Destined Across Time | LadaEarn

Chapter 16

"By order of His Excellency, for crimes committed against the kingdom, including theft, deception, and threatening a royal, you are hereby sentenced to death. The penalty will be carried out at this moment."

Earn's chest tightened as the words hung in the air, each syllable sinking into her heart like a blade. She could still feel the cold stone beneath her knees, the weight of helplessness crushing her as her gaze sought out Fahlada one last time, desperate for the comfort of her face. But Fahlada was nowhere in sight, only the hollow stares of onlookers who saw her as nothing more than a condemned servant.

Her breath hitched, and suddenly, Earn jolted awake, her heart pounding in the darkness of her room. She pressed a trembling hand to her chest, the remnants of the nightmare refusing to fade. It had been a year since that day—since her death, as she now thought of it—but the memories of Lada's world lingered like scars etched into her soul. She could see Fahlada's face as vividly as if they had only parted yesterday, the princess' warmth and tenderness still engraved in her heart.

Earn stared up at the ceiling, trying to steady her breath, but the emptiness gnawed at her. No matter how far she ran, or how much time passed, she couldn't escape the longing for that world, for that princess who had once looked at her with eyes that saw her, truly saw her. She'd never had a photograph of Fahlada, not even a drawing, yet she could picture every detail of her face with aching clarity. Her gentle smile, the spark in her eyes, the softness of her touch—each memory was as sharp and vivid as the day she'd left it behind.

Sighing, Earn forced herself out of bed, shaking off the remnants of the dream. She had a full day ahead of her, a photoshoot that she couldn't afford to miss. The reality of her life now felt distant and surreal, but it was the only life she had left. She dressed quickly, pushing down the lingering sadness as she prepared herself to face the world.

Over the past year, everything had changed. After the day she'd reawakened beneath that bridge, wet and shivering, her life had spiraled into a deep, endless pit of despair. She had returned to the present, to a life that now felt cold and empty without Fahlada. For months, she'd grappled with depression, unable to reconcile the loss of a world she couldn't return to. The memories haunted her, and more than once, she'd found herself back on that bridge, staring down at the water, wondering if another plunge might somehow take her back. But each time, she surfaced in the same world, the same present, without a glimpse of Fahlada or any hint of the life she'd left behind.

Yet despite the pain, Earn found a spark of purpose she couldn't ignore. Somewhere deep inside, she knew that she had to keep moving forward. Slowly, she began picking up the pieces of her life, pushing herself to strive for something greater. What began as a small step turned into a journey. She'd started out as a stunt double, taking on minor roles to keep herself afloat, but her resilience and dedication had paid off. Within months, she'd graduated from a nameless stunt double to a supporting actress in several dramas, and now, she was on the cusp of her first lead role in an upcoming series. It was a climb she hadn't anticipated, but she embraced it wholeheartedly, knowing that this new path, challenging as it was, gave her something to hold onto, something to distract her from the ache in her heart.

This is also the year she would graduate. She had made it through the ups and downs, through the despair and the struggle, and now she was standing on the cusp of something new. She had built a life for herself, even without the person she had once thought was her destiny. But the longing in her chest didn't fade. No matter what she achieved, she still couldn't forget the princess, the love that had once seemed so impossible, yet so real.

Today was a milestone, a testament to her strength and determination. Despite the emptiness that haunted her, she'd come this far, and she wasn't about to turn back now.