ELLA.

Somewhere deep within my subconsciousness, where everything felt both distant and painfully real, I saw them.

Two figures.

They stood facing each other in a strange, suspended space, neither ground nor sky, just an endless stillness that stretched in every direction.

At first, it didn’t make sense but as I focused, slowly, painfully...it hit me.

One of them...was me.

I frowned, confusion tightening within me. Why was I seeing myself like this? Why did it feel like I was both present and absent at the same time? My body...no, that version of me...looked frozen, suspended as though caught between moments.

It was unsettling and unnatural.

"Knowing too much has never been a good thing, has it?" The voice cut through the silence and I stiffened.

It wasn’t mine, as if was deeper, cold and masculine.

My gaze shifted to the other figure standing opposite me. I tried to focus on his face, tried to make out his features, but it was useless, it was blurred, distorted, like something I wasn’t meant to see.

And yet, his presence...It felt too real.

"You have no idea what I’m capable of doing," I heard myself say, firm, steady, far more confident than I felt inside. My suspended self took a step forward, closing the distance between them. "So you better quit this madness... and I might consider sparing you."

The words came out strong, unwavering but they didn’t shake him, if anything...they amused him.

A slow, unsettling smile spread across his blurred face.

"No... it’s the other way round, Theresa," he replied, his voice dripping with quiet menace. "Did you really think I would spare you... after you know this much?"

A chill ran through me.

What did I know?

What was he talking about?

Before I could even process it...

"Grab her." He commanded.

And suddenly, everything shifted.

I saw myself move.

My suspended self broke free instantly, turning and running without hesitation. There was no second thought, no pause, just pure instinct.

Escape.

And then...She vanished just like that as if she had melted into the air itself.

I blinked in shock.

Did I just... disappear?

Was that... my ability?

The realization hit slowly, sinking deep into my consciousness.

My suspended self reappeared moments later, breathing heavily, shoulders rising and falling as relief washed over her.

For a second, everything stilled again, as it seemed safe....or so it seemed.

Because the next moment...her body jerked violently, as it twisted, as if something unseen had grabbed hold of her.

My breath hitched.

She struggled, her movements restricted, her limbs resisting against a force that wasn’t visible, but was undeniably there.

Someone was behind her. I couldn’t see them clearly, but I could feel it.

The grip was tight, unyielding and unescapable and then, the hand moved.

A cloth pressed against her nose.

Panic surged instantly. She struggled harder, her body fighting desperately against the hold, but it was useless.

The strength behind her was overwhelming, her movements slowed and weakened and in one final act of desperation...Her hand flung forward.

I saw it clearly this time.

The crest moon pin.

It left her grasp, cutting through the air before disappearing into the distance.

And then...darkness closed in.

I woke up instantly with a sharp gasp, my chest rising and falling rapidly as though I had just been pulled out of deep water.

Air rushed into my lungs in uneven bursts, my heart pounding wildly against my ribs. For a few seconds, I couldn’t tell where I was, whether I was still trapped in that strange, distorted dream or back in reality.

That same dream again—no clear memories with no answers. Just fragments... only this time, more vivid, more detailed and more terrifying.

I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself, trying to push the lingering images away. But even as I did, a strange unease clung to me, refusing to fade.

I tried to move and that was when I felt it, resistance.

My brows furrowed as I shifted slightly, only to hear the faint clink of metal.

My heart skipped.

Slowly, I turned my head, and my breath caught in my throat.

Chains.

My hands were chained to the bed.

"What the hell?" The words barely left my lips, laced with disbelief and rising panic as I tugged lightly against them. The metal held firm, unmoving, unyielding.

"Relax, Theresa." Leonard’s voice cut through my rising fear.

I turned my head toward him, my eyes narrowing slightly as I took in his expression. His tone was calm, but there was something cold beneath it, something distant.

"I specially asked the doctors to chain you," he continued, as if what he was saying was completely reasonable. "I can’t afford you pulling out the needles again... and trying to get yourself killed."

For a moment, I just stared at him, then I scoffed. Of course they would do something like this but then, something hit me hard.

My breath hitched as panic surged through me all over again.

"My baby..." My voice rose instantly, urgency flooding every word. "Hope you monsters haven’t done anything to my baby!"

The force behind my words sent a sharp, searing pain through my throat. I winced, my face tightening as the ache spread, reminding me of the wound I had completely forgotten about.

"Take it easy, Theresa. I am not a monster." Lawrence’s voice came next, softer, almost cautious, but I only rolled my eyes at him, irritation flashing through me despite the pain. "Your baby is fine," he added.

And just like that...everything inside me paused. Relief washed over me so suddenly that it almost made me weak.

A slow breath escaped my lips as the tension in my chest eased, even if only slightly.

Fine.

My baby was fine.

That was all that mattered.

"And there is no need for you to leave anymore, Theresa," Lawrence continued, his tone more careful now.

My eyes flickered between them before settling, almost instinctively...on Lurgard. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

He hadn’t spoken, not even once and that alone felt strange.

"We have agreed for you to keep the baby," Lawrence added.

I blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Surprise flickered across my face before I could hide it.

That was it?

Just like that?

After everything they had said... after the threats... the arguments...

Now they were suddenly agreeing?

Suspicion crept in immediately, replacing whatever relief I had begun to feel. Nothing about them was ever simple, nothing came without a price.

"And how do you expect me to believe that?" I asked, my voice quieter now but edged with doubt as I raised my brows slightly at Lawrence.

Before he could respond...

"Believe it or not, Theresa... that’s up to you." Lurgard’s voice finally broke through the silence.

I turned toward him instantly but he was already standing, his expression unreadable, cold and distant.

Without sparing me another glance, he turned and walked out of the room.

And somehow...that unsettled me more than anything else.