Colliding Dreams

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Awakening

[Luna's POV]

The forest stretched endlessly before me, a vast sea of towering trees and dense underbrush. The wind whispered through the leaves, soft and gentle, but it carried a chill that settled deep in my bones. I walked quietly, my footsteps barely making a sound on the damp forest floor. The forest was familiar—Darius and I used to come here often, seeking solace in the quiet, hidden among the trees near the old shed we used to visit. That place had always been a safe haven, a refuge from everything.

But today was different. Today, I wasn't walking toward the shed. I was heading somewhere darker, deeper. My body moved almost instinctively, carrying me past the places we used to visit, past the familiar paths, and into uncharted territory. The trees thickened, the air grew colder, and soon, I found myself at the edge of a ditch. Beyond it, hidden in the shadows of the forest, was something I hadn't seen in weeks—a crumbling, abandoned castle.

Ulferix's castle.

The place where everything changed. The place where I had been abducted and where the horrors of my past began to take shape. My chest tightened, and for a moment, I considered turning back. But I couldn't. I had come too far. I needed to know. I needed answers.

The castle loomed before me, its stone walls covered in vines and moss, its towers broken and crumbling with time. The gate had long since fallen, leaving only a rusted iron frame behind. I stepped through it, the sound of my heartbeat pounding in my ears. The silence was oppressive, wrapping around me like a thick fog.

I walked deeper into the castle, each step feeling heavier than the last. Memories flickered at the edges of my mind—memories of pain, fear, and confusion. I had tried so hard to forget this place, to bury it deep within me, but now it was all rushing back, like a flood I couldn't stop.

The castle was eerily empty. No signs of life, no voices, no movement. Just silence. I wandered through the corridors, passing empty rooms and dust-covered furniture, until I reached a room that sent a shiver down my spine—Ulferix's room.

The door creaked as I pushed it open, revealing a large, dimly lit chamber. The air was stale, and the smell of rot clung to everything. I stepped inside, my eyes scanning the room. It was just as I remembered it—cold, dark, filled with an unsettling energy that made my skin crawl.

I moved quietly, not entirely sure what I was looking for, but knowing that something was pulling me here. My gaze fell on a wooden box on a shelf near the bed, its surface worn and cracked with age. Without thinking, I reached for it, but my hand slipped, and the box fell to the floor with a loud crash. The lid broke off, and the contents spilled out across the stone floor.

I knelt down, my heart pounding as I gathered the papers and photographs that had fallen from the box. My hands trembled as I lifted a photograph—a black-and-white image of a woman. Her face was familiar, but it wasn't until I saw the next photo that the truth hit me like a blow to the chest.

It was a photo of Ulferix standing over a woman—one of many women. There were more photographs, each one more horrifying than the last. Woman after woman, their faces contorted in pain and terror. He had... violated them. Abused them. And then discarded them like they were nothing.

My breath hitched as I picked up another paper. It was a letter, written in Ulferix's unmistakable handwriting. I scanned the words, my stomach churning with each line.

"None of them are worthy. None of them can hold the power I need. Weak, useless creatures. Their deaths were necessary. And yet... one has shown promise. A mutt, but useful nonetheless. She has what the others could not harness. My creation. My weapon. She will serve her purpose, and when she no longer does, she will be disposed of."