Liora's breath came in sharp, heavy bursts as the nightmare consumed her once again. The same twisted dream that had haunted her for years—so vivid, so real, that she could almost feel the cold chill that ran through her body. Her eyes were wide open in the dream, yet it was impossible to escape.
In the dream, she stood in a grand, darkened chamber. The air felt heavy, thick with the scent of blood and the distant echoes of screams that seemed to come from everywhere. There, before her, stood the queen—a woman with regal features, holding two babies in her arms, her face soft with love and sorrow. Liora's heart ached as she watched, unable to tear her gaze away.
The queen moved gracefully, her hands tenderly cradling the children. The scene felt so real that Liora could almost smell the sweetness of the babies' skin, almost hear their soft breaths. But there was a malice, an undercurrent of dread that lingered in the air. And then, suddenly, the queen—who had not yet seen her—turned and looked directly at her.
Her bloodshot eyes gleamed, and Liora's heart stopped. The queen's smile was wide, but it was wrong—so wrong. It twisted into something far more terrifying than a mother's love should ever be. Blood began to drip from her eyes, staining her cheeks, but she didn't seem to care.
Liora took a step back, her body trembling. The queen's eerie smile only grew, and she slowly rose to her feet. Liora tried to back away, but her legs felt like they were frozen. The queen's voice, cold and distorted, echoed in her mind.
"You cannot escape, child."
Panic surged in Liora's chest. No. No, this wasn't real. This couldn't be real. She turned, frantically running down the endless corridors of the palace, but no matter how fast she ran, the queen was always just behind her, her steps growing louder.
"Go away!" Liora screamed, her voice breaking, but the queen kept coming, her footsteps drawing closer with every passing second.
Suddenly, Liora's foot slipped. She gasped as the world around her started to spin, and she fell into a deep, endless abyss. She didn't know how long she had fallen, but she was still running, running toward an unknown end that she couldn't escape from.
Then, with a violent jolt, she woke up.
Her body was drenched in sweat, her heart racing in her chest. The darkness of the night pressed in on her, thick and suffocating. Her breath came out in ragged gasps, but something felt different. The room around her felt off—too still, too quiet.
Liora blinked rapidly, trying to clear the fog from her vision, but when her eyes focused, she saw something that made her blood run cold.
Standing by her bedside was a figure—tall, clad in heavy armor and strange garments that looked nothing like what she was used to. The figure's face was hidden behind a visor, but Liora could make out the faint silhouette of the woman's frame. This was not a dream.
Her heart skipped a beat as she realized she had seen this woman countless times before, always in her nightmares, always just out of reach. The woman's presence was familiar, but in the most unsettling way possible.
'It's alright, Lysera," the woman's voice was deep and soothing, but it held an edge of something ancient, something she couldn't place.
Liora's mouth went dry, and her body froze. She could only stare at the figure in dread. Lysera? That wasn't her name, was it? Liora's head spun with confusion as her mind raced to make sense of what was happening.
Her pulse quickened, and before she could even respond, voices floated to her ears—her parents' voices. They were calling her name, their voices filled with concern.
"Liora? Sweetheart, are you alright?"
The room began to feel more familiar again as her eyes fluttered, her vision slowly clearing. This was real. She was awake.
The weight of the nightmare still clung to her, but as she glanced around, she saw the warmth of her parents' faces. They were standing by her bedside, their worried expressions unmistakable. They had arrived when they heard her screams, just like they always did.
Her father gently sat on the edge of her bed, rubbing her arm comfortingly. "It's alright, sweetheart. You're safe now."
Her mother, holding a damp towel, wiped her forehead tenderly. "Another nightmare, huh?" she asked softly. Liora nodded, the cold chill of the dream still lingering inside her. Her parents had grown accustomed to it by now. It was a routine, one that never seemed to end, but Liora couldn't help but feel that these dreams were becoming more vivid, more real, with each passing day.
"They're getting worse," Liora whispered, her voice hoarse.
Her father looked at her, a deep frown on his face. "We'll get through it together, Liora. You're not alone. We'll make sure of it."
Liora didn't respond immediately. She simply closed her eyes, trying to ground herself in the present, in the safety of her room. But even as she did, the feeling of the woman in the armor lingered. Who was she? Why did she keep appearing in her nightmares?
Her mother kissed her forehead gently, then stood up. "Rest now, sweetheart. We'll talk more about this in the morning."
As Liora closed her eyes again, she couldn't help but feel a gnawing sense of unease. Something was coming, something far worse than the nightmares she had known. Something that was too close, too real. And the woman's words, "It's alright, Lysera," echoed in her mind, unsettling her more than she would admit.
Liora fell into an uneasy sleep again, but this time, she couldn't shake the feeling that the nightmares were no longer confined to her dreams. Something was out there, waiting for her.
The salty breeze of the ocean kissed Liora's skin as she walked along the shoreline with her friends. The waves crashed rhythmically against the sand, the sound a comforting backdrop to their laughter. Layla was ahead, laughing about something Justin had said, and Alexandre and Mathias were discussing their plans for the summer. It was supposed to be a carefree day, the kind Liora had longed for.
But something felt off.
Liora's head throbbed suddenly, a sharp pain that spread through her skull like an electric jolt. She paused mid-step, wincing as she tried to push the feeling away. Not now, she thought. She didn't want to spoil the day, not with her friends laughing, enjoying the sun. But the headache only worsened, and an uncomfortable heat spread across her body. It was as if the heat was from within her, radiating like a furnace.
Despite the warmth, she could feel a cold sweat prickling on her skin. It didn't make sense. Her body temperature was perfectly normal, but her skin was flushed, and the pain in her head was unbearable. She could hear the distant chatter of her friends behind her, but it felt muffled, like she was underwater. The world around her seemed to blur at the edges.
"Liora?" Layla's voice reached her, but it was distant. "Are you okay?"
Liora took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Yeah, I just need to sit down for a minute," she said, though she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up.
She excused herself from the group, telling them she needed a break. They didn't push her, and she walked slowly toward the woods that bordered the beach, hoping the cool shade of the trees might help clear her head.
Her steps grew heavier as she went deeper into the woods, the pain in her head blurring her thoughts. She paused for a moment, trying to steady herself, pressing a hand to the bark of a nearby tree. The dizziness made everything spin, but she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to focus.
"Just breathe."
She took another breath, but it didn't help. In fact, she felt worse. It was as if something inside her was growing, something wild and untamed.
Suddenly, the air around her seemed to shift. She spun around, heart racing, but there was no one in sight. Her thoughts raced: Was it just the dizziness playing tricks on her? Was she imagining things?
Before she could process anything, a rough hand shot out of the shadows, and something soft but firm was pressed against her mouth. She stifled a gasp, struggling against the sudden grip. Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried to scream, to shout for help, but the cloth muffled her efforts.
Her body went rigid in panic. She struggled, tried to fight back, but she felt so weak, so disoriented. It was as though her limbs were made of stone.
The dizziness increased, and soon her vision blurred to nothing but swirling colors and shadows. What was happening? Why was she so powerless?
Her knees buckled, and she collapsed against the figure who had grabbed her. Fear shot through her like ice, but her mind was growing foggier by the second.
The last thing she remembered was a cool, eerie voice whispering near her ear:
"Don't worry. You're safe."
And then, everything went black...