Chapter 65 Between Nightmare And Reality
SERAPHINA
I was never the girl who dreamt of fairy tales and white horses. While others clung to stories of princesses and castles, I found myself drawn to secrets, shadows, and the unexined. Mystery always captured my heart.
And that day, I wanted to step into another mystery that was always pulling me in. However
“No, Sera!” Mother grabbed my wrist before I could step into the mist. “Let’s go back to the packhouse.”
I was young, barely ten, and nestled among the thick fur of her wolf form as she carried me away. I craned my head over i shoulder, casting onest curious nce at the silver fog curling between the trees like beckoning fingers. “Mama, why can’t I go into the woods when the mist is out?” I asked.
<b>my </b>
“Mists are not what they appear to be, Sera,” she gently replied<b>. </b>“You might think it’s harmless. Maybe even fun to y in. But there’s an old tale about the fog. About the Mist Forest. Do you know it?”
A flicker of excitement stirred in me. “No… what tale, Mama?”
Her wolf paused. Slowly, she turned her head, her amber eyes locking with mine. “Sometimes, the mist opens a path into forbiddennds–ces we are never meant to cross. And if we do we see things no one should ever see. Truths that should remain buried.”
A strange chill ran <b>down </b>my spine. Her voice had shifted–no longer soft or yful, but solemn and low. As if the forest itself might hear her.
“What happens then?” I asked, gripping her fur a little tighter without meaning to.
“When you <b>see </b>something <b>you </b>were never meant to witness,” <b>she </b>whispered, “you <b>are </b>hunted.”
The firelight in her eyes flickered. I had thought she was just trying to scare me out of mischief. But there was something in her voice, something hidden. Something real.
“So, Sera…” she warned, her tone softer but not eyes. “If you ever see something in the mist, run. Don’t speak. Don’t stay. Run. Because they will <be </b>for you.”
And then his <b>voice </b>echoed in my ears.
“Seraphina Nightbane, you should have run.”
My eyes fle
<b>open</b>.
A gasp tore from my throat as I jolted upright in bed, drenched in sweat. My heart pounded like a war drum against my ribs, fast and erratic, as though it were trying to escape the very cage of my chest.
Dante tearing at his own face, bleeding and smiling at me shed in my <b>mind</b>, shaking me to the core.
My head <b>spun </b>and vision was uncle
eyes <b>was </b>white walls and a <b>familiar </b><b>scene </b>in the air.
unclear <b>for </b><b>a </b><b>moment </b><b>longer </b>until I started seeing things clearly <b>and </b>what came front of my
The sheets clenched my <b>tists </b><b>were </b>white <b>and </b>soft, “Healer’s wing?”
I whispered under my breath, my breathing still uneven<b>. </b>
I nced around to the empty <b>hospital </b>room where I had been before
“How did I get here?” I asked <b>mysel </b>
1 remembered everything clearly from trial in <b>the </b>vampire den <b>to </b>jumping from <b>the </b>cliff <b>and </b>everything. The mist. Dante’s
1Scrana Nightbane
My limbs paralyzed, my soul left my body for a moment. A thick bead of sweat rolled down to my cheek as my mouth <b>gaped </b>
Chapter 65 Between Nightmare And Reality
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open
“He.. he called me by my name,” I whispered, the words sticking to my tongue like ash,
My eyes <b>shook </b>violently, breath stuttering in my chest <b>as </b>fear wrapped its cold fingers around my spine. My heart thundered. so loud I could barely hear anything else.
No. No. This can’t be real.
The memory yed again like a cursed reel I couldn’t unsee–Dante’s bloody smile, his nails tearing at his face.
1 clutched the sheets, the white fabric twisting in my fists. “What happened after that!” I desperately asked myself. “Why can’t I remember anything!”
My eyes scanned the quiet room. No sound. No movement. No Dante. No Ronan. No mist. Just pale morning light nting through the thin curtains,
Was it a dream?
Was any of it <b>real</b>!
