b Chapter 20 /b

bNyssa /bbpov /b

“No, bplease/bb… /bbplease/bb, /bbI /bcan’t die like thisb. /bbJust /bgive me one more day before the rejection ceremony. I don’t bcare /bwhat happens afterwards, but I bhave /bto do something important before you reject meb!/bb” /b

A sharp gasp escaped me as my eyes flew open. I shot up in bed, my hand instinctively clutching my chest. My bbreaths /bbcame /bin short, panicked burstsb, /bsweat dripping down my bface /bas my body trembled. I struggled to breathe through my nose, trying bto /bcalm the panic within me but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake off the bfear /bcreeping down my spine.

Were those really just dreams? It all felt too real–bso /breal that I could still feel the sting of the rejection from the bdream/b. And even though it was milder than what I had actually experienced, it was so exhausting and overwhelming that for a moment, I wanted nothing more than to end it all.

I just wanted to disappear. To die.

I had two dreams, actually. Two dreams that werepletely different from each other.

In one, I had finally fulfilled my deepest wish, to have both Kieran and Aria captured and executed for their crimes. And their crime? Being the reason I was dead.

In that first dream, I had carefullyid a trap to make it look like Kieran and Aria were responsible for my death. I killed myself before the rejection ceremony and made sure they were the ones to find my body first. I had staged everything bso /bthe crime scene pointed directly at them, Kieran’s fingerprints were on the knife I used to stab myself, his ring was clutched tightly in my hand, and Aria’s scarf was left carelessly near where my bodyy.

A day before the ceremony, I had called them that I wanted to speak to them to settle things between us but when they arrived to my room, they had seen the brutal scene and just as I thought, they immediately figured that someone was trying to set them up and without hesitation, they wanted to hide the things that pointed to them but it had been toote by then and Serene had walked in to see the scene and when she screamed, everyone had been alerted and they all witnessed everything.

It had been a simple n, though one small mistake could have ruined everything. If Kieran and Aria hadn’t been the first to get to me, it would have failed. If Serene had been anyter, they would have destroyed the evidence and it would have been all for nothing. But it hadn’t failed. Kieran and Aria were punished for their crimes, beheaded by my father. Even though I had died, I felt happy and relieved because it meant everyone else would live.

But then, the second dream came. It started right after the first ended. In the second dream, I wasn’t sessful in what I had nned. Darius rejected me when the three days were up. I died from the pain in my dream, while Kieran and Aria lived… and there bwas /bnothing I could do about it.

“Missb!/bb” /bSerene’s scream jolted me from my thoughts, and I jumped, startled.

I watched bas /bSerene rushed toward me, her arms wrapping around me as she checked to see if I was okay.

“Miss! What happened? Did you have a nightmare? Goddess, look at you, you’re sweating everywhere!” She gasped, reaching for her dress to wipe my forehead. But before she could touch me, I shook my head with a small smile and gently stopped bher/b, holding her hand instead.

“I’m fine, don’t worry, Serene. It bwas /bjust a nightmare,” I whispered softly, wiping the sweat from my forehead with the bsleeve /bof my dress. I closed my eyes and rxed back against the headboard, trying to clear my

mind.

“Miss…” She muttered quietly, and I reluctantly pried my eyes open to meet her concerned bgaze/b.

“Can I have a ss bof /bwater?b” /bbI /basked weakly, my voice barely above a whisper.

Chapter b20 /b

bSerene’s /bbeyes /bbfilled /bbwith /bbconcern/bb, /bband /bshe quickly nodded. “Okay, miss. Please wait here, bI’ll /bbgo /bget bsome /bbwater/bb,/bb” /bbshe /bbsaid/b. bbefore /brushing bout /bbof /bbthe /broom. I bwatched /bher bretreating /bfigureb, /bfrowningb, /bbefore running a hand bthrough /bmy bhair /bband /bleaning forward slightlyb. /bbMy /bbvoice /bturned bcold /bbas /bbI /bspoke through the mindlink to bShe/b.

