h4Chapter 205: Chapter 205/h4

The night was thick with silence, but Kimberly’s sleep was anything but peaceful.

Her breaths were heavy, her fists clenched on the bed, and her body twitched with each shift in the dark corners of her dream.

She found herself standing in a ce she had never seen but somehow knew all too well, a dark valley, with ash-colored skies and earth that cracked beneath her feet.

The air felt like smoke, thick and cold, and every tree stood leafless like shadows of the dead.

Suddenly, a loud cackle pierced the silence.

"You came," the voice echoed. Kimberly turned sharply.

There, not far off, stood Katherina, pale, hollow-eyed, her ck gown floating just above the ground as though it wasn’t touching it.

Her fingers were long, skeletal, and her presence was heavier than ever.

"I didn’te here by choice," Kimberly said, standing her ground.

"You never had a choice," Katherina sneered. "None of you did."

Kimberly took a step forward. "You’re not the same. Your aura... it’s darker."

"You finally noticed?" Katherinaughed, but it wasn’t joy. It was rage wrapped in madness.

"The darkness feeds me now. Every lie, every betrayal, every ounce of fear in your hearts, I grow stronger."

"You’re going too far. You’re twisting the gifts of the spirits. This... this isn’t who you were meant to be."

"I became who I had to be," Katherina replied, her voice now deeper. "And you... You will break, just like the others."

Kimberly’s hands lit up in defense, the golden light from her core glowing against the darkness.

"Inveniat lux in tenebris!" Kimberly chanted in ancient tongue, hoping to drive the darkness back.

Katherinaughed louder, stretching out her arms.

"Tenebrae vincet lucem!" Her voice thundered, and a ck me burst from her palms, meeting Kimberly’s light.

The two energies shed violently, throwing them both back. Kimberly fell to the ground, her skin burning, her soul shaking.

She struggled to get up, but Katherina stood already, her form growing taller and her eyes pitch ck.

"You can’t stop what’sing," Katherina hissed. "Even Theo won’t see it until it’s toote."

"I will stop you," Kimberly said, rising despite the pain. "Even if it means giving everything."

"Then be ready," Katherina whispered, and everything turned to dust in a violent gust.

Kimberly screamed.

She jolted awake in her bed, soaked in sweat, her hands trembling uncontrobly.

Her chest heaved as though she had been running for hours. She looked around.

Her room was calm, the moonlight peeking through the curtains, but her body told another story.

Goosebumps covered her skin, her heartbeat was racing, and her head was spinning with echoes of Katherina’s words.

Without wasting a second, she rushed into the bathroom. The cold marble floor met her bare feet, but she didn’t care.

She pulled the knob, and the water burst from the showerhead.

Still dressed in her night robe, she sat under the shower, letting the cold water drench her from head to toe.

*What’s happening or about to happen? What did she mean by "even Theo won’t see it"?

And why does her power feel like it’sing from somewhere else?* Kimberly’s thoughts spiraled out of control as the water tried and failed to wash away the fear.

She remained there for several minutes before turning the water off and slowly walking back into her room.

Wrapping herself in a towel, she stood by the mirror and stared at her reflection. Her eyes were tired, but her spirit wasn’t broken.

Just as she reached for a dry robe, a soft knock tapped on the door.

"Ma’am?" a young voice called. It was one of the maids.

"Yes?" Kimberly answered, voice still weak.

"There’s someone here to see you. She says it’s urgent."

Kimberly sighed. *Not now... Who could being so early?*

"I’ll be in the living room shortly," she replied, drying herself up as fast as she could and pulling on a simple dress.

When she descended the stairs and entered the living room, what she saw stopped her in her tracks.

Theo was standing near the window, his arms folded, looking unusually serious. But he wasn’t alone.

Sitting on the sofa was an aged woman, her face unfamiliar, her aura calm but strong.

Her presence filled the room, not in an overpowering way, but with something old... something known.

Theo turned to Kimberly as she walked in.

"She said there’s something you need to hear."

Kimberly’s brows furrowed, and she looked at the woman, confused.

"I’m sorry, do I know you?"

The woman stood up slowly, her eyes fixed on Kimberly’s. "You don’t," she said softly. "But I know you."

Theo remained silent.

The woman took a small step forward. "I’ve waited many years to say this. And I don’t expect you to believe it right away."

Kimberly’s eyes narrowed, unsure whether to be cautious or curious.

"What are you talking about?"

The woman took a deep breath, her voice calm but with a hint of emotion. "I am your mother."

The room froze.

Kimberly blinked. "What...?"

Theo’s eyes shifted to Kimberly, waiting for her response. She looked back and forth between him and the woman.

