Seraphine dreamed again.
But this time, it wasn't the Womb Realm.
This was something different.
She stood in a garden bathed in golden sunlight, the air thick with the scent of blooming roses and fresh earth. Birds chirped overhead, and the breeze carried laughter—bright, joyous, childlike.
She turned slowly, heart pounding.
A girl ran past her.
Young. Barefoot. Dressed in a white dress stained with grass and flower petals.
Her hair was long and dark, her eyes wide and full of wonder.
Seraphine's breath caught.
It was her .
Not the twisted, knowing thing growing inside her womb.
No.
This was the daughter she had once imagined having.
The one who could have lived.
***
The girl stopped at the edge of a small pond, kneeling beside it to dip her fingers in the water.
Seraphine approached cautiously.
"Who are you?" she asked softly.
The girl looked up, smiling.
"You know me," she said simply.
Seraphine swallowed hard. "You're not real."
The girl tilted her head. "And yet, here I am."
Seraphine knelt beside her, studying her face.
There was no malice in those eyes. No hunger. Just innocence.
"What is this place?" she whispered.
The girl reached into the pond and pulled out a handful of water, letting it drip through her fingers like liquid light.
"This is what could have been," she said. "Before you made your choice."
Seraphine stiffened.
"I didn't make a choice."
The girl met her gaze.
"No?" she asked gently. "Then why did you call me?"
Seraphine opened her mouth to respond—but no words came.
Because deep down, she knew.
She had called something into being.
Something that should never have existed.
***
The scene shifted.
They were in a palace now—a smaller, warmer one than Virelle. Sunlight filtered through tall windows, casting golden patterns across the stone floor.
Seraphine sat in a chair by the fire, wrapped in a shawl, holding a book.
Across from her, the girl played with wooden toys, giggling softly.
Outside, snow fell gently.
It was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Seraphine felt tears sting her eyes.
She reached out, touching the girl's cheek.
"You would have been beautiful," she whispered.
The girl smiled. "I was."
Seraphine's throat tightened.
"But I lost you."
The girl nodded slowly. "You did."
Seraphine looked around the room.
"Why show me this?"
The girl's expression grew serious.
"To remind you of what you gave up."
Seraphine's breath hitched.
"I didn't give it up. I just… wanted to live."
The girl's smile faded.
"And so you made me instead."
Seraphine flinched.
"I didn't mean to."
The girl stood, stepping back.
"That doesn't matter now," she said softly.
"Because I'm here."
The world around them cracked.
The warmth vanished.
The fire dimmed.
The girl stepped into the shadows—and when she emerged again, she was different.
Taller.
Darker.
Her eyes glowed faintly red.
Her smile was sharp.
"You abandoned me before I was born," she said.
"Why should I love you now?"
Seraphine screamed as the dream shattered around her.
***
She woke gasping, drenched in sweat and tangled in silk sheets.
Kael was there in an instant, gripping her shoulders.
"Seraphine!"
She blinked rapidly, trying to steady her breathing.
"It was her," she whispered hoarsely. "She showed me what I could have had."
Kael frowned. "What do you mean?"
Seraphine pressed a trembling hand to her belly.
"She showed me a daughter," she said. "One who laughed. Who played. Who loved me."
Kael remained silent for a moment.
Then he asked carefully, "Was it real?"
Seraphine shook her head. "No. But it could have been."
She looked up at him, her voice breaking.
"I think she remembers what she was supposed to be."
Kael's jaw tightened. "And now she hates you for it."
Seraphine closed her eyes.
"Yes."
***
Later that day, Lady Nyxara arrived with news.
"The council has moved," she said grimly. "They're preparing to take her."
Seraphine sat up slowly, exhaustion weighing on her bones.
"They'll fail," she murmured.
Nyxara studied her carefully. "How can you be sure?"
Seraphine placed a hand on her belly.
"Because I already tried," the voice whispered.
"And I failed too."
A pause.
Then, softly:
"Now, I only want one thing."
Seraphine's voice trembled as she echoed the thought aloud.
"Vengeance."
***
That night, Kael stood watch outside Seraphine's chambers, his sword resting loosely in its sheath.
He stared at the moonless sky, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on them.
Inside, Seraphine lay awake, listening to the silence within her body.
For once, Aeloria had nothing to say.
As if she were waiting.
Planning.
Preparing.
Kael exhaled slowly.
This was no longer about protecting a queen.
It was about surviving what had already begun.