Chapter 175: It felt so real. It’s real, Ragnar.

All those things are part of your nature. You act without thinking long because you're always driven by that purpose. And I may never be able to change you as I've asked. And that's why I've been so afraid and tried to keep you far away from anything dangerous.

— Ragnar

~~~

The chambers were bathed in the soft, silvery glow of moonlight filtering through the windows.

The night was quiet, but within Sophia's mind, a storm raged.

She thrashed in her sleep, her dreams haunted by fragmented memories and dark premonitions.

In her dreams, she saw herself standing amidst the ruins of Cescil Kingdom, flames licking the sky, and cries of the innocent echoing around her.

Faces of people she did not recognize were twisted in agony, their pain a direct result of her actions.

No…

She was both a destroyer and a victim, her hands stained with blood. The eyes of the survivors looked at her with terror and accusation.