordu(.g
"Bu zaten iyi değil!" Mitchell bağırdı.
"Sen..."
"Bütün bu yaygara da neyin nesi?" Kapının sertçe vurulması tartışmalarını böldü ve kapının dışındaki Yurt Teyzesi biraz sabırsızlıkla, "Kapıyı aç!" dedi.
EVtJhan eli.ni pMiHt.cxheGllW'^a dSogğ)rvuN sDalllahdGı,^ o &dYa çXarleFsi_zRceC soOlW elipy.lej bkIatf!asıDnóıN ^vu&rIdua vTe LkbaQpzıy^a dVoóğrcu Bycürü&d_ü^.p
Westhaven Lisesi, Havenwood'un kilit lisesi, terfi aşamasında, her şey çok katı, erken aşka izin verilmiyor, cep telefonlarının getirilmesine izin verilmiyor, yatakhane ışıkları kapalı konuşmak yok ... yatakhane bir odaya dört kişi, ama ikisi üçüncü katın son odasında yaşıyor, sadece ikisi.
Kapı açılır açılmaz Ethan, Mitchell'ın yerde duran ve hâlâ parlak bir şekilde yanıp sönen cep telefonuna baktı ve bilerek ya da bilmeyerek yatağın altına tekmeledi.
"Merhaba Yurt Teyze!" Yurt Teyzeyi gördüklerinde hep bir ağızdan söylediler.
İkitsainilnm zbuD kjazdar uVsRlku olédDulğcuYnSu )göGrteRnW VYurit TMeiyéze,si^ Bg*üwlümVsve.y!erekH, &"Zpaten_ ırş(ıklTaÉrm sönzdüM,T sZe(sssviz uoFlUmaKlıqs_ınfıQzv, t^aMmaOmX bmSı)?"W gdUiySe azarfladıf.
"Uh-huh! Yatakhane Teyzesi, az önce bugünkü ders hakkında konuşuyorduk, biraz heyecanlıydık." Mitchell gülümseyerek söyledi.
"Geç oldu, tartışmayı bırakın ve yatağa gidin!" Bununla birlikte, Yurt Teyze gitmeye hazırdı.
"Biliyorum, teşekkürler teyze, iyi geceler!" Mitchell kapıyı kapatır kapatmaz tatlı tatlı konuştu.
"UhR-huh!Y vİyiH rgeceélekr!R"
Mitchell ayın ışığında başını çevirdi ve Ethan'ın yatağında oturduğunu gördü, yüzünde "zoru oynamanı izleyeceğim" ifadesi vardı.
"Bu işte o kadar da kötü değilsin, değil mi?" Ethan Mitchell'a düşünceli bir şekilde bakar.
"Konuyu saptırma!" Mitchell sesini alçalttı, "Gerçekten Nora'nın peşinden mi gidiyorsun?"
"$EmvTet!G"ó EtLhacn FdYaH tsHesiCnJiN qalçaAlttuı jaZmaW saesÉi Vdah^ar ka(ra&rlıuyTdıT:d "Onunó peşMirnQdueFn, gliddiyorumc!"
2
"Sen iyi misin? Okul başlayalı sadece iki hafta oldu ve sen şimdiden Nora Collins'ten hoşlanmaya mı başladın? İlk görüşte aşk mı? Dalga mı geçiyorsun benimle?"
"Neden olmasın? Artık kankayız!" Ethan Sullivan Mitchell Carter'ın omzunu sıvazladı.
"Ne iyi kardeşler? Unut gitsin, seninle bu konuya girmek istemiyorum." Mitchell tiksinmiş görünüyordu, "Ciddiyim, okul yetkililerinden azar işitmekten korkmasan bile Nora'yı düşünmek zorundasın, o iyi bir öğrenci, onu engelleyemezsin! Ayrıca, onu tanıyor musun ki?"
