Chapter 2: I'm Dead
1079 Words
Camilla's pov
I barely had time to react before rough hands drew me forward, dragging me across the cold, hard floor. My feet scraped against the stone, my wrists bound in iron cuffs that bit into my skin. My heart pounded in my chest as I struggled against their grip, but it was useless.
The heavy doors to the throne room swung open, and I was pulled inside. The sight before me made my stomach turn.
The council of elders sat in a long row, their expressions grim. Their eyes, filled with silent judgment, bore into me as I was forced to my knees in the center of the room. But what truly sent a wave of panic crashing over me was Malakai.
He sat slumped on his throne, his skin a sickly shade of gray, his once-powerful frame now weak and trembling. Beads of sweat clung to his forehead as he struggled to keep his eyes open. He looked like death was already reaching for him.
“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice shaking.
Silence stretched in the room before Elder Bastian finally stood. “Camilla of the Crescent Moon Pack, you are accused of attempted murder.”
My breath hitched. “What?”
“You poisoned Alpha Malakai,” another elder declared, his tone laced with certainty.
The words sent ice through my veins. My mouth opened and closed, struggling to form words. This had to be some kind of nightmare.
“No,” I finally gasped. “That’s not true! I didn’t do anything!”
"You are the only one with a reason to want him dead."
"Want him dead? Why would I want.....
I stopped half way through my statement when I remembered what had happened yesterday.
“You were the last person seen with him before he collapsed,” Elder Bastian continued coldly. “And you had every reason to want him dead.”
I shook my head violently. “That’s a lie!"
"Where were you last night after you left the party."
"I was with Hilda the entire night. Ask her!”
A heavy silence filled the room. My heartbeat thundered in my ears as dread crawled up my spine.
“Hilda is missing,” someone finally said.
My body went rigid.
No.
No, no, no. This wasn’t happening.
“She… she was with me! I swear!” My voice wavered, desperation clawing at my throat. “You have to believe me. I didn’t do this!”
The elders exchanged glances, and then Malakai let out a weak cough. His eyes barely met mine as he rasped, “Lock her up.”
My stomach plummeted.
“NO!” I screamed as the guards grabbed me again, yanking me toward the dungeon. I kicked and struggled, but it was pointless. They were too strong, and my panic only made me weaker.
This isn’t real. This isn’t happening.
But the cold, damp air of the dungeon said otherwise.
The guards shoved me inside a dark, musty cell. I stumbled forward, my knees hitting the stone floor.
"Please, listen to me!" I begged. "I'm innocent!"
The iron bars slammed shut.
The fear, the helplessness—it was too much. My breathing turned shallow, my vision blurred, and before I could fight it, darkness swallowed me whole.
---
When I woke up, everything felt so strange and different.
I realized right away that I wasn’t in the dark, cold dungeon anymore. My head was pounding like a drum, and I opened my eyes slowly to see a bright white ceiling above me. There was a strong smell of antiseptic that filled the air and made me feel a little sick.
I was in the pack hospital.
For a brief moment, I lay still and tried to gather my thoughts. My body felt heavy and unfamiliar, as if something invisible was holding me down. Slowly, I turned my head to the side, and that’s when I noticed her sitting beside me.
It was Hilda.
She was there, sitting in a chair close to my bed, but her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Seeing her like that made my heart ache.
“Hilda?” I croaked out her name, my voice came out rough and weak.
I waited for her to say something, but she didn’t respond at all. There was no movement, no acknowledgment.
"Where were you? I really needed you to stand up for me," I said, trying to keep the worry out of my voice. "But it’s okay. We can go to the council now."
Still, there was silence.
"Hilda?" I tried again, feeling more anxious.
I reached out to take her hand, hoping to comfort her, but my fingers seemed to pass right through her. I felt an icy chill run down my spine.
What is happening?
Panic began to rise in me as I stared at her in disbelief. “Hilda, what’s going on?”
She didn’t answer me. Instead, she began to cry harder.
I tried to reach for her again, to comfort her in any way I could, but my hand went straight through her shoulder. My heart raced, and I felt breathless.
“No,” I whispered, feeling fear wrap tightly around my chest.
In a state of panic, I turned my head rapidly, trying to understand what was happening. The sight that met my eyes sent a shock through me. There, lying on the hospital bed, was my own body, still and lifeless.
Everything inside me shattered like glass. I felt lost and alone, unable to comprehend the reality of what I was seeing. I had no idea how I had gotten here, and I was terrified.
“That’s me,” I choked out. “How is that possible? I can’t be… No, no, no! This has to be a dream!”
A suffocating panic took hold of me. My breathing came in short, frantic gasps. I tried to stand, to move, but my legs felt weightless, disconnected from reality.
The door burst open.
Malakai entered, his face still pale but his eyes sharp. The pack doctor followed behind him, looking grave.
“She’s lucky to be alive,” the doctor murmured. “The wolfsbane in her system should have killed her.”
Wolfsbane.
I felt like the air had been
knocked out of my lungs.
Someone had tried to kill me.
But instead of dying, I was trapped—a ghost in my own world.
- Writer
