CHAPTER 218: CHAPTER 218 ANOTHER NIGHTMARE (BONUS)

Its eyes were the first thing that froze me. They were purple and familiar.

’Isn’t that the same wolf I had encountered in my dream before? Why am I seeing it again?’

My lips trembled. I raised my hand slightly. "It’s okay," I whispered. "We have met before... we are already acquaintances..."

The wolf bared its fangs, letting out a deep growl that made the ground under me feel unsteady.

I tried to speak again, but before I could part my lips. "You betray us." a strange yet familiar voice echoed inside my head, it was cold and full of pain.

Before I could process what it meant, the wolf lunged.

Its body shot forward, claws outstretched, and out of pure fear, I staggered back.

My foot slipped on the edge.

And the ground disappeared beneath me.

I didn’t have time to scream. The only thing I felt was the weightless drop and the cold wind rushing past me as I fell.

........

"Aaarghhhhh."

A blood-chilling scream tore out from my throat.

My heart pounded against my ribs, and my throat felt raw from the way I gasped for air. The cave ceiling spun above me, and my whole body trembled like I’d just escaped death itself. Sweat clung to my skin, and the echo of the fall still rang in my ears.

A pair of hands grabbed my shoulders.

I flinched hard, panic rising faster than I could fight it. I jerked away, trying to scramble back, but the hands held firm, but gently. I opened my mouth to scream again, but before I could, I was pulled forward... straight into a solid wall of warmth.

"It’s okay," a familiar voice murmured against my ear. "You’re safe now."

My body stiffened as his hand moved across my back in slow, steady strokes. It took a second before I recognized the voice. It was Damon’s voice.

His scent wrapped around me. The heat of his body pressed against mine, anchoring me. Even though everything inside me still screamed to run, I couldn’t. I clung to his shirt with trembling hands, burying my face into his chest.

"Aeris!" Rhydian’s voice cut through the tension.

I felt Damon stiffen slightly, but his hand didn’t stop moving.

Rhydian was already kneeling beside us, his expression unreadable, but his eyes had darkened seeing me in Damon’s arms. "Is she okay?" he asked, his voice sharp, like he was trying not to let his emotions show.

Before Damon could respond, hurried footsteps echoed in the cave. Alaric and Mr. Four Eye stumbled toward us, still half asleep.

"What happened?" Alaric asked, eyes wide as he scanned the scene.

"A screamed," Mr. Four Eye muttered, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Woke us up."

They circled around me, forming a loose wall of bodies. The firelight cast flickering shadows across their faces, but I didn’t look up. I was still shaking. My hands were curled tightly into Damon’s shirt, and no matter how much I told myself to let go, I couldn’t.

My breath was still shallow, and uneven. The image of the wolf, its fangs, its eyes, and the chains flashed in my mind again. My skin prickled with fear, and I pressed myself closer to Damon without meaning to.

"Shh... just breathe," Damon said again, quieter this time.

I didn’t know how long we sat like that. Maybe a few minutes, or maybe longer.

Eventually, the trembling eased. Though my chest still felt tight, I wasn’t gasping anymore. I could hear the fire crackling again. The cold air brushing against my skin. The steady beat of Damon’s heart against my ear.

Slowly, I let go of his shirt and pulled away. My face was hot, and I knew I probably looked like a mess.

I wiped off my tears and tried to sit upright, my face burned with embarrassment, as their gaze bored into me.

Damon remained quiet, but his gaze stayed fixed on me. One of his hands reached up and gently tucked a loose strand behind my ear.

"Was it a nightmare?" he asked, his voice low.

I gave a small nod. I didn’t trust myself to speak yet.

Rhydian’s voice cut in. "What did you dream about that made you so terrified?"

I glanced at him. He looked worried, but there was something else behind his eyes, and I didn’t know what it was.

I looked away. "I... I don’t remember," I mumbled.

His brow furrowed. "Are you sure?"

I shook my head. " I don’t remember," I repeated, this time louder. I didn’t want to talk about it. The dream was strange... I had already been far too different and I wasn’t ready to add another one to the list.

No one said anything for a moment.

Damon leaned back, giving me space but still close enough that I could feel his presence. "You’re safe," he said again, softer now.

I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure I believed it.

Alaric broke the silence. "We should let her rest. She’s clearly shaken."

"Yeah," Mr. Four Eye added. "She needs sleep more than questions right now."

Rhydian still looked like he had more to say, but he pressed his lips together and stood up, brushing dust from his trousers.

The others slowly began to move back to their sleeping spots. The cave grew quieter again, only the sound of the wind outside and the fire crackling.

I sat there, arms wrapped around myself, staring at the flickering light. Damon didn’t say anything else. He just sat beside me, silent and steady, like a shadow that wouldn’t leave.

And even though I hated it, I was glad he didn’t.

Because deep down, no matter what I told myself... I was scared. And something told me that nightmare wasn’t just a dream.

I lay down on the same spot I had lain earlier, but my brow deepened at the substance beneath where I had lain.

My fingers trembled slightly as they touched it, I brought it closer to see what it was... and to my horror.

It was a golden dust.