Chapter Text
Recurring dreams mean something. And Lux has been having this dream ever since she was a kid. She knows it because every time she wakes up she feels like this: Cold shivers running down her back, goosebumps on her flesh, and then a burning heat. She never remembers it, she can only recall bits and pieces, never a full picture. There’s always a distorted loud cackle, and these intense flashes of fire-red, and a cool aquamarine that makes the background disappear.
She jerks awake from this dream or nightmare, after all these years she hasn’t decided. Lux puffs out a breath, shuddering as she sits up. There’s no use to try and fall back asleep, it will come again and again on a loop. The bed creaks with the shift of her weight. She hoped being abroad would reduce the frequency of the dreams, but they seem to be following her.
“Here we go again, I guess,” she mutters, pouring herself half a glass of water from her bedside carafe. She takes a deep breath and sighs heavily before taking a long sip, toes brushing against the polished wood floor.
The rays of the moon gleam through the stain-glass windows, creating a kaleidoscopic display before her. Lux bites her lip, the bright orange sparking memories of her dream. Shaking her head, she walks up to the window. The heat is starting to take her over as she struggles to open the ancient fastening.
“Stupid old mage school with your stupid old buildings and stupid old window locks.” Giving up on the regular methods she brings out her wand. With a whisper and a flick of her wrist, the old brass lock falls apart. “There. Not so troublesome now are you?”
Leaning on the window sill, Lux scans the garden below. The night is warm, but the soft breeze that courses through feels heavenly against her burning skin. The evening dew glistens over the rose bushes and tulip bulbs. The view is stunning, enough to distract Lux from the reason she’s awake in the first place.
She catches a sudden movement between some of the bushes, and she tries to look closer. Would anyone be out there at this hour of the night? She must have imagined it because after a while nothing else happens and she sighs in relief, letting out a quiet chuckle. She could probably benefit from going back to bed.
Lux is closing the window when she suddenly stiffens, all the hairs on her back standing up as she feels a presence behind her.
“Hello, Little Light.” The voice is smooth and cool as a flowing river. “Found ya.”
Lux gulps, remaining perfectly still, fingers tightening on her wand. “Who are you?”
A loud cackle rips through the room and Lux loses all her breath.
“That laugh,” she manages, relaxing slightly.
“Hmm? You like my laugh, Luxie?”
Lux’s eyes widen upon hearing the nickname. She slowly turns around to lay eyes on the slender figure standing in the middle of her room. A woman with porcelain skin, a copper red mane flowing over her shoulders, sparkling aquamarine eyes, and a pearlescent impossibly wide grin. Lux barely registers she’s holding something, a messy bouquet.
“You’re– you…” Lux stammers, her words slurring as she starts to feel drowsy. What’s happening?
The strange woman moves up to her and rests a hand firmly on her shoulder, holding her up.
“What is it Luxie?” Her face shifts into an exaggerated concerned expression with wide eyes, and her brows drawn together.
“I’ve seen you…” Lux blinks rapidly, struggling to keep her eyes open.
“Yeah?” The smile returns to her face.
“You’re in my dreams.”
“You’re right, Little Light, I am the girl of your dreams.” She smirks with a glint in her eye.
Lux grumbles, trying to protest, trying to ask who she is, but the only word that leaves her lips is “Pretty.” The bark of laughter fills the space once more, as Lux’s vision fades to black.
When Lux comes to, she blinks in the dark, registering a faint murmur of running water that is heard in the distance. Softly groaning to herself, she moves to sit up. Her eyes are yet to adjust to the darkness and crisp grass tickles her hands as she places her palms on the surface beneath her.
“Hey, Luxie…” The same cool voice that sends shivers up her spine speaks as a hand strokes her face.
“What? Wh–where am I?” How did she get here and why?
Thumbs stroke her cheekbones, and a veil is removed from her eyes. Bright green-blue eyes appear before her, drilling into her soul. And suddenly there’s only one question that matters.
“Who are you?” Lux asks.
“I thought you remembered,” the redhead responds with a pout as she keeps stroking Lux’s cheek. Lux has the urge to pull back but those aquamarine eyes have her in a trance that makes her stay put.
“I… I think I’ve seen you in my dreams,” Lux offers.
“Hm, you don’t sound so sure.”
“I can’t remember most of it, but I know it’s the same dream and I–” Lux frowns, biting her lip. Why is she trying to convince this strange woman who broke into her dorm room and possibly abducted her that she’s dreamt of her? But then the slender woman speaks again.
“You what Luxie?”
Oh, right… That’s why… Lux leans forward into the soft palm cupping her cheek and whispers. “I know it’s you, I’ve dreamt of you my whole life, of your voice… of the way you look at me… Who are you?”
The woman’s lips part faintly and she looks like she’s about to speak but only smiles.
Lux wakes up to a loud noise thumping noise. What in hells is that? She turns and pulls the covers over her head until she realizes that this time she remembers. She sits up with a start, gasping as the memories come flooding in. Was it all a dream again? “No.” It couldn’t have been.
“Lux!” Sera calls. So she’s the one who’s been banging on the door. “You ready? Don’t wanna be late for our first day here!”
