The Thorne of Destiny-Chapter 82: Nightmares

The whole fiasco just now was probably just to get Adrian’s mind off whatever was disturbing him and to lift his mood.

From his reaction, it seems to have worked splendidly, as his mood was no longer down.

"Alright, I’m sure you’re tired from your trip. You can go inside and take a bath. I’ll have someone fetch you when your meal is ready."

Natasha stated as she ushered Adrian into the house. He followed her instructions without fuss, as he went inside to clean himself up.

Now that he was no longer tense, all the fatigue washed over him, making him feel very tired. He even wondered how he was able to muster the energy to run all the way here.

All these thoughts swirled in his mind as he finally took a bath. He hopped onto the bed in the room and immediately fell asleep.

The next couple of days for Adrian were ones of peace and quiet. Everyone had mostly forgotten about the previous day’s event.

His father also inquired from him what had happened when he learned of the situation. All he could tell him was the feeling of dread that he felt when he was on his way home.

He didn’t expect them to believe him because of how it sounded, so he was surprised when his father simply dismissed it as probably him missing his family.

He was a bit skeptical at first, knowing his father’s personality. However, he ultimately went along with the explanation.

No one else asked him about it again, and it was quickly forgotten by everyone.

The days passed like a dream. Familiar, impossible routines returned. He sparred with his brother Jayson in the courtyard. Making sure to spank him with the wooden sword every time he dodged his attacks.

He laughed with his mother over dumplings and tea. He even spent time with his father in his study. Everything couldn’t be better for Adrian.

He had almost completely forgotten that incident. Even if he remembered, he simply thought of it as a bad dream.

Life continued for him in relative peace. He continued his cultivation, becoming even stronger. Nothing else happened, and he continued his life like nothing had happened.

One day, Adrian woke up on his bed, his whole body covered in sweat. He had just had a nightmare that terrified him greatly.

However, the strange thing was that he couldn’t recollect anything from it. When he tried to remember what it was about, his mind was filled with fog, which felt eerie yet familiar.

When he finally caught his breath, he could perceive the faint scent of jasmine lingering in the air. The soft rustle of trees swaying in the morning breeze came through the open window, the rays of the sun casting golden lines across his bed.

He sat up slowly, finally able to get himself in order. It felt like he had slept for days, yet his body didn’t seem to have gotten any rest.

His mind felt heavier than it had in weeks, as if it were carrying a great burden.

He looked around to find that everything was calm, too calm.

He stretched his arms and stepped onto the wooden floor, the warmth of the polished wood familiar under his feet. He could hear his mother’s laughter drifting from the courtyard, joined by the gentle chime of teacups clinking. His aunt’s voice followed, soft and affectionate as always.

It was perfect. The same routine he had experienced countless times. And that unsettled him.

As he walked through the corridor, the familiar house greeted him at every turn. The garden with the stone lanterns, the pond with its shimmering fish that his mother liked, even the old tree that had stood in the center of the courtyard flowers.

He paused. A faint image of the tree sliced into two appeared in his mind. However, before he could think about it further, his little brother ran into him.

"Brother Adrian, you’ve finally woken up. Mother sent me since you didn’t wake up early as usual." His little brother Jayson said in a sweet manner.

"Is that so? It seems my training yesterday tired me out." He replied with a gentle smile on his face.

"I know, right? My body still aches from swinging my sword so many times." Jayson rambled on as he and Adrian exited the courtyard.

He continued his training, however, his mind seemed occupied with something else. He kept making mistakes and was even almost injured while practicing with his sword.

This was a first for Adrian, which made everyone gather around him. He simply smiled and waved everyone off, telling them he was fine.

The next morning, he jolted awake in his bed, drenched in sweat, heart hammering against his ribs.

He had another nightmare. But still he couldn’t remember.

When he went out to check his surroundings, the house was still peaceful. His mother still smiled. His brother still laughed.

Everything seemed fine. Yet in his heart, he knew something was wrong. He thought he might be stressed, which was why he kept having strange nightmares.

He decided to take a break and stroll around.

He was still in the House of Thorne when he overheard a conversation between the maids and a young girl.

She looked no older than ten years old and seemed to be asking them a question. Her clothes resembled those of the maids, with only a slight change in design.

It was obvious to him that she was a servant in training. However, what caught his attention was how cute she was.

Even with her simple clothes, she had an adorable look that would make anyone want to squeeze her cheeks.

As if reading his mind, one of the servants pinched her cheeks lightly, eliciting a giggle from the young girl.

Adrian felt strange when he looked at the girl. A subtle feeling that he couldn’t quite place arose in his heart.

It was as if she were someone important to him, similar to his younger brother Jayson. What was even stranger was the fact that he doubted if he had even met the girl before.