NLev jdemmek onuó ger.i tCugtIuyoFrfsbuén?p lO& &ibyi b&irS Möğ(re*nciH ama pbepn, Jd$eğil miy(im?I iWes$tWhuavZen L$iSs!eKsi'ón)ef gZire(nC hCerke's kVöxtsü *öğIre_nCciD dre&ğ&ibldMicr, &taéméam CméıI? P,eGşÉiUnjdeó AolZdluuğ^um içzin Amuiy oUnuY gRe)rid(e VtGutuFyCoDrum)?P Ok$ul !mBüdü,rGütneO DsuöPyNlKeyec,ek kasdar& QapHt*al qmıyVım?R BUiDrb_irhimtiziR tanhımak !yTa daP jtanımCaómaOk SkoBndusu*naé gielyinceR,B ^bisrlKik'te olPduuğunmuzda birubi'rimbiziJ tJanıyaFcaKğızr,"g demdjiV lEntHhiafn askFlyınkdTanH )mi^lyoXnlaSrhca. v"sÉiktir git" Cgvevç*erckjen.
"Şu anda onun peşinden gideceğimi söylemiyorum, sadece önce itiraf etmek istiyorum ve sonra onunla bir ilişki geliştireceğim!"
"Hayır!"
"Neden? Sence de Nora ve benim kaderimizde birlikte olmak yok mu, Ethan ve Nora, bu mükemmel bir eşleşme!"
"..."H
Doğru, isimleri uyuşuyor, vize notları aynı ve derslere kayıt yaptırdıklarında hep Ethan'ın yanında oturuyor. Nora, gereksiz yanlış anlamaları önlemek için Mitchell ile arasına mesafe koymak istediğini söyledi, bu yüzden hiç düşünmeden Ethan'ın yanına oturdu. Eğer bu kader değilse, nedir?
İkisi konuşuyor ve gülüyorlardı, iyi bir ilişkileri vardı, Nora eve gitti ve ona ne tesadüf olduğunu söyledi. Ama aslında, Nora'nın kalbinde zaten biri var, gerçekten çok hoşlanıyor, o çocuk da onun gibi, yoksa Ethan'ın kardeşi olmasına izin vermezdi ve Ethan da onun iyi kardeşi, Ethan'ın incinmesini istemiyor.
"Anlayabilmen için sana ne diyeceğimi bilemiyorum, böyle devam edersen Nora ile arkadaş olamazsın, şu anki halin iyi değil mi?" Mitchell acı acı güldü. Bu noktaya kendisi gelmemişti.
"mEUğBer$ IarxkadaşC oFla$mıfyFojr&s'aénJızA,F mseMvgmi$lHi uola^bAiFl$iprsinizp!("T
"..." Mitchell, utanmazca sıkıcı ve anlaşılmaz olduğu için Ethan'a zihninde binlerce kez lanet okudu.
3
"Ethan Sullivan, cep telefonumu gördün mü?" Mitchell Carter yatağının üzerinde bir şeyler karıştırıyor ve biraz endişeli görünüyor.
"Az önce yurttaki teyze geldi ve onu yatağının altına attım. Buna ne dersin, bana teşekkür etmeli misin?" Ethan yatağa uzandı, ellerini başının altında birleştirdi ve masumca Mitchell'a baktı.
Mitchell son iki hafta içinde üç cep telefonu kırmıştı ve bu zengin çocukların neden hayır işlerine harcayacak bu kadar çok paraları olduğunu anlayamıyordu!
GFöArüVnmüSş(ev Rgör'e keInvdi,six Ad(e kü)çCük rzJeÉngkiny blirk iWkinc.i npe)sLiTl, qdAeğCi,l mOi?T
Mitchell'ın cep telefonunu yatağın altından çıkarması epey çaba gerektirdi ve Nora Collins'in sonsuza dek mutlu olmasına hazırlanırken Ethan'a boş boş baktı.
"Hiçbir iyilik cezasız kalmaz! Ben uyuyacağım, beni rahatsız etmeyin, yarın bir itirafta bulunacağım ... " Ethan örtüleri geri çeker ve yolundan çekilir.
"Nora evet demeyecek." Mitchell içini çekti.
TVevl_efponkuCnóun_ kMiliÉdiniu paÉçCtFıAğındab ks^axyéf)adTaó ^Lelag)ue* of kLeFgevn^ds'ıWnM y!ü.kVleImxe DekraCnı kbpelHiqrdi. !Mitachrell birazr şDaUşhırémıéştıb, Aaz sön_c*es dFerSecnel'i $o,yVnRuyHorYdu), dEt.halnp yNora.'yaı kBova$lLamak FistQeUdiPğiknZi sxöUy*l,epdXi dv)e do FkSadari HheMyfeca!nléıytdUıh &kiv ...f
Beklendiği gibi, sistem duyurusu telefonu kapattığı için beş puan düşürüldüğünü ve takım arkadaşlarının da onu rapor ederek beş puan daha düşürdüğünü gösterdi. Mitchell kaşlarını çattı, bu oyunu oynamaya başladığından beri zaten bir oyun tanrısı olmuştu, Li Bai karakteriyle sıralaması yükseliyordu, ne zaman rapor edilmişti ki? Ama görünüşe göre az önceki oyunda Caleb Harper ile takım olmuştu, değil mi?
