The morning sun came through the royal curtains, warm and soft. But Queen Seraphina didn't feel calm at all.
She sat up in bed, breathing fast. Her body was covered in sweat. That horrible dream still felt real. She touched her face with shaky hands, trying to remind herself she was no longer in that dark cave, no longer running for her life.
What was that thing? she wondered, hugging her knees. And who was the girl in the light?
She remembered the monster's face, the disgusting smell, the long tongue. Then everything had changed. There was a blinding light. A girl standing in it. Seraphina couldn't see her face, but she had reached out a hand. She didn't know who the girl was or what she wanted.
Seraphina whispered, "Why are you showing yourself to me?"
No one answered. Just the sound of leaves rustling outside her window.
A knock at the door made her jump slightly. One of her handmaidens entered and bowed.
"Your Majesty, would you like me to prepare your bath?"
Seraphina nodded.
The girl got to work, filling the marble tub with hot water and sprinkling in herbs and rose petals. Soon the room was filled with warm steam. Seraphina stepped into the bath and sat down quietly, but even the heat couldn't stop the chill inside her.
Her mind wouldn't stop thinking about the dream. About the fear. About the girl in the light. And about everything that had happened to get her here—to this throne.
Seraphina had been only ten years old when her life changed forever.
Her parents, King Aldren and Queen Liora, were traveling to the north on a peaceful trip. But something went wrong. Their royal carriage fell off a cliff. It burst into flames. The only things left were their rings.
Everyone said it was an accident.
But Seraphina didn't believe that.
She remembered hearing her mother whisper about something strange days before they left. And after the accident, Seraphina found a torn letter hidden in her mother's desk. She wasn't sure what it meant at the time, but deep down, she knew someone had wanted her parents dead.
She became Queen far too early. The crown felt heavy. People bowed and smiled, but she could feel their lies.
At fifteen, she had had enough. She wanted justice. She wanted to find out the truth.
In secret, she searched for answers. She followed clues, met people in dark corners. One man promised to help her if she made a deal. He said he could show her the truth. He said he knew who did it.
But she made a terrible mistake.
She said yes too quickly. She was young. Angry. Desperate.
And after that, the nightmares began.
At first, it was just darkness. Fear. Screams she couldn't explain.
But over the years, the dreams got worse. She was always running. Always being chased. She never knew by what—until last night. That monster. That cave.
And now, the light. The girl.
Who was she? And why now?
The handmaiden spoke softly, "Your Majesty, the water is getting cold."
Seraphina blinked, waking from her thoughts. "Thank you. That will be all."
The girl helped her dry off and dress in her royal gown. Seraphina stood in front of her tall mirror.
She was twenty-three. A queen.
But what she saw in the mirror wasn't a ruler.
It was a girl still haunted by a mistake.
A girl with a secret she couldn't share.
A girl who still didn't understand the nightmares that had followed her all these years.