I heard the howling of wolves echoing around the woods, and I turned to the side. Why were the sounds suddenly so deafening? I opened my eyes and sat up, observing my surroundings. The woods were still in the same faint red madness, but it seemed a bit darker now.

I stood up and gently stretched my hands. Was I the only one hearing these sounds? I turned, examining everyone. They were all still asleep, lying on the ground... It felt weird, like they were lost in their own sleep, unable to wake up.

"Master..." I heard Azrael’s voice come softly from the woods.

"Huh?" I mumbled, staring deeper into the woods. I glanced between the woods and everyone.

"I’ll be back," I said inwardly, and immediately rushed off into the woods. "Azrael!" I screamed, pushing away leaves that brushed against my face. I spotted a figure running ahead and..

"Wait!" I called out, but suddenly my foot struck a tree log, and I fell, tumbling down the huge forest hill. I closed my eyes the moment I saw the rocks below.

"This would hurt," I told myself... and it did.

But it didn’t stop there. Branches and tree stakes dug into my skin, and my screams filled the entire woods as I continued to roll down until finally I landed deep into the river below...

I surfaced, staring around, trembling softly as my pale red blood flowed out of my body and into the river. It blurred my vision as I swam up to the surface. I wiped it away, but my vision only worsened. I bit my lower lip and slowly scanned for anything I could make out. I spotted what looked like land and swam towards it. My clothes were drenched in water as I weakly made it out of the river, trembling...

Then suddenly, I heard a sound and I froze, turning to its direction.

"Rosette..." I heard a soft whisper, and my lashes flickered. Who called my name? How would they know my name unless they knew I transmigrated into this world?

"You can’t hide who you are," the voice came from behind, and I turned quickly. But the mud beneath my feet shifted, and I slipped back into the water.

"Who are you?!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

Suddenly, I felt someone behind me. Her head leaned closer and rested just behind my shoulder. "I should be asking you that," she whispered.

The blood drained from my face. I bit my lower lip and turned my head to face her, but she was gone.

My chest rose and fell rapidly, panic building up with each breath.

That’s it. No more.

I swam back up, ready to leave, when suddenly someone came into view, and I staggered backwards, almost falling in again.

My eyes widened as she walked further out, her face becoming clearer and clearer. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Ro... Rosy?" I mumbled.

Why was she here... the one who betrayed me? The one who watched as my ex-fiancé killed me...

I stepped back, and she flashed a low, killer smile.

"So this is where you came to? Tch. Sadly, even this body seems to be just as pathetic as yours," Rose said with a smirk.

I clenched my fists. "You aren’t real," I said, watching her smile disappear.

I sighed and walked by, passing her—But suddenly, her hand shot out and grabbed my hair, yanking hard. My head tilted back painfully.

She glared down at me.

"You should have stayed dead. Why did you come here?!!!!" she screamed like a beast.

Before I could react, she pulled back hard. I lost my footing and twisted my ankle, crashing straight back into the water. I surfaced, panting heavily... but she was gone.

Only her laughter echoed, making me feel uneasy. Why was she still hurting me, even here? Can’t I just have peace? "Why won’t you leave me alone?" I screamed...

When suddenly, I felt something wrap tightly around my neck.

My eyes widened.

A thin wire tightened, dragging me deeper into the water. I kicked my legs desperately, but the surface only seemed to get farther and farther away...

Then she flipped over me, now on top, her hands gripping tightly around my neck.

My hands clawed at her wrists, trying to push her away, but her grip was too strong. My movements slowed, and my vision began to blur...

"Raven, wake up!"

I heard a distant voice.

"What’s happening to her?" Ryker and Veyra asked in unison.

Why could I hear them? What is going on?

"It’s a ghoul... it’s trying to kill her in her sleep," Sonia’s faint voice said.

My lashes slowly closed. It felt like my body was sinking. I could feel everything, yet I couldn’t move.

"Save her!" Ryker shouted.

"I can’t..." Sonia replied faintly.

Then everything faded. All I could hear was the vast ocean... the way the water rippled and the particles collided softly against each other.

Then suddenly, I felt a warm hand on my wrist. "Master, you shouldn’t be here."

My eyes snapped open instantly and I gasped.

Thyrian?

How was he here? What happened? Why was I still in the ocean?

He floated above me and smiled brightly. "Is this part of his power?" I thought.

He chuckled. "I enter minds, Master. I can also manipulate them," he said.

I blinked in confusion, and suddenly... the entire ocean filled with ornaments and lost treasures. They sparkled like diamonds.

I stared in shock.

"Wow..." I gasped.

Thyrian smiled. He swam behind me and placed a soft kiss on my neck. I giggled, and he playfully nipped at my skin.

His arms wrapped around my waist. "I really want to see you, Master," he said softly, almost shy.

"But we have, though," I replied, emphasizing the present moment.

His smile widened, looking even cuter. "Master, I’ll arrive at the academy very soon. And I have a surprise for you," he said.

I felt my body drifting away from him. "Till we meet again," his words echoed in the water.

"Thyrian saved me. Again...!" I thought and smiled. He really is the best boy.

I gasped as my body jerked upright. Everything snapped back to reality. I blinked and rubbed my eyes.

"What happened?" I asked, still half-asleep.

Veyra and Ryker immediately pulled me into a hug. My eyes widened, the sleep vanishing instantly.

Sonia just stared at me, her expression bored yet curious.

"I really wonder why every ghoul wants you dead. What exactly have you done?" she said, narrowing her eyes. "Or are you really who you say you are?"

I rolled my eyes. "It’s not my fault I’m famous among ghouls," I replied, and she sneered.

"You confuse me, Raven," she said, picking up a stone from the ground.

"Azrael is that way," she added, pointing in the same direction I ran in my dream.

I stared in a daze, then looked back at her. "I also wonder if you’d try to kill me," I said.

For a split second, she looked stunned, then burst into a mocking laughter.

"I? Try? If I wanted you dead, D-rank, I would’ve ended you the moment our eyes met?" she scoffed.

Why did that sound so insulting...

"Barbaric. You think too much, Raven. I could kill you and your beast-men right now if I wanted, with merely just a flick of my fingers, but I don’t want that."

Her gaze briefly flickered as she felt the killing intent coming from Ryker and Veyra, and a small smile briefly curled to her lips.

Then she looked back at me. "I’m merely curious, Raven. Don’t twist it into something else."

She turned her back on me.

"Either you trust me and follow... or try finding Azrael on your own."