By the next morning, Arabella stepped into the dining room with Cassius walking a half-step behind her, his presence silent but unmistakably commanding. Though none in the castle yet knew his true identity, the weight of his aura alone made several attendants straighten in their seats. Yet even with Cassius beside her, Arabella felt no peace. not when she had spent the early dawn listening to hushed whispers from the servants' wing, whispers saying that Morpheus had returned to his quarters fully healed.
Fully healed. Already.
The thought slithered beneath her skin like an unwelcome chill. As much as she despised the idea of meeting him again, their promise demanded she present herself at breakfast, especially now that the second test had ended. And so she walked forward, spine straight, breath steady, even though each step felt like a descent into a familiar nightmare.
