Qian had recently been dreaming of this fragmented dream over and over. Inside a grand, empty Gothic cathedral, the broken arches, beams, corridors, and pillars resembled jagged white bones emerging from the darkness. A huge rose window hung overhead, its delicate leadwork letting in sunlight that turned into colors blending amethyst and sapphire, forming a dim, mysterious radiance that seeped into the darkness.
She was bound to a freezing altar, her hands and feet tightly tied. A strangely shaped dagger was stuck in her chest, and blood still flowed from the wound. The strength of life gradually left her. Figures moved within the empty cathedral, but no matter how desperately she cried out, no one paid her any attention.
Only one woman kept chattering beside her. The woman was shrouded in heavy shadows, making it impossible for Qian to see her face or hear what she was muttering.
After a while, the woman suddenly stepped forward, and Qian's eyes widened.
She let out a scream, only to realize that she had already sat up in bed, drenched in cold sweat. The bizarre scene around her had long since vanished. The carved bedposts and gauze curtains quietly blended into the darkness. On the maple desk not far away, a crystal ornament gave off a faint glow. This was still her bedroom, and the moonlight filtering in through the window gently diluted the darkness.
Her ponytail had come undone long ago, and strands of fiery red hair clung to her face. Sweat had soaked the blanket, leaving it cold.
Qian sat dazed for a moment before helplessly hugging herself and trembling.
"You had another nightmare," Ouvina asked with concern.
"..."
"Was it the same dream?"
Qian nodded.
"It must have been hard on you. These past few days must have weighed on