Chapter 48

The blade plunged into my chest, and the pain was unlike anything I'd ever felt before. It didn't just feel physical. It felt as if it was carving straight into my soul. Staring at Ophelia, I could barely get the words out as I asked, "Why?" Her eyes blazed with fury as she locked her gaze on me, her voice cold and deliberate as she spat out the answer. "Because I hate you. I want you dead." The hatred in her eyes chilled me to my core, leaving me frozen in place. But beneath that searing rage, I caught a glimpse of something else—sorrow, anguish, and an unbearable sadness that she couldn't hide. Everything around us dissolved into darkness, and we were swallowed whole. The memories that had surrounded us, the beautiful moments we had shared, crumbled into nothingness. I jolted awake, gasping for air, my chest heaving as though I'd been drowning. Sweat drenched my body, and my hands trembled as I looked around the hospital room. It was still night. The room was dim and silent, a