RED EYES

Chapter 22

Isabella POV:

Lost in the depths of darkness, I found myself stumbling through an opaque void, devoid of any guiding light. Each step felt like a precarious journey into the unknown, the squelching mud beneath my feet offering little assurance.

Suddenly, a deafening crack split the silence, reverberating through the abyss and jolting me to my core. My entire being quivered in response, gripped by an unshakable fear.

"You're the reason behind everything," a chilling voice pierced the darkness, sending a shiver down my spine. I whirled around, but the shadows yielded no form to match the voice.

Then, another accusation laced with grief echoed from behind, accusing me of a crime I couldn't comprehend. I spun on my heels, desperate to confront my accuser, only to find emptiness staring back at me.

"Who is out there?" I cried out into the abyss, my voice swallowed by the void.

"You are a monster like him," the voices persisted, their accusations growing louder, more insistent. "We are dead because of you."

In the dimness, the visages of Princess Amara, Queen Linda, and King Ethan materialized, their faces etched in anguish and horror. Panic gripped me as I attempted to flee, but my limbs felt heavy, unresponsive as if bound by unseen chains, while my heart hammered against my chest like a drum in a frenzy.

"You monster, why flee now?" Queen Linda's laughter rang out, chillingly devoid of warmth, her features contorting into a grotesque mockery of mirth. "You have blood on your hands."

"No, it wasn't me," I pleaded, my voice cracking with desperation and fear. Tears welled in my eyes as I looked upon the accusing specters before me.

"But he killed us for you," Princess Amara's voice cut through the darkness, her gaze piercing into my very soul. "You are as much a monster as him."

The accusations echoed relentlessly, each repetition driving deeper into my consciousness like barbed arrows until I could bear it no longer. "No, I'm not like him," I protested weakly, my voice barely a whisper against the cacophony of condemnation.

"You are a killer," the voices chorused, their words a relentless barrage against my senses, until they enveloped me completely, suffocating me with guilt and despair.

With a gasp, I jolted awake, my heart racing, my body drenched in cold sweat. Relief flooded through me as I realized it was all just a nightmare.

As I sat there on the bed, tears streaming down my face, I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching over me. The dream still lingered in my mind, the memory of it chilling me to the core.

"You are not a killer, my child." The words echoed in my mind, a voice so familiar yet so distant.

Just then, the door burst open, and Lucian stood there, his eyes wide with concern. "What happened?" he asked, his voice laced with panic.

"Nothing," I replied, trying to steady my breathing. But the truth was, something had happened. I had been visited by a nightmare so vivid, so haunting, that it had left me trembling in fear.

Lucian sat beside me on the bed, gently brushing the hair from my face. "Love, what happened? You're sweating and breathing heavily. Did you have a nightmare?" I nodded, unable to find the words to describe the horror I had just experienced.

"Where are you going?" he asked as I got up, my legs shaky beneath me.

"To the bathroom," I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

Once inside, I splashed cold water on my face, trying to wash away the lingering fear. But the image of the dream remained etched in my mind, tormenting me.