Rosalind awoke, feeling as though she had just erged from a very, very long dream. She stretched her body and was amazed at how light and refreshed she felt.
The room around her was softly lit by the gentle morning sunlight, casting a warm and welcoming glow. Rosalind blinked as she looked around, taking in her surroundings. It all seed familiar, yet distant as if she had forgotten sothing important.
As she gazed at the room's familiar items, a sense of recognition washed over her. A sense of nostalgia tugged at her heart, and she couldn't help but feel like she had left sothing behind.
Then it all ca flooding back, like a sudden burst of clarity.
She rembered what had happened. Her fight with Dorothy, the injuries, the barrier, and her last action were caused by her desperation. The mory hit her like a lightning bolt.
And then it struck her with a chilling realization—she had died!
She had died!
She rembered the mont when her consciousness slipped away, the world turning numb and distant as she was taken by an unyielding darkness.
She recalled feeling regret just before she … felt nothing.
Rosalind felt a surge of regret wash over her. Regret that she hadn't been able to say goodbye to Lucas, to share with him the feelings she had buried deep inside. Regret that she had denied herself the chance to be happy.
"Lucas!" she called out, her eyes wide, scanning the room for any sign of him. But the room remained empty, devoid of his presence.
A surge of panic suddenly wrapped around her like a suffocating blanket. She clutched her chest, the silence weighing on her, and willed herself to get up. Her knees wobbled at first, but determination helped her stand.
"Lucas?" she called again, her voice trembling, as she walked out, hoping to find him sowhere nearby. Maybe he was in the kitchen, preparing a al for her?
With each step, the silence seed to envelop her more. The echo of her voice against the tower's walls was a stark reminder of the emptiness that surrounded her. Confusion clouded her thoughts.
"Why am I in this tower?" she wondered aloud. It was not the mansion or the familiar space Lucas had created for her.
As she descended the stairs, she held onto the hope that Lucas would be waiting for her, ready to explain. But the absence of his presence gnawed at her, making her uneasy.
"Lucas, where are you?" she continued her search. Her heart raced, and just as she neared the end of the stairs, she thought she heard the comforting crackle of a fireplace, filling her with anticipation.
Was he indeed preparing a al for her?
A hopeful smile appeared on her lips, but it withered into a deep frown as the familiar voice reached her ears. Rosalind's body stiffened, her unease growing by the mont.
She turned slowly to find Belisarius standing by the kitchen door, his presence casting an ominous shadow over the room.
"You— " Rosalind began, her voice faltering and dry with tension.
"You will not find Lucas here," Belisarius interjected, his voice chillingly cold. It was then that Rosalind's eyes landed on the tray he held in his hand.
Questions swirled in her mind, each one more urgent than the last. Had sothing happened to Lucas? Did Belisarius defeat him, or worse?
Her heart raced with fear, but Belisarius remained tight-lipped, offering no reassurance.
With deliberate slowness, he extended the tray of food toward her, his silence hanging heavy in the air. Rosalind's eyes darted between the tray and Belisarius. She could feel her body turning cold, her heart in her throat.
She could feel her blood leaving her face.
Belisarius gestured to the tray, urging her to eat.
"Eat," he commanded, his tone cold. "You will have your answers once you've regained the strength to face everything."
Rosalind's thoughts churned with uncertainty, her stomach knotting as she looked at the offered al. She didn't want to comply with Belisarius's demand, but her need for answers was stronger. She nodded in reluctant agreent and accepted the tray.
That was when she felt her stomach growl. She stared at the porridge and imdiately thought about the food that Lucas prepared for her as she placed it on the table nearby.
"I do not intend to kill you," Belisarius said. "I would never involve soone… innocent."
Belisarius stared at the panic in Rosalind's eyes. Then he snorted.
Perhaps, that stupid demon chose to tell him this because he knew that Belisarius would never do sothing to Rosalind. Even if Belisarius wanted to have his revenge, he would never compromise his values and morals and involve a woman weaker than him.
Rosalind frowned as she took a seat. She could still feel Belisarius's eyes on her as she took her first bite. Then she took her second until she finally finished her food. After eating the porridge that he prepared for her, he handed her so sweet tea and asked her to drink it to improve the current state of her body.
Belisarius sat across from her, his cold gaze fixed on her.
"Where— Where is he?" Rosalind asked as she tried to steady her trembling voice.
Belisarius leaned back in his chair, his lips curving into a sardonic smile. "Isn't it comical that your first question is about him and not about the fact that you... you were already dead yet sohow you're here now, alive and well. Breathing, talking," he remarked, his words dripping with sarcasm.
"I— "
"There is no need to explain yourself. You owe none of those," Belisarius uttered. "Lucas is… not in this world."
"What— " Rosalind's hand that was holding the teacup trembled, causing so of the hot tea to spill on her hand. She hissed, her attention turning towards her skin. However, for so reason… the pain was not enough to mask her surprise. "Did you— Did you kill him?" she swallowed.
"I would not be able to… even if I wanted to. He is alive." Belisarius said. "But he was no longer in this world. The laws of this world would not allow him to co… after what he did."
"What do you an? Did he do sothing?" Rosalind asked, frowning. Dread settled in her stomach.
"Do you still not understand it?" Belisarius asked. "That stupid man broke the laws of this world... to save you."
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