Aurora lay motionless on the hospital bed, the heart monitor beside her beginning to register subtle fluctuations.
It was as if she were trapped in a nightmare.
And in truth, she was.
For the past two weeks, Aurora had been lost in what felt like an endless dream.
In a realm no one could see, she was forging her way through thorns and shadows, slowly growing stronger.
Bit by bit, the scene drew into the depths of her mind, where she was face–to–face with her younger self.
Like a silent observer, Aurora watched her life unfold before her eyes, cach moment playing out in sequence.
Her memories began to surface.
The Walton estate.
Beside the pool, three little girls played along the edge.
It had originally just been young Aurora and Megan.
Tessa had only joined them later.
At first, neither of them realized it.
www
It wasn’t until Tessa stood before them that Aurora and Megan looked up in surprise.
Tess had been shy back then.
Clutching the hem of her dress, she asked, “Can I play with you?”
Aurora and Megan exchanged a glance.
“Of course you can,” Megan answered first.
She’d always been open–hearted, and since Tessa had taken the initiative, she didn’t think much of it.
But even then, young Aurora felt something was off.
Tessa never approached her like this.
And with Megan present, it was even less likely.
That alone made the little Aurora wary.
But the Aurora watching from the sidelines was on the verge of panic.
Tessa been rotten to the core since childhood.
She had only asked to join them because she was jealous that Megan had come to play with her.
Her real goal had been simple: to push her into the pool.
Aurora still remembered how she’d fallen ill for a long time after that incident.
+25 BONUS
It was also the moment Megan began to see Tessa differently, realizing she wasn’t nearly as kind as she pretended to be.
But back then, neither of them had any clue, much less any reason to refuse Tessa.
Aurora grew more desperate as she watched.
She shouted from the side, “Don’t say yes! She’s trouble!”
1/2
Chapter 655
+25
BONUS
“You
two just play together-
and
ignore
her. She’s only here
because she
Wants something.”
Her v
r voice
grew hoarse from
yelling, but
young
Megan
and
young Aurora
showed
по
reaction at all.
It
was like she
was watching a film projected right in front
of her.
And
this
I she, in moment, was merely an observer-
-powerless
to ferfere.
Once
Aurora realized
that, there was nothing she
Watch could do but
what caine next.
Sure
enough, just as
the
girls
were
laughing
and
playing, seized
Tessa
her
chance.
When Aurora
wasn’t l looking, Tessa
shoved her straight into the pool.
With a loud splash, Aurora hit
the
water.
She
hadn’t known how t to swim–just flailed helplessly.
The
moment
was so sudden it
stunned
little
Megan.
When she snapped
out of it,
saw
she Tessa
standing nearby,
wearing
a smug
little
grin.
Megan
didn’t even
have time to
question her–her
first
pull Aurora instinct was to
out.
But she
couldn’t. She wasn’t strong enough.
Megan could
I only watch in horror
as Aurora’s struggling
began to weaken.
Frantic, she shoved Tessa
and
yelled at
her to
go get an
adult.
