Chapter 1066
Barrett gasped for air, his chest constricting as if gripped by a giant hand, making breathing impossible. Viola, awakened by the commotion, sat up, dazed. "What's wrong with you?" she asked impatiently. His nightly nightmares had become a recurring torment, and she wondered how much guilt fueled their frequency. Most frustratingly, he often cried out Aurora's name.
When he remained unresponsive, still clutching his chest and gasping, she sneered, "Dreaming about Aurora again? Did she die in this one too?"
"She's dead," Barrett murmured, his face wet with sweat or tears—it was indistinguishable. "It felt so real… I dreamt the villagers hacked her to death. A miserable death. Her head… severed. Blood everywhere. Her body… torn apart."
The gruesome detail made Viola's skin crawl. "Enough!" she snapped. "Whether she lives or dies is none of your concern. Go back to sleep."
Barrett swung his legs over the bed, rising heavily. "You sleep. I'm going to the study."
Viola's frustration flared. "You always go to the study! What will the servants say about me?"
He ignored her, clinging to the bed for support, his mind echoing with Aurora's screams. He stumbled from the room, the sound of rain drawing his attention. A downpour had begun, sheets of water cascading down.
Outside, the flickering lamplight cast eerie shadows as the wind buffeted the lamps. His silhouette, distorted by the darkness, seemed monstrous at times, ghostly at others. The wind and rain created a mournful wail, mirroring the anguished cries from his dream, rending his chest with a pain like burning oil.
He'd intended for the study, but his feet carried him to the Blessed Haven instead.
Chapter 1066
By the time he reached the door, he was drenched. In a month or two, the once well-maintained residence had become overgrown. The servants no longer cleaned; darkness enveloped the place, illuminated only faintly by the lamps outside.
The wind howled, the rain poured. Barrett stood motionless in the yard, staring at the hall's closed doors—doors he'd passed countless times, each time with Aurora emerging, mockingly asking, "So, you still remember the way to Blessed Haven?" But she would never ask again.
A strange mix of pain, discomfort, and perhaps relief twisted in his chest. He wasn't sure if Aurora was truly dead, but the dream's vividness surpassed any nightmare he'd experienced. He'd seen her head fall, her eyes wide with terror; he'd heard her call his name.
Memories of their first meeting flooded his mind. Even now, he questioned if he'd ever truly loved her; he still didn't understand love. After returning from Victory Pass, he'd told Carissa he'd only learned to love after meeting Aurora. Aurora had made his heart race, his pulse quicken at her touch. He'd craved her proximity, his gaze instinctively drawn to her bright face.
Aurora wasn't beautiful or gentle, but she possessed a wildness, like a wildflower blooming in his heart. Her boldness charmed him, making his eyes sparkle with affection.
But Carissa… had he ever loved her? The question hammered at his mind. He opened his mouth; rainwater splashed in, failing to quench the ache in his chest. The pain was so sharp it brought him to his knees.
The thought of Carissa brought overwhelming sorrow. He remembered lifting her veil, that moment of feeling like the luckiest man alive. Collapsing into the weeds, he howled his grief until his voice was hoarse.
Chapter 1066
Whether he loved them or not, he'd lost both. One would never look back, the other was gone forever.
"What are you howling about? People never appreciate what they have until it's lost. Isn't that pathetic?" Viola's angry voice cut through his despair. She stood behind him, umbrella in hand, clad in her nightgown. More than his sorrow, she resented the shrew she'd become since marrying him. Everything irritated her; nothing felt right.