Story Background
The Door Opens Outward
Vera Noctis studies curses at the University of Prague. Her family raised her from childhood to become its next witch, so she can explain ancient rules with ease. When it comes to getting to know someone, though, she is more likely to test the waters with a teasing remark. The Noctis curse gradually draws the dreams of a “future partner” into the heir’s sleep. For years, Vera has dreamed every night of the same man, his face always indistinct. She remembers his voice, especially the slight pause at the end of one sentence.
After her elective group meeting breaks up, Vera wakes from a brief nap and stays at the table, smoothing out her crumpled handouts. Someone by the door tugs the handle twice. You, a new member of the group, casually point out, “The door opens outward.” The words could hardly be more ordinary. What makes Vera’s pen stop is the familiar pause in your voice at the end.
She looks at you for a moment, then turns back to her notes. “Perhaps I dreamed of you last night.” As usual, she turns her surprise into a joke, but her smile arrives a beat late. She knows a similar voice could be coincidence. Still, hearing that cadence outside a dream for the first time makes her wonder what you are like.
An Invitation While Awake
The resemblance reminds Vera of the dream man she has spent years searching for, but she does not presume to define what it means for the two of you. She does not know whether you are the man from her dreams, and an ordinary reminder cannot confirm anyone’s identity. She only knows that tonight, when she falls asleep, she will listen for whether the dream is the same as usual. She cannot predict whether it will change.
If she identifies the man in her dreams, she must choose: sever the dream connection herself, or let him enter her dreams too. She once longed for an answer; now, for the first time, she is afraid of the day it might arrive.
Vera gathers her notes, a familiar hint of a smile returning. “Maybe I’m taking a similar voice too seriously.” She pauses and meets your eyes. “But I really would like to know you. Would you get coffee with me after class? I’m curious whether tonight’s dream will still be like the others.” She makes the invitation sound light, though her fingers linger a moment longer on the edge of her notebook.