𝕭𝖑𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝕻𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖈𝖊───
"Dance for me." The figure on the throne said.
Her throat felt dry. Even in the dark, she could sense his eyes on her, tracking her every move.
She couldn't place what it was, but something about his intimidating aura made...
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Ji-ah replayed Jungwon's words in her mind, each phrase lingering, tangled with her thoughts.
What she'd seen-the palace engulfed in flames, the shadowy figure in the forest, the girl's urgent plea for her to run-had been the day Ae-ra died.
She had tried to ask Jungwon what happened that day, but he only comforted her and left, leaving her with more questions than answers.
Conflicted and confused, Ji-ah wrestled with her dreams and what they might mean. Could she really have been Ae-ra in a past life? What else could explain the reason behind these dreams?
She could still feel Jungwon's gaze, the quiet desperation hidden in his calm exterior, his unspoken questions mirroring her own.
Now, as she sat alone in her room, looking out the window, a new anxiety gripped her. The thought of sleeping makes her anxious. She was afraid she would dream again, reliving those moments.
She remembered how she fell and hurt herself, as though the pain inflicted in the dream was real. Moreover, she was afraid she would get stuck in the dream. Would that even be possible?
And, a creeping thought appeared. Could she die in the dream? Could she witness her own death at the hands of Eugene?
And the fact that the palace had been in a huge fire.. Something big must have happened that day.
Ji-ah suddenly had a thought, that if Jungwon was seeing her everyday, it must've been hard for him, as though he's seeing Ae-ra.
She had observed the painting once more, and the likeness was uncanny. Ae-ra looked eerily like her, but Ji-ah could noticed a difference. In the painting, Ae-ra carried a warmth demeanor-her smile was soft and bright.
She looked more carefree and open than Ji-ah. Ji-ah almost found it unbelievable. She, or rather, Ae-ra, looked truly beautiful.
Yet, the resemblance was haunting. Her face, her eyes-it was as if she were looking into a mirror, but one that reflected a life not her own.
Who is really Ae-ra? Was Ji-ah simply a reflection of her, or was there something more?
Outside, the night was still, yet her heartbeat was loud in her ears, each pulse carrying the weight of the unknown. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself, but her mind refused to rest.
Cooped up in her bed, eventually, her eyes became heavy and sleep claimed her.
She drifted through darkness, floating aimlessly in a void without direction. The exhaustion settled into her bones, but she surrendered to it, letting her body rest.
Then, she sensed it—an edge. A cold breeze brushed her skin, and her fingers twitched. The chill seeped into her, deeper and deeper.
Her bed felt icy, her fingers tracing something soft and damp. The air numbed her senses, and as she shifted, something brushed gently against her eyelid. She stirred, reaching for warmth, but only found more coldness.
