Everything had gone eerily still.
Her body was no longer hers, but that of a frightened soul too afraid to move. There was a wave of pure terror pooling in her gut, and in the darkness of the mansion, she saw shadows shift, forming a massive creature with an abyss for eyes and a grin growing wide.
She staggered out of the mansion and the creature grinned wider as the shadows spread and swallowed everything―leaving the world a black void with nothing else but her standing in the middle of nowhere.
'What is happening?'
Her breaths were strained and heavy, echoing in the overbearing silence as the unbearable ache flooded her mind. Alyssane wished to break the nightmare, to break free from the darkness, she had never struggled to end her sleep
But this time, she couldn't.
Like a hollow marionette, she was dragged deeper inside something she could not name, something she could not comprehend. Whispers, like distant voices began to fill the void, mingling with her disoriented thoughts.
"Can you help me please?"
The voice, soft yet haunting, pried open a memory.
It was a stormy night, the winds howled like tormented beasts slamming the windows of her chamber so hard the wood seemed to be on the verge of breaking. Alyssane tried to close them shut, but they refused her every effort.
Then, she felt someone enter the room.
"Can you help me please?" she had asked, believing it to be a guard, her voice low and trembling.
His silhouette was a mystery in the darkened room as he moved towards her. The crisp sharpness of clothes brushed against her skin as he leaned so close and then effortlessly shut the window.
Alyssane sighed in relief.
Her hands were still shaking from the struggle and the cold. She glanced at him, silent. He did not move, nor did he say anything as her eyes searched for some signs of familiarity.
'You are not from here…'
But then after a moment, Alyssane's face fell white. She took a step back, her eyes were red and she was barely holding herself.
He stiffened, trying to say something but his words failed him.
The silence stretched between them, filled only the feeble creaking of the window and the distant crying of the restless rain.
"Leave," Alyssane whispered, her voice barely above a breath yet it was too loud in the emptiness surrounding them.
He hesitated, reaching out towards her but she flinched, and her heart ached as she gazed into his eyes filled with regret.
"Leave!" She repeated, louder.
Alyssane woke up from the dream, her heartbeats were restless and her body was drenched in cold sweat. She could still feel him close to her, she could still remember his voice… and it sent a shuddering chill down her spine.
'Why did you have to find me, Vernon?'
Hours passed by and Alyssane could not move from the window side.
Her mind was numb from the remnants of the dream. The glimpses of that strange mansion, the creature dwelling within, and him… they refused to fade away.
'The knights spoke of a mansion… and they were there in the dream.'
'And something might have happened to Vernon…'
Alyssane was too afraid to find out.
One thing, however, was becoming increasingly clear. Somehow, Alyssane was seeing through time. Was it visions or something else entirely? She could not be sure.
But it left a new unease inside her.
'Why is it happening? Why me?'
Everything was becoming stranger as if she hardly knew the world she had lived in… something out of lores had come to life. What if worse lores were becoming true?
'What if it already had...?'
There were too many possibilities.
With a deep breath, Alyssane rose from the chair, her legs were weak and unsteady. She hesitantly reached out to touch her lips.
Her fingers returned red.
'Again?'
But then she saw a stack of some newspapers and scandal sheets left on the nightstand. They were all a few days older. Perhaps Luke left them for her in case she became bored.
'What made you assume I would know how to read?'
Madame Juan was barely aware of Alyssane's literacy even after four years.
Alyssane felt disturbed realizing how well Kazmun and his knights had investigated her past in such a short time.
With a crease between her brows, she picked up the papers. She needed distractions, plenty of them, to get her mind out of all the emotions storming inside her heart.
Alyssane glanced through the large page of the newspaper. At the bottom, there was a detailed sketch of the port of Moonshire, engulfed in flames and smoke as everyone ran here and there.
Tragedy Strikes the Pleasure City: Mysterious Curses & Lethal Fumes
In a shocking turn of events, the bustling port of Pleasure City was engulfed in flames and eerie violet fumes last night. The calamity unfolded when a large container ship, suspected of trafficking illegal poisons, met with a catastrophic incident resulting in a fire that sent shockwaves throughout the city.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as the sailor crew of the container ship suddenly collapsed unconscious under mysterious circumstances, leading to the vessel crashing into the port.
The subsequent fire reacted with the lethal poisons and emitted thick violet smoke, causing alarm among residents and visitors alike, and claiming the lives of more than a hundred individuals, a number that would have been significantly higher if not for the prompt and decisive action of the Imperial Knights who were already stationed in the city.
This tragedy, however, has once again highlighted the rampant smuggling of dangerous substances throughout Lower Valeria. Sadly, it is merely the tip of the iceberg. Our reliable sources reveal an alarming surge in crime and poverty within these communities. The local inhabitants, notorious for their involvement in such nefarious activities, not only bear the brunt of these self-inflicted calamities but also threaten the peace of our empire as a whole…
Alyssane glanced at the date of the newspaper once again. The details aligned with what she had seen again, the bell must have been tolled to warn the citizens. But the news left her feeling distressed.
'Poisons, again?'
'How exactly do my visions work?'
Sometimes it seemed as if she was being shown glimpses of a future, sometimes they seemed to be of the present, or perhaps there was something from the past as well.
Moreover, if the knights were already present in the city, they must have arrived at Pearl Manor very soon after hearing of Lord Chancellor's death. Madame Juan did say they had investigated before Kazmun arrived.
'Why didn't they arrest me back then?'