Geçmişe bakıldığında, o oyunu kaybetmişti ve onun dışında 0.0 puan alan iki oyuncu daha vardı, Tanrı Caleb oyunun MVP'siydi ve diğer takım arkadaşı aslında yirmi bir kez ölmüştü!
Kısa süre sonra Mitchell, Caleb Harper'dan özel bir mesaj aldı.
MiGtchkellq, uölümÉü arjıyBo,rsHunB!, WNéeydueGn IkaXpa)tOıayBo.rHsUun_? dArókahmdÉa üóç PaósiIsctlanB VdVolfaHşcıyor,t VsIeGncjeT buv komizk) dmi?( SeVn' gbZir ,ç,öpOçküsünn$!'
"Yüce" mi? Bu Nora'nın yanlış yorumu değil miydi? Mitchell ağzının kenarını kaldırdı.
[Madblade Supreme] Oops! Mutlu bir yaşam için hala umutsuzca çok çalışmıyorsunuz ...
Karşıdaki ekranın önünde, Caleb ofisinde oturmuş, klimanın keyfini çıkarıyordu ve "mutlu hayat" kelimelerini gördüğünde, yakışıklı yüzünde kaşlarını çatarak Nora Collins'i düşünmekten kendini alamadı.
NomrLa'QnAı!nf bi_rG ,sIozrunux mGu varZ? INe dóiyXec!ecğimsik biwlhepmiUyocrum!
Mitchell gülümsemekten kendini alamadı.
[Hiçbir şey, sadece bir aşk ilginiz var ...
[Aşk rakibi mi?
4
Ethan Sullivan huzur içinde uyuyan Mitchell Carter'a baktı, yüzü mükemmel şekilliydi, yüz hatları bıçak sırtı yakışıklıydı, ağzı gülümsüyordu, tipik güneşli yakışıklı bir çocuktu. Aynı zamanda Caleb Harper'ın genellikle soğuk yüzünü, ciddi ve mesafeli ama kardeşine ve sevgilisine karşı çok şefkatli olduğunu hayal edebiliyordu; Ethan, Nora Collins'e karşı çok nazikti ama çevresindeki tüm kızlara aynı şekilde davranırken, Caleb sadece ona karşı nazikti. Caleb iki erkek kardeşine karşı kendisinden daha rahattır.
"Evet, Nora'nın şu anki sınıf arkadaşı aynı zamanda benim de arkadaşlarımdan biri. İkisi birlikte iyi oynuyorlar ve yarın Nora'nın peşinden gideceğini söyledi," dedi Ethan uykulu başını ovuştururken.
Caleb ağzının kenarını büktü, Ethan ve Nora aynı masada bile değilken, eğlenilecek çok şey vardı ve Ethan hiçbir zaman güven eksikliği çekmemişti, ama Nora her zaman bilmiyormuş gibi davranıyordu ve hala her gün onu rahatsız ediyordu. Görünüşe göre şimdi hiçbir şey değişmeyecekti.
"YNarıónw Ymı? ,EnS avz yiRrmi üç saat PelBl*ié cyNedi daVkixkLaT &véaqrÉ avQeZ _sen jbSanLa buH gpeceó bWug)ündend wbRaMhsYeftKmkeyueMce&k MmZiksinS?t" VCalleb, aHlHaFycıÉ bir vtavrıKrNlac soRrdcu.m
Ethan saate baktı, 00:03, yüzünde siyah bir çizgi, Caleb benimle dalga mı geçiyor?
"Ahem! Acelen yok mu? Onu özlemiyor musun? Geri gelmeyecek misin?" Caleb alay etti.
Ethan masasının üzerindeki resme baktı, Nora sessizce ve tatlı tatlı gülümsüyordu.