Shit.
She jumps up on her feet and runs to the bathroom. “Almost ready just gimme five!” She calls and rushes to get ready.
During the first few classes Lux is distracted, she can’t stop thinking about her dream, and about the woman she finally saw clearly the prior night. Lux is disheartened and sighs she was certainly disappointed that it was only a dream again. She wanted it to be real, she wants it to mean something. It does mean something though, right? It has to.
“You okay? You’ve been sulking all day.”
“It’s just, I didn’t sleep too well, being away from home and all.”
“Hmm…” Sera doesn’t look convinced.
“I’m fine, really.”
“If you say so, Luxie.”
Luxie… her mind echoes as she frowns at her shoes, she sighs and feels Sera’s stare but ignores it as they walk to their last class of the day.
Taking a seat close to the front she leans on her bent elbow, staring at a random spot on the blackboard. The lecture goes on for ten minutes before the doors swing open.
“Jane, what are you doing? We started ages ago.”
“Hiya professor, sorry I was late.” Lux perks up when she hears the voice, she snaps her head towards the girl walking up to a chair in the back of the classroom, sliding into it and slumping over immediately.
“If you can’t bother to make it on time, then just don’t make it all.”
“Yeah, yeah, will remember that,” she says dismissively and dumps the contents of her bag on the desk.
Jane? That doesn’t sound right. Lux tries and fails to pay attention during the rest of the class. She steals fleeting glances at the redhead sitting at the back of the room, like she’s a regular student. What’s up with that?
After what seems like an eternity, they get dismissed and Lux rushes out, trying to catch up with “Jane”. Other students get in her way and she frantically looks around.
“Lux, what is it?” Sera asks when she finally catches up with the blonde.
“Nothing, I-” She stumbles into someone and quickly apologizes before she catches a flash of fiery orange hair flowing freely through the crowd.
“Hey!” She calls, ignoring Sera’s further questioning.
The redhead turns around, and Lux is able to catch up with her, panting breathlessly.
“Hey there, Blondie. Can I help you?” She tilts her head, watching Lux curiously.
“You– You’re… why are you here?” Lux asks, taking the opportunity to properly look her over. She’s wearing the uniform of a first year, and she sees her carrying a heavy bag but it doesn’t seem to contain books.
“I’m studying to become the greatest wizard of all time, and you?” Jane grins widely, watching her with glimmering eyes.
“I—I mean, aren’t you…”
“Name’s Jane.”
“No… you’re… you,” Lux stammers, frowning.
“Do you know each other?” Sera interjects.
“Hm? Nah, I don’t think so, right Blondie?”
“You do know me,” Lux mutters angrily.
“Lux.” Sera frowns, looking back and forth between the two girls as Jane gives her an innocent look, tilting her head.
“We’ve met?” The redhead tilts her head feigning ignorance.
Lux takes a deep breath and blows out slowly. “No, sorry, I thought I knew you.” Lux walks off and Sera follows close behind.
How could this be happening? That was so embarrassing, she made a fool of herself. She can’t believe how close she was to blurt out that they had met in Lux’s dreams. What kind of cheap flirting line does that sound like?
Focusing her efforts on something more productive, Lux goes to the library and starts collecting the books she will need to do research for in her different classes, she likes to be ahead of the game and she would have done this sooner but the past few days have been very… trying.
Once back in her room she collapses on the bed, leaving the pile of books on her desk.
She will focus on doing her school work, no need to pay any more thoughts to the mysterious woman or other students that remind her of that mysterious woman. Determined to study that afternoon she lays on her side, glancing over at her books, and notices the bouquet of flowers on the windowsill.
Lux’s dream of the night prior replays in her mind, clearly defined features, freckled cheeks, and long silky hair dance before her eyes. Not Jane, no… “What’s your name?” Lux asks but the woman only smiles at her.
Lux wakes up with a gasp and grips the cool, dewy grass from the oasis of her dream…Was that really a dream? Is she dreaming again?
“Not again!” Lux growls.
“Whoa, do you want to hurt my feelings, Luxie?” Jane (no, that’s not right) frowns from her place by a forge.
“What’s happening? Why are you kidnapping me in my sleep and bringing me here? And why did you pretend you didn’t know me in class?”
“Hm, I thought you were my pretty light, but if you can’t figure that out for yourself I guess I was wrong.”
“Your–” Lux gulps, flushing brightly. What did she mean “my pretty light?”
“Do you remember the dreams now?” the woman asks, handing Lux a small item.
“It’s warm,” Lux breathes, instead of responding to the question. She shudders when their hands touch, sudden flashing visions making her flinch, her hand closes around the metallic gadget. “What is this?”
“It’s yours, if it is that you’re you.” not-Jane purses her lips. “Are you, you?”
“Of course I’m me!” What does that even mean?
“Good!” not-Jane grins, nodding “That’s my Little Light.” She leans forward, catching the back of Lux’s neck and pressing their mouths together.