“bThat /bbdream/b… it’s not just ba /bbdream/bb, /bbright/b? What does it mean? Were those visions of bthe /bfuture? Two dreams- does bthat /bbmean /bbtwo /bbdifferent /bouesb?/bb” /b

bThe /bbdreams /bbfelt /bbso /bvivid, bso /bbreal/bb, /bbas /bif I were watching a movie, with me bas /bbthe /bmain character. bI /bcould bsee /beverything unfold from my bown /bbperspective/bb, /band the only bexnation /bthat made bsense /bto me bwas /bthat these dreams were visions of the bfuture/b.

“I’m not sure,b” /bShe replied, her tone unusually seriousb, /bcking her busual /bcasualnessb. /b“But one thing I’m certain of is bthat /byou’re right. This bisn’t /ba normal dream. Your soul…” She paused for a moment before continuing, “Your soul was pulled bout /bbof /byour body for a moment.”

“What?? I bwas /bbdead/bb?/bb” /bI blurted out in shock, but She continued without hesitation.

“Well, you could say that. Your body wasn’t breathing during that time, but here’s the shocking part: those dreams felt like theysted for hours, but in reality, you were only gone for a second. Just a second.”

I shivered at She’s words, but before I could dwell on them, Serene burst back into the room, panting bheavily/b. She clutched a bss /bbof /bwater in one hand and her chest with the other, struggling to catch her breath. Her mouth opened like she wanted to speak, but she quickly sucked in a breath and shut it.

bI /bstiffened, immediately cutting off the mindlink before reaching out and gently grabbing her hand, guiding her to sit on the bed. I took the bss /bfrom her and leaned in, bringing the water to her lips.

Serene shook her head.

“Th–the water bis /bfor you-”

“Drink,” I cut her off firmly, holding the ss steady. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she didn’t argue further. She took the bss /bfrom my hand and drank everything down.

bAs /bsoon as she finished drinking, she took a deep breath and clutched her chest dramatically.

“Oh goddess, I almost died! I ran down so fast to get the water, I fell twice! It was so embarrassing- everyone was looking at meb, /bbut I was more scared something might happen to you if I waste!”

Serene cried out, her lips drawn into a pout, and I couldn’t help but slowly grin as I looked at her.

She bwas /badorable.

I could still remember the shock and sadness in her eyes as she stared at my body and wept. I felt guilty, even if it had just been a dream- a vision.

“And then the water slipped from my hand, and I had to go back again to get more-” she froze mid–sentence, her gaze shifting to my bface /band catching my expression. Her eyes widened in rm.

“And then, what did you do?” bI /basked, raising a teasing brow, my grin widening.

bSerene /binhaled sharply, her face turning bright red in seconds before she bowed her head in submission.

“I–I must bhave /bforgotten my ce for a moment there, miss. bPlease /bforgive me-”

I scoffed, cutting her off before rolling my beyes /band cing my hands gently on her shouldersb, /bgiving bthem /bba /bsoft bsqueeze/b.

“Next timeb, /bdon’t run like that again. What if you injure yourself? You know your healing isn’t bas /bbfast /bbas /bbothers/bb,/bb” /bbI /bscolded, my

b2/3 /b

tone firm but soft.

And I wasn’t wrong. Even though Serene had a wolf, she was still an omega by rank, andpared to other werewolves, her healing bwas /bslow, just barely better than someone who was wolfless.

“Yes, miss. I understandb,/b” she mumbled under her breath, lowering her head like a child being gently reprimanded.

I chuckled and leaned in to pat her head. She looked up, meeting my gaze with hesitant eyes.

“Miss…. are you okay? The rejection ceremony, was that why you had a nightmare?” she asked, and my hand froze mid–pat.

My smile cracked ever bso /bslightly at her words, but in a blink, it was reced by something brighter.

b“Serene, tomorrow is your birthday, right? Should we go shopping today, just you and I? Let’s spend the whole daytogether.”/b