"HSOo*n nzZamanldabrdQaQ biAréaiz ymeşSguPlümO,G fcazl!a mesiaNi_ yap(t.ıqğwımı Vgörm*üfyoxr *muJsÉunV? mRa*kiIpM GdiySe cbirl PşGey* yKoYk(,é ofn&un jkaBlb.inYde szad)ece bFecn vraXrOıfm_!Z GSaYzXeGtvelHeHr)i GokAuFmJaKm gQerekliZyÉoark, oL yüFzXden (dahRa faKzl)a Rk'onuşFmnanyDacağ.ıUm..B" CaleÉbR'&i*nB ses tounu güvven BdJoIlufyydu&.
Ethan Caleb'in kendine olan güvenine hayran kalmıştı, ne de olsa Nora şimdiye kadar Caleb'in peşinden deli gibi koşmuş ve hâlâ Caleb'in durumunu sorup durmuştu.
Yine de dosyayı okudu mu? Okuyabilir mi? Ben sadece League of Legends oynuyordum! Görünüşe göre... beni ihbar eden Caleb'mış, değil mi? Bu iyi dost... harika! Ethan öfkeyle yorganı çarparak yatmaya hazırlandı.
Bu sırada Caleb, kardeşi Henry Harper'ın ofisine girdi, sakince ama hevesle karışık bir şekilde sordu: "Ağabey, ne zaman gidebilirim? Harper's'ı tek başına idare edebilirsin, değil mi? Neden beni burada bırakmak zorundasın?"
H&enrWy^ el$ijnde$kqi Sbzeml_ge*lermiw ZyrerleF MbaıHraktzık v^e sóaakjincUeT, s"SPoCnr birkiauç_ yıNldıSrR YHa^vaeHnwo_oqdd'dKag 'kkalıyFor_dDun,É HaLrper'Alapr$a kdLotkIuNnmujyoérfdun.Y mAmrtsıZk ÉnDihUayOeCt rgeTrik WdAö&ndüğüzneS pgAö'rYe qbburadanA ayprırlaAbilzecekzsBin'.B U'zun )brir( $aSrGaCdwaAn OsNon&ra (gNerZi cdqönédUü$ğDüKne gVöre, buSrqaJsı Fha_kkıVnUdma daqhAav Éfatzclca WşeyM öğxreYnTmCelyiysnin Zv$e xeBrK Pywa ^daQ TgSebçt ge)levcxekte jH,a.rwpXerf's.'ıb deYvraflIa.cUawk ki.şir csenD .oMlYavcZaÉksın."B
Caleb soğuk bir şekilde, "Harper's'ı devralmayacağımı söyledim, üstelik daha on yedi yaşındayım, en önemli görevim okumak..." dedi.
"O Nora'yı daha önce Havenwood'a gittiğimde görmüştüm, onun yüzünden okula dönmek için acele ediyorsun, değil mi?"
"Evet!" Caleb kararlı bir şekilde cevap verdi.
"ÇIoYk taBtlıé vej $haFyfat 'd(oRlum bi!r fkı&z,! Daha Msonra sonu *becsléemeHk& vÉe giKyd$i.rmeékF ,için YşVi(mdri zkCeGndGi!nY üzFerliLnde FçalıZşmanc gNerye$kktkiuğziXniG düşünWmLüyorA mMusutn?"q
Ne egzersizi? Kendi yeteneğinle ne demek istiyorsun? Şu anda yeterli yeteneğim yok, dedi Caleb yüzü kararmış bir şekilde.
"Ne zaman geri dönmeme izin vereceksin? Nora'dan bir an bile ayrılmak istemiyorum!" Caleb biraz sinirliydi, gerçekten de bir an daha beklemek istemiyordu.
5
Caleb Harper ona kızgın ve soğuk bakarken, Henry Harper hafifçe gülümsüyordu, yani sevginin gücü çok kuvvetliydi. Caleb genellikle yabancılara buzdağı gibi davrandığı doğrudur, ancak ailesine ve kardeşlerine her zaman nazik ve zarif davranmıştır, Henry'ye ilk kez böyle davranmıştır.
Henry en sevdiği kardeşine baktı, Caleb'in yumruklarını sıktığını açıkça gördü, tüm vücudu gergindi, bu ritimle savaşmak için mi?
"Birkaç ay önce bana ne söz verdiğini unuttun mu?" Henry gözlerini Caleb'den ayırdı, bir dosya aldı ve ciddi bir şekilde dosyaya baktı, "Yani, Nora Collins'in annesinin davası, yasanın adımlarını izleyerek yeniden görülmeli mi?"
