Akhile could not remember falling asleep.
The intercom had whispered its routine goodnight, and she recalled the simulation of the night sky with the stars and the moon.
The system was programmed to adjust to her breathing. It could determine when she had fallen asleep, and then at that moment, the room temperature and lighting would recalibrate.
A sudden darkness overcame her entire body as she lay on her bed. It captured her and took over her body movements. It changed the course of her sleeping patterns, sending her breathing into an abnormal rhythm.
There was an eerie silence.
She stood barefoot in the Meadowlands, with her skin grounded with the soil. The grass was taller than she remembered, flailing in various directions from the cool breeze. Akhile looked up at the sky to verify if it was still the maroon creation of Neilelis Industrial. It was blue and back to normal.
For a brief moment, there was stillness, and she just breathed, taking in the fresh air.
But then she saw her. A girl stood between the Sacred Peaks, her back slightly turned away. Her long red hair was tied loosely, flowing down her back, some of the strands shifting with the wind. She was wearing a mint green chiffon gown, which was also flowing with the wind, clinging to one side of her body, revealing a modest curve of her hip.
Akhile knew before the girl turned to face her.
It was Princess Cora of the Meadowlands.
Although this image is the same as the one she often saw in the portraits at the mansion. Akhile somehow had never considered her reflection in the mirror as the Princess, but as herself in Cora's body.
She glanced at her hands at the thought. Her hands were back. She brushed them over her body, scanning her face and neck and her breasts.
"I'm back," she whispered, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
"You finally came," Cora said softly.
Akhile froze for a second, her stomach knotted up, her ability to talk in an indeterminate state.
"It's alright, we are alone here. You shouldn't be afraid."
"I didn't mean to," Akhile replied. "I'm sorry."
Cora smiled warmly. "You are fine, I promise."
They stood facing each other, smiling and crying at the same time. It was like reuniting with a long-lost family member.
"Listen," Akhile started, "I don't fully understand what happened. I died, and then I was you."
Cora didn't hesitate. "I know! I was there." She held her hand as they sat on the soil. "I died too, well, almost died."
The words hit harder than they both expected.
"You died? H-How?"
Cora looked toward the peaks. "It's a long story. But…Let me say, I knew the blood moon was near, and so was my marriage to the Redcliffs."
"The betrothal?"
"Yes."
The wind slowed its pace around them, the sound of the earth deepening with every word spoken.
Akhile felt her chest tighten. "Why?"
Cora's jaw shifted slightly, like she had asked herself that same question a hundred times. She tried to calm down as her jaw quivered from overwhelming of emotions, on the edge of bursting into tears.
"For one moment… I wanted to live for myself. I felt trapped by my royal duties. My parents were dead, and all I had was advice from strangers. They were telling me about this prophecy that was made before I was even born, and…and I couldn't fathom a life like that, where I wasn't in control."
Akhile swallowed. "Whoa! That's hectic. Had you tried to run or tell them no?"
"I didn't want to marry a man I didn't love. I hadn't even met him, you know. I had all these pre-conceived notions. I was afraid." Cora's voice sharpened. "I was going to die either way."
The air felt thinner.
"I thought if I died before the blood moon, the treaty would break. The Redcliffs would have to find somewhere else to marry. The elders would be forced to find another Princess."
Akhile stared at her. "You were going to sacrifice yourself."
Cora shook her head. "No…not a sacrifice. I was being immature."
The sky above them began to tint red at the edges. "I underestimated the land," she continued.
The red deepened.
"The blood moon is not a natural occurrence," Cora continued. "It is a mystically binding order of things. This marriage is older than us, and it was indeed foretold before I was born."
The wind picked up again, vehement as it whistled.
"When my heart stopped… I felt something."
Akhile's pulse quickened. "What?"
"You...or something. I don't know, a spirit of some sort."
There was a long silence. Akhile's face had grown pale, and her hair dishevelled. She raised her gaze, and their eyes locked. Cora's eyes were a distinctive orange, favouring the blood moon.
"I felt your exhaustion and your loneliness, and your powerlessness. I stopped fighting in that instant, and I let go of my body." Cora paused and squeezed Akhile's hand. "I wanted to escape, and that was my only chance to run."
Akhile flinched. "So we left our bodies at the same moment…except, I inhabited yours…and your memories."
Cora leaned in closer. "Precisely. But it was no accident. It was the way of the blood moon."
The first curve of the blood moon rose above the peaks. "The betrothal has to continue. Princess Cora has to marry a Redcliff. If it's not me, it's you. If it's not you, it will find someone else."
"You're saying this was intentional?" Akhile whispered.
Cora nodded once.
"I asked for it. And I am sorry I have put this burden on you."
The words hurt.
"You don't know that it's a burden," Akhile said defensively.
"I know what it takes to stand beside duty," Cora replied quietly.
The moon climbed higher. Now it was red and enormous, as if it were bleeding.
"You must not refuse the marriage."
The softness in her tone disappeared. The command felt heavier, like she was being charged by a Princess.
"Why?" Akhile demanded. "Why does it have to be him?"
"Because the treaty is already written."
The ground beneath them pulsed faintly.
"If the prophecy is denied, the barrier will fall."
"What barrier?"
Cora's eyes darkened slightly.
"They will tell you about a Sharman, soon. You must prepare yourself, Akhile."
Akhile. She hadn't heard someone call her name in a long while, even in her former life. It felt empowering. Akhile held her hands around her bare arms, she was shivering. In only a nightdress, the cold wind made the air freeze up.
"I already died once," said Akhile.
"This is not about death," Cora replied. "Because you are here. The power is beyond you or me."
The blades of the grass were suddenly bathed in streaks of red colour.
"You must marry him," Cora repeated. "But you do not have to disappear."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"Do not fight him blindly," Cora said. "Understand him. Learn about him, learn about his methods and make him your anchor."
The wind lifted Cora's hair.
"And Norman?" Akhile asked before she could stop herself.
Cora's expression shifted.
"Do not be beguiled by warmth and assume it is safety."
The words lingered.
The blood moon had fully formed overhead now. Suddenly, the ground began to dissolve at the edges. The world cracked.
"Beware of the Sharman." Princess Cora's voice began to echo. "And don't forget to live."
The sky exploded into a maroon colour, and Akhile opened her eyes with her hand gripping her chest. It was as if she had flatlined and was revived by an electric shock.
The artificial ceiling glowed softly above her, still simulating the same night sky she saw before she fell asleep.
Her heart was racing, her breathing elevated. Akhile held her temple as it pulsated out of control. She sat up and leaned against the headboard, gasping for air. The lights in her room turned on immediately, from the motion sensors.
Akhile looked around the room, trying to remember where she was.
"Princess Cora," she whispered to herself. "I was dreaming."
"Good morning, Princess Cora," the intercom whispered.
Akhile jumped, startled by the robot's voice. "Jeez!" she yelled.
Across the estate, the skies remained perfectly simulated.
She knew it was more than a dream, and it was a grounding moment.
Princess Cora was warning her not to try to run.