fiance chapter 25

That night, Sophia dreamt again. She opened her eyes as if awakening in another world and looked down at her hands. They weren’t the pale, doll-like hands she knew, but those of a living, breathing person. Instinctively, she knew this dream was a continuation of the last. She was inhabiting that body again.

Sophia looked around. This time, she stood on a high precipice, still clad in a white dress, her hair flowing loose. Far below, a bubbling inferno raged. Even from this distance, she could feel the heat. The wind whipped her hair around her face like crashing waves. The heat, so vivid it felt utterly real, frightened her, and she stumbled backward.

That’s the Flame of Halas.

She knew, though she’d never seen it before. Flames that undulated like a sea. A crimson earth flowing like liquid.

“[Don’t you remember? Your body fell into the hellfire of Halas long ago.]”

The Duke had said those words.

So, in this dream, she had fallen to her death here?

“Insane.”

Sophia quickly turned to flee. Even in a dream, she had no desire to be consumed by fire. She spun around, her forehead colliding with someone standing behind her.

“Oof.”

Whoever it was felt like solid rock. Had the Duke followed her here to finish the job? But when she looked up, it wasn’t the Duke gazing down at her. It was a man with long, dark hair, one eye covered by a black patch. He looked more warrior than nobleman.

‘Who is this man?’ Sophia wondered, her brow furrowed. The man, who had been silently observing her, finally spoke.

“Are you afraid?”

He had the kind of presence that made ‘Yes, of you’ the instinctive response. Sophia almost stumbled backward again, forgetting the fiery abyss at her back.

“Who…”

“Of course you are. Everyone facing death is. But you mustn’t give up. Think of the Duke, the one who drove you to this.”

His tone was steady, devoid of emotion. He seemed to be urging her toward something. The thought struck her that perhaps this man had helped her reach this place.

“Do you want me to die?” Sophia asked. The words seemed to flow out of their own accord, betraying her own thoughts and will. A strange sense of betrayal colored her voice.

This body, it seemed, knew this man and had trusted him deeply. A dull ache bloomed in her chest, a bitter dryness coating her throat.

“Of course not. I don’t want to lose you.” He hesitated, reaching out a hand before clenching it into a fist, as if reining in his emotions.

“But…you’re the only one who can face him. You have to end this. I can’t stand by and watch him destroy this world any longer.”

“So… this world is more important to you than I am.”

“Sophie.”

Her words were spoken with the certainty of someone speaking to themselves. But the man flinched, as if hurt by her accusation. Sophia was surprised to see such an expression on his stoic face.

“You can blame me. You can think I’m sending you to your death. To some extent, it’s true. But please don’t say I think little of you. How could I not know that you’re part of the world he’s destroying? That you’re the biggest part?”

His words were impassioned, yet ‘Sophie’ turned away dismissively, walking back toward the edge of the precipice. Sophia didn’t want to go, but her body wouldn’t obey.

“I don’t trust you, and I don’t trust the Duke. You both just want to use me. The only difference is he wants to kill me to regain his power, and you want to kill me to take it away.”

“Sophia.”

“Have I ever been anything more than a tool to you?”

“Always. Even now, I don’t want to lose you.”

“Don’t bother with the sweet words. I’ll jump, just like you want. But I want to hear the truth first.”

“Do you even intend to believe me if I tell you the truth?”

“Of course! Don’t you know I’ve always believed you? I’ve always tried to?”

Sophia’s normally calm voice was now sharp with emotion. She could feel the tremor in this body. The desperation. Sophia realized instinctively: this body, this woman, loved this man.