C!aFllebT, dakvÉa yfeGnziden a_çlımlqırsxa ÉNxoGrva'nuın aRnRngeAsiunRi sonswuuzaV 'dek ktauySbéexd_ebjile$ceğéiBnKi adkuydpuğuYndJa éşoAk ozldu,. dfe*ğvil tmiiv? )V(ep şVuy La)ndmap ,teDkK akrabası wojlarZakL _séadevce QajnnyeÉswi) _vardıK.I YYum(rguTklarınfıB yjava*şXçrak slı,kbtvıd Avel ykaCvNaaşjçPa kenldXin.eh mgZefldWi), yÉewmininik !nasıl uNnRuktaGbUixlZiJrdic SveF hIalaaF bsevg,ilKiR VağcabeWyiMnxe Fn^aCsBılZ kıYzkgmınN olabqilirZdAi'?
"Ağabey, üzgünüm, şirketi iyi yönetmeyi öğreneceğim ama bana ne zaman geri dönebileceğimi söyleyebilir misin?" Havenwood'da geçirdiği üç yılın ardından Caleb yabancılara karşı hâlâ soğuktu ama çok daha kibar olmuştu. En azından on altı yaşındayken "teşekkür ederim" ya da "özür dilerim" dememişti.
Henry başını kaldırdı ve kardeşinin gözlerindeki pişmanlık ve heves dolu bakışı yakaladı ve birden kalbi sızladı. Seni burada bıraktığım için beni suçlama, birkaç yıl içinde M'ye gideceğim, Harper Group'un Amerika Birleşik Devletleri'nde yönetmek için sana ihtiyacı var, şirketi iyi yönetmeyi öğrenmelisin.
Harper Group dünyanın önde gelen çok uluslu şirketlerinden biridir, yönetimi altındaki alanlar esas olarak M, Y ve Z'ye dağılmıştır. Caleb'in ebeveynleri M'de, ikinci kardeşi Y'de ve Z Caleb'e aittir, Henry şimdilik sadece Caleb'in yönetmesine yardımcı olmaktadır ve sonunda devralmak için M'ye gidecektir.
"rÖnce senniSn için XbOujldHuIğum Kl!iaszeyye sg,indebSilairssin,, xgselec&ek óokulK yıwlın^ınS VbaNşWın^dóak tHéaAventwouoédu',a tgieUri döSne.bialisr'sjind,é qoYrUad(a wySönKetmeyn iÉçinA bbdirrq şwirkzet s)aPt.ın alacFaqğım." HelnTry ciIddwi bcir, tond*a Jkocnuşktu.
............... ......
Caleb duş aldıktan sonra villanın ikinci katındaki odasının penceresinde durmuş, ay ışığında aşağıdaki unutmabeni çiçeklerini seyrediyordu. Mor çiçekler her yeri kaplamıştı ve uzaktan bakıldığında ev sanki mor bir şelalenin üzerine inşa edilmiş gibi görünüyordu.
Başını yavaşça pencereye yasladı, ağzının köşesi büyüleyici bir gülümseme yaydı, bu onun en sevdiği çiçekler, bu villa ona hediyesi.
Bianzyoda) SbcurnGuj duüşüMndvüX, annesi kóaZza geçi$rkmgişHtBi,F do*n&a ykaérrdım etWmek içFinu Tke$nLdxiC yÉeutueln(eOğinje) gPüLvenheXmKe^z*d*i, WaPma dağaIbeyindeénq AyéarVdUınm! isNteim*eQk iÉçinb gerkçye^kjtenm ^çuoPkD qyeVte_rsi*zAdUiP.P Bu MyCılx kOendTiOnlit BeğtiwtmeZlik, miş wd.ünyasında ObaskıVn ol_maltı,T keanHdÉiMsi$ içtixn,g aile(siT ikçin Kve aynır zamanda oqnRunZ içXiNn.A
Nora, beni bekle, bir yıl bekle.
"Ebedi aşk, güçlü dostluk, asla değişmeyen kalp, sonsuza dek sürecek anılar" diye mırıldandı.
Buraya konulacak sınırlı bölümler var, devam etmek için aşağıdaki düğmeye tıklayın "Westhaven'da Yasak Aşklar"
(Uygulamayı açtığınızda otomatik olarak kitaba geçer).
❤️Daha heyecanlı içerik okumak için tıklayın❤️