A startled sound escapes Lux’s lips as she tries to pull back, but the other woman’s grip is an iron hold, keeping Lux firmly pressed against her. She doesn’t struggle and her body relaxes involuntarily, her eyes fluttering shut. She feels the woman smile against her lips before their mouths part. “Goodnight my pretty girl.”
“Lux! Don’t tell me you overslept again!” Fuck.
The hours bleed together, Lux is unable to focus on any of her classes. Her mind keeps replaying her dreams of Jane, and she’s eager to get to the last lecture of the day to confront the other girl. Once there, Lux sits watching the clock, eyes drifting to the seat the redhead occupied the previous day. But the whole hour passes and the mysterious woman is nowhere to be found.
A whole week passes and the dreams don’t return, at least not while she’s asleep. She doesn’t stop daydreaming about the woman’s aquamarine eyes and sparkling smile in her room, holding a flower bouquet. The flowers are real. Lux has made sure to keep them in a jar with water and even put a spell to prolong their freshness.
Seraphine insists they work on their schoolwork together that Friday, she’s obviously worried by Lux’s behavior. Sera has taken Lux’s desk and Lux is sitting on the bed, legs propped up and a notebook across her knees. She talks about the teachers and her favorite classes, before rambling about their classmates and who they should try to get close to. She’s always been great at networking. After a while, the conversation winds down and they share a comfortable silence.
“It’s been an interesting week huh?” Sera mutters, reading one of the books Lux picked up.
“Yup.” She scribbles, pretending to do schoolwork.
“Where did you get that charm?” Lux stiffens, looking up from her notes. “I’m not gonna pressure you to tell me but, it’s just odd, we never keep secrets.” Sera keeps her eyes on the book, her expression unreadable.
“Sera…” Lux puts her notebook down and takes a deep breath.
Sera looks up at her, she’s got an amazing poker face, but Lux knows her well enough to be able to tell when she’s upset.
“You’re right, I’m sorry… something’s going on, but it’s all just been so crazy that I don’t even know if it’s real.”
“Go on,” Sera prompts, closing the book she was pretending to read.
And just like that Lux spills her guts.
“So Jane has been either abducting you or intruding in your dreams?”
“Sort of I guess? But I told you, she just said she’s Jane for school records, that’s not her name.”
“And what is it?”
“I don’t–I don’t remember,” Lux sighs.
“And she gave you that charm? And those flowers?”
“Yeah…”
“Have you tried looking up anything about that charm?”
“Yep, but no luck, haven’t found anything in the library.”
“Did you go to the restricted section?”
“I was only able to get in for like five minutes, even pulling the Crownguard name.”
“Alright, I have an idea. Meet me in my dorm at noon tomorrow?”
“Sure,” Lux said wearily.
Metal on metal screech as Jinx tries to force a dozen jagged pieces to fit together, molding them and warping them with the dark force emanating from her very core, channeled through her fingertips. “Shut up!” She yells at the scraps of metal, stone, and tissue, sneering at her. “I will get you to work.”
“Hey, sis!” Jinx says, turning to the door just as Vi was about to knock on the entrance of her sanctuary.
“Hi…” Vi steps in, wearing a polite smile and holding her arms behind her back.
“To what do I owe the honor, Violet?” Jinx asks with a tired tone, lifting her goggles from her eyes to look at the muscular woman loitering by her china cabinet. Vi skims the different plates made from different precious metals and adorned with rhinestones. She’s made quite a collection of them throughout the centuries.
Vi’s focus then turns to Jinx and the project on her workbench. She hums. “Ya missed the fun last night.”
Jinx cackles because that is just precious. “Missed the fun? Some uptight jerks trying to one-up each other for the numbers of worshippers they’ve made in the last decade isn’t what I’d call fun.”
“Well, this isn’t either. You hole up here and stare at that goddamn ball every hour of the day hoping some human girl will remember you?” Vi gestures towards the alluded item.
Jinx grins at her. A rictus parting her face eerily. But Vi is used to this, she glares, crossing her arms.
“She is gonna remember me, in fact, she already does.”
Vi rolls her eyes and sighs, walking up to the seeing ball Jinx has set in one corner of her sanctuary. “So this is her? This Lux girl?”
“Yep.”
Vi inspects the image, zoning in on it. “Are you sure about that?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” Jinx repeats for what feels like the thousandth time. “Stop asking me that, Violet, it’s getting old.”
“I mean, I see some resemblance but she’s nothing like she used to be in her prior–”
“When have I ever been wrong about this?”
“Well…”
“The time she was being impersonated doesn’t count, I figured it out pretty quickly.”
“Right, but she’s just a student, are you sure she’s ready?”
“She’s ready.” She has to be. “She recognized me, she just has to remember now.”
“I will never understand why you agreed to this.”
Jinx sighs. “Of course you won’t, you didn’t fall in love with a mortal.”
“I know… but this… this game, it’s too much even for you.”
Jinx just shrugs and smiles at her sister. Vi’s right, she’ll never get it, she doesn’t know how easy she and Caitlyn have it. In all honesty, Jinx might have given up already if it wasn’t for the promise she made to her Light all those centuries back.
“You’ll come and find me again?”
“In every life.”