Awareness startled Usher. His eyes opened instantly. He gasped for breath and sweat poured down his body, drenching him. At that moment, he felt trapped between the world of dreams and reality, separated by a thin line, real or not.
Usher tried to calm himself. In the dim light of the room and the silence surrounding him, he tried to gather his scattered thoughts. The intense nightmare that had hit him had left an unforgettable mark on his mind. It almost convinced him that it was real.
“It can’t be,” Usher thought as he tried to calm his racing heart. He dismissed all the frightening and painful images that had filled his mind during his sleep. It was only a dream, not reality. Garth is fine, he isn’t dead. And Mama, she is too.
A strange coldness began to envelop Usher’s entire body. Its presence coincided with memories of all the events that had taken place during the day. He had presided over a High Court with Garth as the defendant, and then everything had happened exactly as it had been described in his dream.
In a few seconds that felt agonizingly long, Usher realized that this wasn’t just an ordinary nightmare that felt very real. On the contrary, it was a grim reality.
“Garth. Mama.”
The slight calm Usher had just managed to create collapsed in an instant. The peaceful thoughts that had briefly entered his mind seemed to be overwhelmed by a wave of despair. Grief and regret surged, unleashing every hidden desperation within him. It all flowed through his veins, flooding his heart with unexpected emptiness. In despair, he felt trapped in an uncontrollable whirlwind of emotions.
Usher was in disarray. The blow had truly shaken him, causing him to babble in desperation. He rebelled and tried to stand up, but his body felt heavy and powerless. He screamed, and suddenly the Alpha mark tattoo on his neck began to radiate an intense heat.
Usher’s roar grew louder. The heat felt like fire scorching his body and the tattoo seemed to glow in the dim light of the room.
Usher felt flames licking at his neck. His body was being burned and his skin immediately turned red. He reached for the phone on the nightstand. But someone held his hand back.
With great difficulty, Usher turned around. Then his eyes widened. “You.”
Usher only managed to say that one word. The reason was that a strong hand immediately clamped over his mouth. Now he couldn’t speak, he could only continue to stare as a form of his anger. For in his heart, he was cursing. He really could enter The Palace as he pleased. Damned scoundrel!
The look in Usher’s eyes implied several unspoken curses. His expression also showed anger and hatred. He wanted to rebel and free himself. Only then would he beat him mercilessly. His only desire was to vent his heartache and jealousy for all the things he and Vione had done.
Usher’s jealousy escalated when, a moment later, he saw a familiar object hanging around the man’s neck, a half-moon pendant. Obviously, the man was trying to hide it under his jacket, but Usher could still see it because of their close proximity.
“Usher, calm down.”
Usher couldn’t possibly remain calm when Vione’s affair appeared right in front of him. After harboring anger and hatred for so long, now was the time to meet the man face to face. Instead of letting the man hold him down on the bed, he retaliated by grabbing the man’s wrist. He wouldn’t let go, no matter what.
“Calm down, Usher. I came to you with no ill intentions, on the contrary, I want to help you. I want to help us.”
Confusion stopped Usher’s turmoil. He wondered in his heart, what did he mean by his words?
The man prevented Usher from rebelling in the slightest. He stared at Usher without blinking. “You have to stand up, Usher. You have to make things right before it’s too late. You still have a chance, so I hope you don’t do anything you’ll regret.”
Usher felt a surge of emotion at the man’s words. Each word brought a strange rhythm to his heartbeat, and what puzzled him was that the emotions felt personal.
“Rise, for you have much to do, Usher. You must protect Vione and not lose yourself in regret,” the man said in a shaky voice. Faintly, his shoulders trembled, indicating that he too was shaken by the turmoil. “You still have a chance before everything falls apart.”
The mention of Vione made Usher’s feelings even more uncontrollable. Pain and fear surfaced; his heart felt squeezed. The longing was so real it made him breathless.
Apparently, the man felt the same way. In fact, he seemed as breathless as if there was a noose around his neck. “One thing to consider, Usher. Do you think your mom, Garth, and Ayla would betray you?”
Usher couldn’t answer because the question only increased his sadness and regret. Shadows of Garth and Jemma’s deaths filled his mind again. His eyes welled up and he groaned in deep sorrow. No, they would never betray me.
“You are the one who knows best of all, Usher. They would never betray you. Besides, they would be the ones who would always stand in front of you to defend you. They would do anything for you. To them, your life and happiness are more important than their own.”
Usher’s groans of suffering intensified. He was so shaken by the emotional blow that he couldn’t hold back the tears that streamed down his face. He cried, but it seemed the man was not satisfied enough to ignite his remorse. Because a moment later, the man actually threw a question that hit him hard.
“Do you think Vione would betray you?”
Usher shook his head amidst the increasing sobs. His body writhed, not in rebellion, but because his entire body was suddenly screaming in extreme pain. His bones felt shattered and it seemed as if thousands of needles were piercing him.
The suffering was truly agonizing. However, a moment of clarity remained in Usher’s mind as he remembered that the pain he was experiencing now was exactly like the pain he had felt earlier in the courtroom. Specifically, when he and the man had locked eyes.
Now something similar was happening again. The longer Usher stared at the man, the more intense the piercing pain in his body became. He tried to strengthen himself and at the same time the man spoke again.
“Vione would never betray you, Usher.”
The statement echoed in Usher’s mind like a mantra. His world turned in unshakable belief. A cry of helplessness shook his chest. The pounding pulse made his head spin and darkness invaded once more. Finally, he lost consciousness again, just as he noticed that the man’s eyes were red, as if he had just finished crying.
*