"You’re lying," Kimberly said immediately. "My mother died when I was a baby. That’s what I was told. That’s what..."

"That’s what they wanted you to believe," the woman interrupted gently. "But it’s not the truth."

Kimberly took a small step back, her heart pounding again. "This doesn’t make sense. Why now? Whye now?"

Theo walked closer to her, cing a hand gently on her shoulder. "She came looking for youst night. Said it was finally time."

Kimberly shook her head, the floor suddenly feeling unstable. Her nightmare still clung to her spirit, and now this?

*First Katherina... now a mother I never knew?* she thought.

The woman sat back down, her hands folded in herp. "I know it’s a lot to take in.

But I have answers, and I have a warning. Your powers, the dreams you’ve been having... they’re not just visions.

They are connected to something much older, much darker."

Kimberly’s lips trembled. She turned away from both of them for a second, fighting her emotions.

Theo stepped back, giving her space.

"Why should I believe you?" Kimberly whispered. "Why now?"

The woman looked at her with eyes full of sorrow. "Because time is running out for me. And soon, everything you know will be tested."

Kimberly’s breathing quickened again.

The woman stood slowly and ced a small pendant on the table.

"Ask your heart, Kimberly. Deep down, you already know the truth."

Kimberly stared at the pendant, her fingers twitching.

Theo’s voice broke the silence. "If what she’s saying is true... then everything is about to change."

Kimberly looked at him, her heart pounding.

But she said nothing.

She only turned back toward the woman.

"You said... you had a warning. What kind?"

The woman’s face darkened. "Katherina is only the beginning, more dark battles are stilling."

And just like that, the air turned cold again.

Kimberly’s thoughts were already racing.

*The darkness... Katherina... My powers... My past...* Her mind spun.

She was still staring at the woman, too many questions rising at once.

But one thing was certain, nothing would ever be the same.

Not after this... Not now.

★★★

Mona sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers gently tapping against her knees, her eyes staring nkly at the floor.

Her thoughts circled endlessly, Derrick’s note, Elena’s constant pushback, Theo’s silence, Kimberly’s rise in power.

*What’s my next move?* she asked herself, over and over.

*How do I stay ahead when I don’t even know what’sing next?* Mona thought.

Her head throbbed, and she rubbed her temples. The room was quiet... too quiet.

Then she heard it.

"Mona..."

A whisper. Soft. Almost too faint to notice.

She looked up. Her heartbeat quickened.

"Mona..." it came again.

She froze, unsure if it came from her head or the room itself.

*I’m tired. It’s just stress,* she tried to convince herself, brushing it off.

But the voice returned, this time a little sharper.

"Mona..."

She snapped her gaze toward the bathroom door. It was slightly ajar, and darkness lingered inside.

*No... I won’t go. It’s just my mind.*

"Mona..."

Now it was persistent. Close. Like a breath against her ear.

With hesitant steps, she rose and tiptoed across the room. Her heart beat louder with every step, the floor cold beneath her feet.

She reached the bathroom and slowly pushed the door wider.

Nothing.

She exhaled, trying to steady her nerves.

"I think I need to see the old physician for some medication. My mind’s ying tricks on me," she whispered to herself.

But as she turned to leave, something caught her eye.

Her own reflection... wasn’t hers.

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It was Katherina.

Standing inside the mirror, smiling, cold and calm.

Mona gasped and stumbled back.

"Sorry to scare you, child," Katherina said. Her voice was smooth, almost amused. "But I had to speak to you."

Mona’s pulse raced, but she didn’t look away. "Why now? Why disappear when I needed you most?"

"You needed to learn. To grow. I wasn’t going to hold your hand through every storm," Katherina said inly, no apology in her tone.

"You left me to face everything alone," Mona said, her voice rising. "Derrick. The pack. Elena."

"And you survived," Katherina replied, still smiling. "You’re stronger than you think."

Mona clenched her fists. "So what now? Whye back?"

"I’m here to warn you. Watch Theo. And Kimberly. Don’t trust them," Katherina said.

Her voice now had a shadow to it, low, deliberate. "And don’t worry about Derrick. I have ns."

Mona tilted her head. "What kind of ns?"

But Katherina ignored the question. "Onest thing... prepare for the war that’sing. Let it not catch you unaware."

"What war? Katherina, wait!"

But before she could finish, Katherina vanished, fading into the ss like smoke.

The mirror reflected only Mona now, her pale face, wide eyes, and trembling lips.

Silence filled the bathroom again.

Mona stood frozen, confusion clouding her thoughts.

*War? Don’t trust Theo? Don’t trust Kimberly?*

Her breathing quickened as she gripped the edge of the sink, trying to ground herself.

But nothing felt solid anymore.

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