Rebecca's plans of escape crumbled, leaving her feeling hopeless and trapped. Her dreams of freedom faded as she realized she was stuck, with no way to escape the life she desperately wanted to leave behind.
Months passed slowly in her luxurious prison. Rebecca felt the weight of time pressing down on her. The once-vibrant woman had grown weak and fragile, her spirit dimmed by the heavy walls around her. Each day reminded her of her lost freedom, and each night brought dreams of escape that never came true.
Then, one fateful day, everything changed. News arrived that her parents had been killed in an enemy attack. The words hit Rebecca like a blow, shattering whatever strength she had left. Her heart raced, and her breath quickened as reality sank in.
"No… no… this can't be true!" she gasped, feeling the room spin around her. She tried to think of her mother's gentle smile and her father's strong presence, but all she felt was a crushing grief.
Before she could process the shock, darkness crept into her vision. The room blurred, and her legs gave way beneath her. She fainted and collapsed to the floor.
When Rebecca came to, she found herself lying in bed, her body weak and trembling. The trusted maids watched over her, their faces filled with concern. She felt cold and alone, the warmth of her parents' love replaced by a chilling emptiness.
As tears streamed down her face, Rebecca realized she was not just mourning her parents but also the life she had lost. It was a life filled with hope and possibilities. The pain of their loss was more than she could bear, and she felt a part of herself slipping away with each sob.
In the shadow of her grief, the world around her felt distant and muted. She wondered if she would ever find her way back to the light.
During this unexpected time of turmoil, Rebecca's body could no longer bear the weight of her grief and fear. The shock of the assassination attempt on her husband shattered her already fragile state. The chaos had thrown her world into disarray, and she felt like she was on the edge of a deep, dark abyss.
As the sounds of battle echoed in the distance, Rebecca found herself caught in a wave of despair. She lay in bed, feeling the sharp pangs of labor beginning. Each contraction hit her like a blow, reminding her of everything she had lost.
In her heart, she clung to a desperate wish. "If only I could die, or if this child could not survive, perhaps I could escape this unbearable life," she thought, hoping for release from her pain. She felt trapped in a cage of sorrow, where every breath was a reminder of her shattered dreams.
But despite her wishes, fate had other plans. As the moments dragged on, she realized she was still alive, and her child was still fighting to enter the world. The pain intensified, and she felt a surge of strength she didn't know she had.
Finally, after an agonizing struggle, she gave birth to a tiny, fragile baby. The cries of the newborn echoed in the room, a sound that felt like a weight pressing down on her chest. She looked at the small creature, feeling nothing but a sense of dread.
"I'm still here," she thought, her heart sinking further. She had hoped for an end to her suffering, yet here was this child, alive and needy. All she wanted was to escape this place, to run away from everyone, including this innocent life that now depended on her.
Instead of feeling a bond, she felt a heavy burden. The world outside was still dangerous, and her life had not changed; she was still trapped. All she could think about was how to get away from this reality, from the pain that surrounded her. The thought of being forever bound to this child made her heart ache with despair.
Rebecca felt weak and sick for a long time. One moment, she was in a haze of pain and confusion, and the next, she found herself in a cart, jostling along a rough road. The cool air hit her face, bringing a moment of clarity. She looked down at her child, who was still sleeping soundly beside her.
Suddenly, she remembered the chaos that had led to this moment. Her husband had kidnapped the princess! Rebecca's heart raced as she realized they were fleeing. She knew the princess was supposed to marry the prince of the fairy world, and this was no ordinary abduction.
Without thinking, she jumped out of the cart. Her legs felt shaky beneath her, but she pushed through the weakness. She rushed toward the front of the cart where she saw her husband arguing with the princess.
"Let me go!" Rebecca shouted, her voice cracking with desperation. "You can have the princess as your legal wife! Just let me go!"
Rebecca jolted awake, her heart racing as fragments of her dream faded into darkness. She struggled to recall the details, but they slipped away like sand through her fingers. In the silence around her, a chilling realization washed over her: she had very little information on what happened after that.
Bits and pieces flooded her mind — everyone, including the ex-husband of the body she had possessed, had gone to war with the prince of the fairy kingdom. Seven long years had passed, and they had yet to return.
As the bits and pieces of information started appearing in her mind, she learned something heartbreaking about the child of the body she had possessed. The body she occupied had not nurtured him; instead, it had emotionally abused him. The original soul had mistreated the boy, making him feel worthless and unloved.
The bit of information was not enough for Rebecca to find out the reason, but she got a few hints. It seemed that the boy's suffering was not just because of neglect; it was connected to her ex-husband's dark magic. He was always cruel and had likely used a demonic spell to tie their child to her in a twisted way.
Her ex-husband used a spell to tie the child to her. She cannot hurt herself, nor the child. The body she has possessed is trapped here forever. Whenever she had tried to escape the forest, she would be pulled back to her son's side, making her feel even more hopeless and this seems to have triggered the tragedy of both the mother and the son. The emotions tied to them felt distant, but the cruelty they revealed was undeniable.
She remembered the coldness, the resentment, and the hostility the body she possessed had directed toward the boy. The original Rebecca had barely spoken to him unless it was to scold or belittle him. She had withheld affection, her eyes filled with hatred when she looked at him. Every time he had sought comfort, every time he had needed the warmth of a mother, she had turned away.
Scenes of the child, small and innocent, hiding from his own mother in fear flashed before her eyes. The way he clung to the shadows, too scared to approach, and the look of silent sorrow on his face when he was ignored. The boy had been starved of love, his tender heart crushed under the weight of her cold indifference.
Rebecca could feel how the bitterness and helplessness in the old soul had twisted over time. She hadn't simply been neglectful; it was as if she actively despised the child, blaming him for something, something deep and dark. It was as if her hatred had grown into a monstrous force, feeding off whatever secret she had discovered.
But no matter how she tried to recall, Rebecca couldn't find the very reason which seemed to have made the original soul go crazy. She had a feeling that it was not just because she was tied to the child, it seems like there is something big enough to make the original body hate the child she has given birth to.