Kaida
That night, I woke up gasping for breath, my heart hammering wildly in my chest. The dream had felt so real. I could still feel the phantom thorns piercing my skin, tightening around me like a cruel embrace. My body trembled as I sat up in bed, the memory of the crown weighing heavy on my head, its thorns sinking deep. I touched my forehead instinctively, half expecting to feel blood or the jagged edges of the nightmare.
Why did I dream of a throne and a crown? And why did it feel like a warning? The pain, the fear—it wasn’t just a dream. It felt like my subconscious was trying to tell me something, something I wasn’t ready to confront.
The sound of the door creaking open made me flinch. Dahlia stood at the threshold, her eyes wide with concern. “Kaida? Are you okay?” she asked so
