บท 11: It was her, Again (1)

On that solemn evening, King Edward strode purposefully towards his office, flanked by his loyal right-hand knight.

The weight of recent events hung heavily in the air, and their expressions mirrored the gravity of the situation.

As they entered the office, the king's eyes scanned the room, his thoughts consumed by the mysterious tragedy that had befallen Peta. He methodically opened each document on his desk, his voice heavy with a mixture of concern and determination.

"We must heighten our vigilance, especially after the recent breach of security within the palace. And now, with this tragic incident," he paused, meeting Cyan's unwavering gaze, "We find ourselves facing yet another challenge."

"Your Highness, as an Otheonate Knight, I can't believe something like this has happened in our kingdom. But don't worry, we will find the person responsible. I, Cyan, promise you that I will protect the kingdom and you from any harm. I will always remain loyal to you."

Satisfied with Cyan's dedication, the king's expression softened slightly.

"Very well, Cyan. I trust in your resolve. But we cannot navigate this crisis alone. Call for Marquess Matthias, my advisor. We need his insight and counsel in these troubling times."

*****************************************

"Dang, where is Peta?" I murmured in a baby's voice, longing for her soothing lullaby in the hushed confines of the room.

Life has taken an unexpected twist for me. I'm a grown woman, yet I'm living life as a baby now. It's funny how things change. These days, I'm really excited to hear someone sing me a lullaby.

Even my days follow a simple routine – I eat, sleep, and sometimes cry.

It might sound a bit weird, but I'm finding comfort in this routine, even though I feel a little shy saying so.

But what's even stranger is that they picked me, out of everyone, to be in this world like this.

Peta is surely taking her sweet time tonight. I really have an urge to sleep, so I gently shut my eyes, getting ready to slip into a much-needed slumber.

The world around me turns blurry, and I start to relax, ready to let go of the day's weariness.

*drip*

Just as I'm about to drift off, I'm jolted awake by the sound of water drops falling and hitting something nearby.

Confused, I sit up slightly and rub my eyes, trying to make sense of what I'm hearing.

"What's that sound?" I mumble to myself, my senses now fully alert as I listen closely to the rhythmic dripping.

The room feels strangely cold, and a feeling of unease washes over me as I wonder where the water is coming from at this hour.

As I opened my eyes, I realized I wasn't in my room anymore.

Instead, I found myself in a place that looked like a paradise.

Right in front of me was a breathtaking waterfall, its crystal-clear waters falling in a gentle and calming rhythm.

I couldn't help but gasp at the sight, and a sense of wonder filled me.

"Wow," I muttered under my breath, my eyes fixated on the beauty before me.

It was as if I had been transported to a magical world, a place that I could only dream of. The sound of the water rushing echoed in my ears, creating a peaceful melody that soothed my soul

When I slowly regained consciousness, the beauty of the sun in the sky greeted me, its warmth and radiance refreshing despite my eyes being slightly irritated by the light.

As my surroundings came into focus, I realized I was seated on a massive rock at the center of a river.

The water flowed gently from a nearby waterfall, surrounded by lush trees. Mesmerized, I gazed at the clear, crystalline water, but my astonishment deepened as I caught sight of my own reflection — I noticed an older face in the water reflection, but it was unclear.

"Where am I?" I whispered, a mix of awe and confusion evident in my voice. The surreal scene before me seemed to defy explanation, leaving me both captivated and perplexed.

"It's nice to see you again!" A sweet, childish voice chimed in, catching me off guard.

"Huh? Where are you?" I quickly glanced around, searching for the source of the voice, but there was no one in sight.

"Look down, you idiot," the voice instructed, and I obediently lowered my head, my eyes focusing on the water in front of me. And there, reflected in the water, was a familiar face I remembered from my last dream.

"Now, can you see me?" I exclaimed in surprise.

Startled and confused, I blurted out, "Wait, is that you? Why are you here? And where are we?"

My hand instinctively moved to touch my face as if to confirm that I was real.

She gave me an exasperated look, seemingly fed up with my rapid-fire questions.

"Geez, can you take a breath? I haven't even started explaining, and you're bombarding me with a lot of questions. Just take a moment to calm down, okay?"

Her voice was firm yet patient, as if she was trying to reign in my spiraling thoughts.

"Ugh, seriously, I'm super bored with all this. Like, why am I even here? It's driving me crazy," I complained, my frustration spilling out.

And then she snapped, her eyes blazing with anger, "Could you just stop talking, Hayeon Yujin?"

I clicked my tongue in annoyance, not in the mood to argue anymore.

"I'm sorry if I haven't been able to provide all the answers you're seeking. Right now, I'm talking to you through your dreams because we share the same body. But using the power in this body is too much, including talking like this could harm you. So, I won't be able to stay and chat for long. It's very important for your body to grow and become stronger before you can fully handle what's ahead in life."

I looked at the water and wondered aloud, "The celestial being mentioned that I have both dark and light power within me. Is that the power they were talking about?''

''That's our power, Hayeon," she said, her eyes fixed on me with a serious look.

"Wait, just wait. I'm sorry, but I'm really, really confused right now. You're giving me so many questions to ask you, you know—"

All at once, my surroundings began to dissolve into an abstract blur,

"Hey, Hayeon, look at me!"