A Sudden Vision
Isla tried to move, to cry out, but her body felt paralyzed, trapped by the weight of the scene unfolding before her. The dream shifted, Xyla’s lifeless eyes locking onto Isla’s as if pleading for justice.
Suddenly, Isla woke with a sharp gasp, her chest heaving as though she had been drowning. The room was dark, save for the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the window. Beside her, Draven stirred, his voice rough with sleep.
“Isla?” he murmured, sitting up and placing a hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
She turned to him, her silver eyes wide and glassy. “I saw… I saw him again. My father… and my mother.”
Draven’s brows furrowed, his concern deepening. “Another vision?”
Isla nodded, her breath coming in shallow bursts. “It was different this time. Clearer. He killed her, Draven. I saw it. He said it was ‘for the future.’”
Draven tightened his grip on her shoulder, his voice firm but gentle. “It’s just a dream, Isla. The stress, the exhaustion—it’s playing tricks on your mind.”
But Isla shook her head, the memory of the vision vivid and unrelenting. “What if it wasn’t? What if it’s real? What if…” She trailed off, unable to voice the full extent of her fears.
Draven pulled her close, his arms wrapping around her protectively. “You’re not alone in this,” he said quietly. “We’ll figure it out together.”
As Isla buried her face in his chest, her mind raced with questions she couldn’t yet answer. One thought, however, rose above the rest: they couldn’t win this battle alone.
“We need them,” she whispered against Draven’s skin.
“Who?” he asked, his voice steady.
“My father. Eira,” Isla said reluctantly, her voice trembling with both fear and resolve. “I’m not ready. I haven’t finished learning what I need to know, and if Malrik is coming…”
Draven pulled back slightly, his amber eyes searching hers. “You think they can be trusted?”
Isla hesitated, her doubt gnawing at her. “I don’t know. But if we don’t have their power on our side, we might not have a chance at all.”
Draven’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Then we use them, but we stay vigilant. Whatever their motives, we can’t let our guard down.”
Isla’s fingers brushed over the small heads of her twins, their warmth grounding her amidst the storm in her mind. “I just hope we’re not walking into a trap.”
