Esme's body began to plummet in the depths of a black, bottomless void, her cerulean locks fluttering in the air like short seaweeds, as if being swallowed by an endless chasm. It was like a whole new dimension shrouded in nothing but the lingering darkness, and Esme had somehow found herself in it.
Without warning, the vision of a mysterious man appeared in her head, and he was on his knees, trapped in thick heavy chains like a prisoner. There were symbols, or rather, dark runes covering his naked torso, but it was difficult to make out his full appearance.
The environment was dark, and the air was heavy with the stench of blood, anger, desperation, and something more.... something darker.
Esme felt scared in an instant, and she could not open her eyes. It was impossible to think in this dimension. What is this place?? And who is that man??
"Someone is here." Esme stiffened in terror when the man's cold, deep voice broke through her subconsciousness. His tone carried so much hate, underlying his shock. It was almost if he wasn't expecting anyone to be here.
"Who is it?!" He didn't bother to raise his head and look for himself, but a terrifying, low chuckle rumbled in his chest.
The sounds of metallic chains clanking violently echoed in her head, and the figure was suddenly struggling to free himself from that bondage. It was nearly impossible to make out his visuals, except for the silver-white hair that framed his face like a curtain.
To her horror, the chains holding the man in place angrily snapped, setting him free, and Esme's eyes flew open without hesitation.
With a strained gasp, she bolted upright in the bed, her eyes wide open in fear upon recollecting the man in chains. Her heart pounded fiercely in her chest, as if she had narrowly escaped some sort of nightmare, and she struggled to catch her breath.
The light sobs coming from a corner drew her attention immediately, and she turned her head to see Finnian and Vivienne at the door, crying to themselves.
"Lord Finnian, you cannot see her lady now," Vivienne was unsure of how to break the news to the youngest lord. "Lady Esme is resting. You must return later so as to not disturb her."
"I heard what the healer said, so don't lie to my face." Finnian's big eyes were leaking with tears as he cried. "Sister Esme is no more, isn't that what the healer said?"
"Who is no more?" Esme inquired in a barely audible tone, startled by Finnian's comment. The sound of her voice only made Vivienne cry into her handkerchief, and she uttered.
"I miss Milady so much that I'm starting to hallucinate. What will happen to me if the lady's no– AHHH!!!"
Vivienne's scream pierced the room, her soul nearly fleeing from her body when she turned around to see her lady sitting up on the bed.
"M-MILADY?!" her eyes bulged to the point it nearly fell out.
Finnian's tear-filled eyes widened when he saw his sister staring at them, awake and most importantly, alive. It didn't take more than a second before his blue eyes shone, the lingering tears making them sparkle, and he rushed towards Esme's bed out of pure excitement and relief.
Vivienne hastily followed, and they stood at the edge of her bed, unable to believe it.
"Milady!"
"Big sister!"
As if timed, both the servant and Finnian burst into uncontrollable tears, leaving Esme worried and disoriented.
"Why did you frighten us so, Milady? We were made to believe that you were dead!" Vivienne could no longer hold back her sobs after seeing her lady awake, and that made Esme feel a pang of guilt. To think she had whole-heartedly accepted death when it came knocking earlier no longer sat well with her.
She didn't want them to weep.
"I'm sorry." Esme gently patted Finnian on the head, her own eyes filled to the brim with tears as she looked at Vivienne. "I did not mean to cause either of you such worry."
When the situation calmed, the healer was summoned again, and he was unable to believe it himself till he stepped into Esme's room and found her awake.
He checked her pulse, and it was normal. On any given day, her pulse was normally feeble due to her naturally weak state, but right now, it beat steadily beneath his fingers.
"Impossible." The healer muttered, looking at her with a dumbfounded expression. "I tested thrice to be certain, and you had no pulse, not even a heartbeat. I was so sure you had passed on but now you're awake, and your pulse…"
He held her wrist, pressing his thumb against the vital point with the appropriate pressure. "Your pulse is much stronger than I remember. Such a phenomenon like this one is unprecedented, Milady."
The healer's eyes searched hers, as if looking for an answer to this mystery that defied his understanding of life and death.
Esme avoided his gaze and felt her own pulse, equally mystified at the prospect.
She too had felt the cold embrace of death, she didn't even want to wake up from it, but something pushed her into it.
Her memories of the moment after her collapse had vanished. However, she remembered waking up scared, and the scent of blood — she wasn't sure if she hallucinated the smell or if it was something else entirely.
Whatever it was, it certainly didn't leave a good feeling behind. It's as if there was something terrible coming for Illyria, a huge calamity even.
Despite the myriads of questions swirling in her mind, Esme remained quiet, keeping her lips sealed. The healer sensed her need for rest and proceeded to check the wounds on her back, observing the prominent marks.
The scar, fresh and old, told a grim tale of her suffering at the hands of Alpha Dahmer.
As relieved as the healer was to find her alive, he harbored a deep uncertainty in conclusion to his lady. Perhaps death would have been a kinder fate for her, because if she had died, at least her suffering in the therondia pack would cease.
While attending to her wounds, the door opened, and Esme's heart sank when it turned out to be Alpha Dahmer.
Her heart sped. She shifted uncomfortably as he approached her bedside, and that toxic air that never failed to leave his side had followed. Alpha Dahmer signaled with his eyes that the healer should leave them, demanding privacy, and while the healer left, Vivienne chose to stay behind and finish what the healer had left, carefully bandaging Esme's wounds.
Her deliberate ignorance did not evade his notice, and his eyes narrowed.
"Are you deaf?" Alpha Dahmer's voice held a menacing edge to it as he frowned at the maid, displeased by her audacity. "Get out, I wish to speak with my sister alone."
"Milady's wounds cannot be left without the proper care." Vivienne replied, her tone as polite as she could muster. "She narrowly escaped death, and as her personal maid, I must see to it that Milady is safe before following orders, Alpha Dahmer."
Alpha Dahmer had not expected a cold come back from the maid, and that made his pupils dilate before narrowing with a venomous intent. Out of fear for her maid's life, Esme intervened, "Wait outside, Vivienne."
Though reluctant to leave her lady alone with the monster, Vivienne could not disregard her lady's command and obediently did as she was told, exiting the room.