Chapter 20

Elara lingered in the bath long after the water turned lukewarm, lost in a sea of thoughts. The sudden surge of confidence she had felt earlier still pulsed through her veins like a hidden flame, igniting the spark of something deeper within her. As she sat there, the droplets of water cascading over her skin felt almost like a cleansing ritual, washing away the unease, yet leaving her with an unfamiliar but undeniable sense of strength.

“What just happened?” she mused internally, a question that danced on her lips but did not quite take form.

“Was that really me? I didn’t feel controlled." She continued in her thoughts.

“It came from within... deep inside of me.” The realization that she had confronted Shadow, not as an object of fear, but with an unshakable resolve, felt as if it came from somewhere deep within her, some place she hadn't known existed before. She had no feeling of being overtaken by a spirit or being possessed in that moment. It had come from her own core, her own heart.

As the hot water slid across her fair skin, Elara closed her eyes, allowing the soothing sensation to calm the storm within.

When she finally emerged from the bath, the chill of the air brushed her skin, snapping her out of her reverie. She wrapped herself in a soft towel and slipped into her favorite strawberry-pink pajamas, the ones that made her feel comfortable and safe. With her thoughts still whirling, she made her way downstairs.

In the kitchen, Damien was busy at the counter, preparing a cup of coffee and some snacks. The rhythmic clinking of porcelain and glass filled the air, but as Elara entered the room, the sound ceased. Damien looked up, his gaze soft yet contemplative. He smiled and lowered his head slightly as if caught in a fleeting thought.

“What?” Elara asked, her voice tinged with bewilderment.

Damien’s smile widened, his voice low and playful. “Nothing. I was just wondering about the kind of pajamas you wear. You always seem to pick the ones with fruits or teddy bears on them. And…” He trailed off, his eyes lingering on her in a way that made her cheeks flush. “You look cute.”

Elara’s breath hitched slightly, a blush creeping up her neck as her pulse quickened. “Cute?” The word felt so simple, yet it echoed with an unexpected warmth. “What are you talking about?” she stammered, her voice suddenly flustered.

“I was just thinking,” Damien continued, his grin widening with mischievous delight. “I wonder what you’d look like in a sexy nightie.”

Elara’s eyes widened in shock, her face turning the shade of a ripe tomato. “W-What??” she sputtered, her voice rising in embarrassment. “D-Don’t even imagine that!” She quickly took a sip of her coffee, trying to mask her flustered state, but the cup trembled slightly in her hand. Damien, on the other hand, couldn't suppress a soft giggle at her reaction.

The atmosphere, once light and teasing, shifted as Elara grew more serious. She set the coffee cup down and met Damien’s gaze with a determined expression.

“Damien, Shadow won’t sit quietly after what happened today,” she said, her voice steady. “We better hurry in our search.”

Damien’s expression mirrored her seriousness. “Yeah, I was thinking about looking for remedies for human possession in the forbidden library,” he said, his tone thoughtful. “Will you come with me?”

Elara shook her head gently, her eyes narrowing with focus. “No. I’m going to continue reading Aurora’s diary. I’m pretty sure we’ll find something in it that can help. But you keep searching, too. I’m certain we’ll get to the depth of this soon.”

She quickly ate some cake, eager to dive into the mysteries hidden in the pages of the diary. She needed answers.

“Slow down. You’ll choke,” Damien warned as he noticed her hurried pace. His voice softened as he moved closer, gently wiping a bit of cream from her lower lip with his thumb. Before Elara could react, Damien placed the finger to his lips, licking it slowly.

“W-Wha-?” Elara froze in place, her entire body stiffening at the unexpectedly sensual gesture. Her face turned a shade darker, her pulse racing.

“Sweet!” Damien teased with a low chuckle, clearly enjoying her reaction. Elara, now utterly flustered, couldn’t bring herself to respond. Her mouth moved, but no words came out.

“Uh…” she mumbled, her voice unsteady. “I-I’ll be in my room.” Without another word, she bolted from the kitchen, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. “He’s always teasing me…” she thought as she rushed upstairs. “Next time, I’ll get him back. I’ll be the one teasing him.”

