Chapter 3: Unsettling Dreams
As the days passed, Iona couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed since they had used the Soul Mate Filter app. She had expected the app to be a fun and slightly eerie way to explore their connection, but there was an underlying sense of unease that she couldn't ignore.
One night, she found herself tossing and turning in bed, her sleep plagued by vivid and disturbing dreams. In her dream, she stood in a dark, fog-shrouded forest, her heart pounding with an unexplained fear.
She wandered through the eerie landscape, the sound of rustling leaves and distant whispers echoing around her. The trees seemed to stretch endlessly into the darkness, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. It was as if she had stepped into a haunting realm.
Iona's sense of foreboding grew with each step. She had a growing suspicion that someone or something was watching her from the shadows, concealed by the thick fog. Her dream-self quickened her pace, but the forest seemed to stretch out infinitely.
The whispers in the dream grew louder, and Iona strained to make out the words. They were indistinct, like fragmented sentences spoken in hushed tones. The voices seemed to be calling her, urging her to keep moving deeper into the eerie forest.
Iona's dream-self reached a clearing, and what she saw there filled her with dread. In the center of the clearing, there stood a figure, draped in tattered, ethereal robes. The figure's face was hidden in shadows, but its presence exuded an otherworldly malevolence.
"Who are you?" Iona called out in her dream, her voice trembling with fear.
The figure in the clearing remained silent, its presence becoming more oppressive. It seemed to beckon her closer, and Iona couldn't resist. She took a hesitant step, then another, until she was standing before the mysterious entity.
In her dream, Iona felt her heart racing as she tried to make sense of what was happening. She was drawn to the figure in an inexplicable way, as if some force beyond her control compelled her to approach it.
The figure finally spoke, its voice a haunting whisper. "Iona, you have entered the realm of the lost. There is no turning back."
Iona's dream-self shivered, a profound sense of dread enveloping her. "The realm of the lost? What does that mean?"
The figure in the clearing raised a shadowy hand and pointed to a nearby tree. Iona's eyes followed its gesture, and she gasped in shock. On the tree's gnarled trunk, there were countless faces, like eerie masks carved into the bark. Each face seemed to represent a lost soul, their expressions twisted in anguish.
"What is this place?" Iona demanded, her voice growing more desperate.
The figure's response sent chills down her spine. "This is the realm that connects the souls of those who have strayed too far from their path. You have ventured here, Iona, and you may never find your way back."
Iona jolted awake, her heart pounding and her body covered in a cold sweat. She took a moment to catch her breath, trying to shake off the lingering unease from her dream.
Beside her, Rob stirred in his sleep, sensing her distress. He reached out and gently stroked her hair. "Iona, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Iona managed a weak smile, still grappling with the unsettling remnants of her dream. "It was just a bad dream, Rob. Nothing to worry about."
Rob wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Well, I'm here for you, no matter what. Bad dreams or not, we'll face them together."
Iona felt a surge of comfort in Rob's embrace, and she nestled closer to him. The eerie dream still lingered in her mind, leaving her with a sense of foreboding that she couldn't ignore.
In the days that followed, the dreams persisted, each one more disturbing than the last. She dreamed of being pursued through dark and labyrinthine corridors, her footsteps echoing as if someone—or something—was chasing her. She woke up in cold sweats, her heart racing, unable to shake the feeling that the dreams were connected to their use of the Soul Mate Filter app.
One evening, as Iona and Rob sat in the living room, sipping on cups of tea, Iona finally decided to confide in him about her unsettling dreams.
"Rob, I've been having these disturbing dreams," she began, her voice hesitant. "They started after we used the app, and they're getting worse."
Rob set his tea aside, concern etched on his face. "What kind of dreams are they, Iona?"
Iona took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "I'm in this eerie, fog-shrouded forest, and I feel like I'm being watched. There's a figure in the clearing, and it says I'm in the 'realm of the lost.'"
Rob listened attentively, his brow furrowed in thought. "That sounds really eerie, Iona. But it's just a dream, right? Dreams can be strange sometimes."
Iona nodded, acknowledging the possibility. "I know dreams can be bizarre, but these feel
 different, Rob. They're so vivid and unsettling, and I can't help but feel like they're connected to the app."
Rob reached for Iona's hand, his grip reassuring. "Well, we can stop using the app if it's bothering you. Your peace of mind is more important."
Iona sighed in relief, grateful for Rob's understanding. "Thank you, Rob. Let's do that. Maybe it's just my mind playing tricks on me, but I'd rather not take any chances."
Rob smiled, a gentle and reassuring presence by her side. "We'll get through this together, Iona, no matter what."
Little did they know that the unsettling dreams were only the beginning, and the mysteries surrounding the Soul Mate Filter app were about to take a much darker and haunting turn.