The territory of those wolves that cursed Finn and me jumping off the cliff into the fog forest? Was it all a nightmare? It never happened and we exited the mountain finishing the trial in the vampire den<b>? </b>
My mind raced, trying to grasp the reality that I could not go anywhere when suddenly the doorknob clicked. My spine jerked straight <b>as </b>a tall man stepped in–robes rustling, salt–and–pepper hair tied neatly back. Healer <b>Aran</b>.
“You’re awake.” he nced at me <b>once </b>and then to the IV in my hand. “How are y
you feeling?”
His calm voice waspletely opposite to my frantic heartbeat. “How am I here?” my voice was barely above a whisper. He nced down at me, “You don’t remember?”
I shook my head, “Don’t worry, it might be the effects of being unconscious for the whole day. You <b>will </b>remember soon.” I gasped, “I was unconscious the whole day?”
Outside it was daylight. <b>But </b>I was in the fog forest. It was all dark. That meant
I clenched the nket tighter with a thrill in my heart, “It <b>was </b>a nightmare,” I murmured to myself, relief washing over me. Yet my body was still cold <b>as </b>ice. I had not had that dream about my mother for years and when it clicked with <b>what </b>I saw in the fog forest, Dante’s insane actions, it terrified me to this point. However, everything was <b>fine </b>now because it was a nightmare.
If it was real, Dante would have known my secret then he would have exposed it to the whole Academy by now unlike Ronan who had yet <b>to </b>do so.
Healer Aran’s attitude was like it usually was. Nothing seemed changed and I was still within the Academy’s walls. It was enough to figure out my answer,
“Nightmare?” He tilted his <b>head</b>, “<b>Did </b>you <b>have </b>a <b>nightmare</b>?” he asked.
I nodded, “Yeah but I <b>am </b>fine now?” and then changed the <b>topic</b><b>, </b>“By the way how did I end up <b>here</b>?” n messed up <b>emotions </b>calming.
my tone was casual and
Taking a seat by the bed, he <b>crossed </b><b>his </b>legs and arms replying, “You were found unconscious at the foot of the fog forest. <b>Just </b>beyond the exit of the mountain”
“What?” <b>My </b>heart dropped into <b>my </b>stomach, “Fog forest?”
How did he know <b>that </b>name? It was a part <b>of </b>my nightmare so <b>how</b>…
Wait. Why did I have a pain in my back simr to what I <b>had </b>experienced when I jumped from the clid? My throat clenched
tight at hurt to breathe.
No
Chapter 65 Between Nightmare And Reality
The fog forest. That was real. I had been there.
So it meant Dante
It was real. Everything was real.
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I was still for a long moment terrified before I flung off the nket and swung my legs over the side of the bed, panic zing hotter than fever through my veins. If it was all real then Dante would have exposed me.
“Going to check something?” Healer Aran’s calm voice froze me in the middle of the room.
I turned around to see his back. He sounded almost <b>as </b>if he knew why I was in this much panic. He slowly turned his head and met my gaze. “Are you ready to face what is waiting for you outside?”
My legs felt weak.
The only thing that came into my <b>mind </b><b>was </b>“Dante‘
I clenched my fists and asked him instead of answering. “Healer Aran, did my team win the trial?”
He stared at me for a long time without any expression. It <b>was </b>enough to make me realize, we won. Of course Dante returned and we exited the mountain. And now my worst nightmare hase true. I was exposed.
I turned to leave the room however just as I opened the door and took a step out he replied. “Your team failed.”
My mouth went dry. I could not even turn to look at him in shock.
We failed? <b>How</b>? Why? Even Dante returned and everyone made it out together?!
I forced my legs out to walk in the empty hallway before I found myself running.
How could we fail? What was going on? Did our team returnte? Was any rule broken? My mind waspletely messed up. I could not understand a thing, until <b>I </b>ran into the dormitory building and looked at the massive stone leaderboard etched with the names of the top Alpha contenders.
My eyes widened and my mouth gaped when I read Dante’s name written in red.
Dante <b>was </b><b>dead</b>.
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