Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and now it’s the day Alpha Derrick and Mona will officially get engaged.
I’ve locked myself in my room during this time. The only person who checked on me was Sir Jethro. I haven’t seen anyone else in the last two days, probably because everyone’s busy with preparations for the engagement. Luna Catherine’s been too occupied to pick a fight with me, which was a relief.
At eight in the morning, I could already hear voices coming from the living room. The laughter and chatter were loud, signaling the gathering had begun. My stomach churned. The day I dreaded most was here, and I couldn’t shake off the unease building inside me.
For a fleeting moment, the thought of running away crossed my mind. Could I escape? But I pushed it away. No, I couldn’t just leave like that. Still, my nerves wouldn’t settle.
Just as I was about to head to the bathroom, I heard a knock on my door. My heart jumped, expecting it to be Luna Catherine or maybe even Mona. But to my surprise, when I opened the door, it was a woman I had never seen before. She stood there in a long black robe, her face calm but her eyes… something about them felt off.
“Can I help you?” I asked, keeping my voice steady though my mind raced with confusion.
“Your name is Kimberly, right?” she responded, completely ignoring my question, her eyes fixed on mine.
“Yes,” I replied cautiously. “Who are you?”
She glanced around the hallway as if checking if anyone was watching us. I looked too, but no one else was there. My suspicion of her grew stronger.
“May I come in? I have something important to tell you,” she said in a low voice.
I hesitated. There was something about her that made me uneasy. Her appearance, the way she looked around – none of it felt right.
“I’m sorry, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said, narrowing my eyes at her. “If you have something to say, you can say it here.”
I was about to close the door when she suddenly grabbed it, her grip firm. “Aren’t you interested in knowing where your father is?” she asked, her voice calm but laced with meaning.
My heart skipped a beat, and my hand froze on the door. “What did you say?” I whispered, my throat tightening as my mind raced.
“If you let me in, I’ll tell you where your father is,” she said confidently, her eyes not leaving mine.
I stood there, speechless for a moment. Could she really know where my father was? After a pause, I stepped aside. “Fine, come in,” I said, leading her into the room. “But you better have good news.”
She stepped in, and I closed the door behind us, locking it just in case anyone tried to barge in, especially since today was Alpha Derrick’s and Mona’s big day.
“Please, have a seat,” I offered, gesturing toward a chair. She sat down gracefully, and I sat across from her on the bed. “Now, tell me where my father is.”
“First, you need to calm down,” she said, her tone gentle but firm. “Before I tell you where he is, he asked me to deliver a message to you.”
I clenched my fists, trying to remain patient. “What message?”
“He wanted me to tell you not to worry. You’ll see him soon,” she said softly. “He also asked that you avoid any confrontations until then. Don’t get into any fights with anyone, Kimberly. It’s important.”
Hearing those words, I felt tears well up in my eyes. The emotions I had been holding in for days started bubbling to the surface. I tried to keep it together, but soon the tears spilled over, sliding down my cheeks.
“Is he okay?” I asked, my voice trembling as I wiped my tears away.
“He’s fine,” she assured me. “He’s about to undergo surgery soon, but he didn’t want anyone to know, except for you.”
“Surgery?” I gasped, my tears drying up as panic took over. “What kind of surgery? Is he in danger?”
“It’s nothing too serious,” she said quickly. “He didn’t want you to worry. You’ll be able to see him soon.”
My heart fluttered with hope. “Really? When will I see him?” I asked eagerly.
“Soon,” she repeated. “And he’s looking for your two friends. He plans to bring them back with him when he returns.”
Her words hit me like a brick. My breath caught in my throat. Friends? What was she talking about?
I narrowed my eyes at her, feeling a strange tingle of suspicion growing inside me. Something about her story wasn’t adding up. My instincts kicked in.
‘Kimberly, look into her eyes…’ A voice whispered in my head, sending chills down my spine. My gaze locked onto hers, and for the first time, I noticed something dark, almost sinister, lurking beneath her calm exterior.
“Who… who are you?” I stammered, my voice barely a whisper.
She smiled – a cold, eerie smile that sent a wave of fear through me. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, but her voice had changed. It was mocking now, like she knew something I didn’t.
Suddenly, it all clicked. My eyes widened, and I stood up abruptly, pointing at her. “You lied to me!” I shouted, my anger boiling over. “You’re not here because of my dad! Who are you, really?”
Her laugh echoed through the room, chilling and sinister. She stood up slowly, her smile widening. “Oh, dear Kimberly… you should have trusted your instincts from the beginning,” she said, her voice dripping with menace.
I took a step back, my heart racing. What had I just let into my room?
“Answer me, you wench! Who are you exactly?” I shouted, unable to control my rising anger.