As Elara entered her room, she plopped down onto her bed, clutching the diary in her hands. Her heart was still racing from Damien’s unexpected action, but her thoughts quickly shifted to the pages she was about to read. The diary shimmered in her hands as if beckoning her.

She opened it and immediately became absorbed in the words, feeling as though the story itself was beginning to envelop her:

After dinner, my father told me that he was thinking about getting me married soon and that I had to stop using my powers.

Elara’s breath caught in her throat. The words felt so real, so immediate. She felt her eyelids grow heavy as the room around her seemed to blur. The words on the page began to pull her in, and before she could protest, everything went black.

When Elara opened her eyes again, she found herself seated at a grand dining table, wearing a deep red gown that shimmered in the candlelight. She was beside a woman she recognized, Isabella, the lady from the painting. Across from her sat two handsome men, one whose features mirrored Damien's, was likely Ethan, Aurora’s childhood friend and the other whose face was unmistakably that of Shadow. The one she had seen reflected in the mirror. Elara was stunned the moment she saw Shadow in person, fully fleshed and alive, named by Dr. Adrian.

“Where am I?” Elara thought, confused and dumbfounded. The scene before her felt so real, as if she had crossed into the very pages of Aurora’s life. She was living this moment.

“Aurora?” a voice called out. Elara turned to see the man sitting farthest from her, his eyes filled with concern.

“Yes?” she replied, the words slipping from her lips effortlessly, as if they were her own, yet not truly hers.

“I talked to my friend, Mr. Black,” the man continued, “and I asked him if he would accept you as their daughter-in-law, the wife of Adrian. He said it would be an honor. Everyone likes you in the Black Mansion.”

Elara, now fully embodied as Aurora, felt a strange unease stir within her. “Why does this feel so real?” she thought, struggling to grasp her reality. Her mouth opened once more, and the words flowed out, not her own, but Aurora’s.

“But father, I’m not ready for this. I want to explore my power more. I want to understand it. I…”

Her voice trailed off as she instinctively defended her freedom, but the words felt foreign, not her own. Her thoughts were lost in the wave of Aurora’s memories that flooded her mind.

“Sir, with all due respect, we can’t force her to marry if she doesn’t want to,” Adrian interjected, his tone firm.

“That’s not fair,” Ethan added, his voice full of concern. “She has the right to choose.”

“Enough!” the man at the head of the table shouted, silencing them all. “I’ve already made my decision. Aurora, you’re going to their house next week for a meet-up. And that’s final.”

The tension in the room thickened, and Aurora lowered her head, melancholy. Her mother, Isabella, gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, my dear. I’ll talk to your father. Go and spend some time with your friends on this special day,” she reassured.

The trio strolled into the garden, the soft evening breeze ruffling their hair. Adrian, with a reassuring smile, placed a gentle hand on Aurora's head. “Don’t worry, Aurora, I’ll speak to my father about this,” he promised, his voice filled with quiet confidence.

Ethan’s expression darkened in an instant as he stepped forward, his hand snaking around Aurora’s waist, pulling her close. “Hey! Don’t touch her. She’s mine,” he declared, his tone sharp and possessive.

Adrian chuckled lightly, his eyes twinkling with a playful challenge. “Well, she’s not yours just yet. And if you’re not careful, you’ll lose her to me.” His voice held a teasing lilt, knowing full well how Ethan would respond.

Ethan’s brow furrowed, frustration flickering across his features before he let out a deep sigh. “I know,” he muttered, his gaze softening as he looked down at Aurora. “I’ll speak to your father as soon as I get the chance. That man is always in a foul mood.” He caressed her cheek tenderly, his fingers lingering on her skin as if to reassure both her and himself.

Aurora murmured in quiet hope, a soft "Hmmm" escaping her lips, her heart heavy with unspoken longing.

The three of them sat in the tranquil garden, the sky stretching endlessly above them as they chatted aimlessly. Unaware of the fate that lay ahead, they lingered in the serene moment, blissfully ignorant of the trials that were soon to unfold.

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Stay updated to know how's Aurora's story is going to end.! Enjoy.! >3<

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