Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Whispers from the Past (1)
SONIA’S POV
I purposely paid no attention to the land and went straight into the house. The cursed ground seemed to pull at the edges of my vision, but I kept my eyes forward, heart racing. Strolling to my room, I threw myself on the bed and buried my head in the pillow. The fabric smelled faintly of lavender from the wash, soft and comforting against my cheek.
A sleep as thick as death consumed me. Deep in this sleep, I dreamt. At first I was in a room filled with flowers and sighs of whispers. Petals drifted lazily through golden light, the air sweet and alive. But slowly, the beauty began to fade, and I was left with gnashing sounds across the walls of the room—sharp, desperate scratches that set my teeth on edge.
My head rolled about in search of the source of the pain. That was when I heard my name. First it was subtle, like the echoes of wind. But then it came out like a tornado, rattling my bones. "Sonia..."
I looked up, and there the source was. I could only see eyes. Bright, beautiful eyes filled with unspeakable sorrow. There was also the aura, but that was more of a feeling. A familiar sense that I knew whoever it was.
"Help me," the voice cried, broken and pleading.
"Help?" My own voice came out as breathless whispers, barely audible even to myself.
"Help me!" They continued to wail, as their eyes jumped from one end of the wall to the other, frantic and trapped.
My eyes followed its movements, and soon I was twirling in circles, dizziness crashing over me. "Help me! Help me!" It continued to scream until I couldn’t take it anymore.
I dropped to my knees, and with a loud howl, shifted into my wolf. Fur rippled across my skin, bones reshaping in a rush of power. Swiftly, I dashed through the open door of the once beautiful room, which had now turned into a chamber of pain.
I opened my eyes, and I was really running. No, I wasn’t in a dream anymore. This was reality. Somehow between the sleep that had looked so real, I had jumped from my bed and shifted into my wolf.
The evening wind whipped through my fur as I charged forward, paws pounding against the earth. I couldn’t remember how that happened, only that I was running with the wind of the evening. Running through the rivers, and through the trees. Running past the shadows that lingered beneath the forests.
I ran until my wolf felt like it would combust, lungs burning and legs trembling. When I eventually charged into the cursed land, I shifted back to my human form. Stark naked like the day I was born, I looked around in fear. The soil felt unnaturally cold beneath my bare feet, the air thick with old grief.
I couldn’t stand the cursed land. Why exactly was I here? To answer my question, that voice in my dream returned in full force. "Help me!" It desperately screamed.
I saw a vision then. More like I was transported back to just a few weeks ago. It was around that time Alpha Daisy came around. In the hall I danced with Alpha Ramon for the very first time. There was a woman. She danced, whilst her lover looked at her with adoration. The memory played like a moving painting—vibrant colors, swirling dresses, laughter echoing off the walls.
My body charged when the fountain of knowledge flowed in me. I had connected the bridge. The woman that had danced was the same woman who cried for my help. But how could it be? They were so different. One was vibrant and filled with life. The other, not so much. On one side, I saw the woman twirl gracefully. But when I looked at the other side of the cursed land, I heard her wails, raw and haunting.
I opened my mouth to ask who she was. To get an idea of what I was supposed to do. However, as soon as I did, my eyes opened, and there I was in my bed, drenched in sweat. The sheets clung to my wet skin, my heart pounding wildly in my chest.
A body hovered over me, and when my eyes caught sight of them, I opened my mouth wide and screamed.
"Sonia, it’s me!"
I closed my mouth long enough to blink my eyes. There she was. It was Ivy. I reached out to touch her, and fortunately, touched warm body. Relief flooded through me like cool water.
"It’s really you," I said, tears dropping from my eyes.
She sat beside me and wrapped me in a fierce embrace. Her arms were strong and comforting, grounding me back to reality.
"What the hell happened? Why were you sweating and crying in your sleep?"
"I saw her," I began to explain in a heartbeat. "I saw her before, and I saw her now. It was a dream, but also reality. Did you bring me into the room? I was just outside."
I knew my words were incoherent, but it made sense to me in my head. I had just been in the cursed land—how then could I be on the bed?
"Hey, calm down. I just need you to relax and breathe. The most important thing is to breathe."
She pulled my shoulders back and began to lead me into a breathing exchange. I followed her commands, and in no time, I could breathe easily again. The panic ebbed, leaving exhaustion in its wake.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"Who did you see?" She asked, staying on track. Her eyes were full of gentle concern.
I began to describe the lady. The one I saw at the dance hall, and the cursed land too. Her graceful movements, the adoration in her lover’s eyes, and then the broken wails in the vision.
Her face grew from concern to intrigue after my description. "Are you sure that’s what you saw?" She asked again.
"Yes. I saw her. She was very beautiful. Extremely beautiful. In the party ground, she looked fulfilled. But not so much in my dream, that I could swear was reality."
"Oh Sonia. You’re such a special girl, in such a tiny body. I wish I could interpret your dreams. I just know they mean something important."
She hugged me again, and my body protested a little. I was the only one who could feel its reluctance. She was hiding something from me. It hurt me that I would share something so deep and personal, but all she could do in return was to be secretive.
"Why did you suddenly dream about the cursed land?" She asked after pulling away.
"Alpha Ramon. He said that I needed to work on my off period."
"What? Did you tell him how you felt about the land?"
"What does that matter? I did, but he didn’t care. He only cared about his bid being met with nothing but haste and agreement," I sighed and threw my face to the side. The weight of his command still pressed on me.
"What’s that?" She suddenly asked, drawing my attention.
I followed her gaze, and it led to a piece of the book I had hidden in my closet. Turns out I hadn’t hidden it well enough. The corner peeked out from under a folded dress.
I was going to answer when I saw the strange look in her eyes. "Why do you ask?" I questioned instead.
"Because Sonia darling, if that’s what I think it is, then we might just have a solution to your problems."
I looked at the book again, and my heart settled. My mother had sent a response.