I jumped to my feet almost instantly, glaring at her.
“I’m more terrifying than anything you could ever imagine!” she replied, still lounging in the chair, her face calm and her eyes glinting with amusement. Her laughter filled the room, growing louder and louder until it felt like it was piercing through me.
“Stop laughing!!” I screamed, covering my ears. “Please, stop!”
The sound of her laughter was unbearable, ringing in my ears, pounding at my skull. I clenched my eyes shut, trying to drown it out, but it felt like it was everywhere, closing in on me.
“Leave me alone!” I yelled again, but this time something was different. When I opened my eyes, everything was quiet. The laughter had stopped. I stood still, trying to understand what had just happened.
But what I saw made my blood run cold.
I was no longer in my room. I was in the woods again. The same woods from my dream. The tall, ancient trees surrounded me, their branches looming like dark shadows. The air felt heavy, just like before.
“What… what is this?” I whispered to myself, glancing around in confusion. I had been in my room just moments ago, arguing with that strange woman. Now I was here, standing in the middle of the woods.
I started walking, unsure of where to go but feeling an invisible pull guiding me. I remembered the last time I was here-the old man, his strange words about my birth. Maybe he could explain what was happening now.
As I made my way toward the big tree-the one where the old man said I was born-I felt an eerie familiarity. The tree looked just as it had before, massive and towering, its roots snaking into the earth like the claws of a giant beast.
I quickened my pace, but no matter how fast I walked, the tree seemed to stay the same distance away. My heart pounded in my chest as frustration began to creep in.
“Kimberly, you’ve finally arrived.”
A voice from behind me made me jump. I spun around, and my breath caught in my throat.
It was my father.
He stood there, smiling at me, his face radiating warmth. “Dad?” My voice trembled as I took a step toward him. “Is it really you?”
“Yes, Kimberly. It’s me. Come here,” he said, his voice gentle but full of certainty.
I froze, staring at him. He looked younger than I remembered, like he did years ago. My heart raced, and for a moment, I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “Dad… I’ve missed you so much.”
“Come closer, Kimberly. I’m here now.” His hand reached out toward me, inviting, comforting.
I took a step forward, my legs feeling heavy as if weighed down by something invisible. The numbness crept up my legs, making it difficult to move, but I forced myself forward, step by step.
“I believe in you, Kimberly. You can do this,” he encouraged, his voice soft yet firm. “Just a little closer.”
I kept moving, determined, until I was within reach. My heart soared, tears now streaming freely down my face. I extended my hand, ready to grasp his.
But just as our hands were about to touch, something yanked me backward, pulling me violently to the ground. “No!” I screamed, my hand still outstretched toward my father.
He disappeared. Vanished like smoke in the wind.
“Dad! Dad!” I screamed, but there was no response. Nothing but silence.
“That wasn’t your father,” a voice behind me said quietly.
I spun around, my heart racing, and saw the old man from before standing there, his eyes filled with sorrow.
“What do you mean that wasn’t my father?” I asked, my voice shaking with both anger and confusion.
“It was just an illusion,” he said, stepping closer to me. “A figment of your imagination.”
“No! I saw him! He was right there! We were about to touch!” I shouted, my emotions swirling in chaos.
The old man sighed, shaking his head gently. “When people are lost, they often create illusions of those they love most. What you saw was your mind playing tricks on you.”
I stared at him, my breath coming in short gasps. “How is that possible? How could I just imagine him?”
“You have more power than you realize, Kimberly,” he said calmly. “The connection you felt to your father was real, but the figure you saw-it was a manifestation of your deepest desires. If you had taken his hand, you would have been trapped here forever, unable to return to the real world.”
I felt my knees weaken as his words sank in. “Trapped? But why would my mind do that?”
“Because your heart aches for your father. You want him back so badly that you created the illusion of him to comfort yourself.”
I stood there, speechless. My father had been an illusion? I had almost lost myself in a dream.
“Do you understand now?” the old man asked, his voice softer this time.
I nodded slowly, still processing everything he had said.
“You have a great power within you, Kimberly,” he continued. “A power that can shape the world around you. But you must learn to control it, or it will control you.”
“A power?” I echoed, confused.
“Yes,” he said, smiling slightly. “Would you like to discover it?”
I hesitated, fear and curiosity battling inside me. But then I nodded. “Yes. I want to know.”
The old man smiled. “Good. Now, close your eyes. Focus on something you want to see. Something that means the most to you.”
I followed his instructions, closing my eyes and thinking of Louis and Hannah. In an instant, I felt a rush of energy, something powerful surging through me.
“Open your eyes,” he whispered.
I did, and there, standing before me, were Louis and Hannah, just as I had imagined them.
“Louis? Hannah?” I gasped, my hands flying to my mouth in disbelief.