Aurelia gave Lucas a grateful smile as she made room for him on the love seat she had been lying on. He sat down.

"While you were sleeping did you have a nightmare or something?" Lucas wondered.

Aurelia shook her head. "You can wake up from a nightmare. I couldn't wake up. It was the worst dream I've ever had." Her glossy eyes were wet as if tears threatened to fall from her emerald gems. She held it back though. She was stronger than that.

"What happened?" Lucas wondered, placing a hand on Aurelia's shoulder. He hoped that would comfort her.

"I was trapped. And everyone- everyone I know and everyone I love was dying. I couldn't do anything to save them." Aurelia quivered at the memory. It had felt so surreal. "And it just kept repeating, trapping me in the dream. I couldn't do anything, Luke! I couldn't-" She was growing hysterical.

Lucas pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

"Alloy and Ariana and you and-" Aurelia cried into his chest. It must have been bad for her to be traumatized like that.

"Aurelia, it's okay. You are okay. And your family is okay. It was just a bad dream." He hoped he could help her feel safe again. He couldn't believe the state she was in.

Her breathing returned to close to normal and he pulled her closer.

"I've never had a dream like that." Aurelia admitted.

"I'm certain it was the potion's doing." Luke gritted his teeth in anger.

Aurelia pulled away from Lucas who gave her a hopeful smile. Aurelia wiped her eyes and gave a watery grin.

"Thank you, Luke. I don't know what I would have done without you here."

Luke frowned remember a seed of thought that had been planted in his mind. He had to at least discuss it with her. He scratched the back of his head.

"About that. Listen, Aurelia, when we found you passed out I felt responsible. If something happened to you on this quest- It would be all my fault." Lucas stated.

Aurelia's eyes narrowed. "What are you suggesting?"

Lucas shrugged, uncomfortably. "Maybe you shouldn't continue with me on this journey."

Aurelia stood up. "No way!"

Lucas stood up too. "Aurelia, I can't-"

"It was my fault, Lucas! And something like that will not happen again. I'll be fine." Aurelia huffed, placing her hands on her hips.

Lucas sighed. "What if something happened to you? It be my fault-"

Aurelia interrupted once more. "You committed, so did I. I'm not abandoning you. I'm not going back to Atharia without you. I'm not staying here. We are going to complete this quest together and then go home and continue being friends. Understood?"

"Aurelia-" Lucas began.

She gave him a partial smile. "Come on, Lucas. Understood?"

"Alright." He sighed. "Understood." He smiled. She certainly was stubborn.

"Good!" Aurelia nodded.

Footsteps thundered through the corridor outside. It appeared they had finished their discussion just in time.