Seraphine's POV
The beautiful dream dissolved into shadows, darkness seeping through every corner of my mind like spilled ink across silk. Theodore's face began to blur, his warm features fading into nothing.
"No, Theodore, don't leave me!" My voice came out hoarse and broken.
But he was already gone, swallowed by the suffocating darkness that pressed down on me like a living thing. I gasped awake, my heart hammering against my ribs as the cold reality of my prison cell crashed over me.
Heavy footsteps echoed in the corridor outside. The iron door groaned open, and a guard stepped inside. His uniform was crisp, his expression stern, but there was something else in his eyes as they swept over me from head to toe. Curiosity. Maybe even concern.
"The trial starts today," he announced, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "You're needed upstairs."
