A glimpse of truth

Freen jolted awake, her heart pounding in her chest. She was drenched in sweat, her breath ragged. The dream felt so real—the fear, the anger, the longing... It all felt so raw. She looked around, disoriented. She was in her dressing room, the soft glow of the vanity lights casting long shadows. But what gave her more pause was Rebecca's concerned face: "Are you okay?" "Hey," Becca said softly, her voice soothing.

Freen's eyes widened as she recognized Rebecca. The dream, the emotions, the fear—it had all been a vivid nightmare. She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Rebecca tightly.

"O-kay?" Becca was shocked by Freen's embrace and didn't know whether to hug back or not, but in the end, she rubbed Freen's back.

Freen clung to Rebecca, her body trembling. The dream had felt so terrifyingly real. She couldn't shake the feeling of dread that lingered.

"Don't leave me, please," she mumbled, her voice muffled.

"It's okay, I am here," Rebecca reassured her. "You are dreaming."

After a few moments, Freen pulled away, her eyes red and puffy. Becca wiped her tears, and Freen took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she said, trying to sound composed. "I'm fine now."

Rebecca smiled knowingly. "You sure?"

Freen nodded, but her eyes betrayed her. Rebecca knew that Freen was still shaken by the dream. She reached out and took Freen's hand. "We can take a break if you need to," she offered.

Freen hesitated, then nodded. "No. I'm fine."

Becca looked at her with concern but didn't press further.

They had a long pause before Becca remembered what she came here for, before she saw Freen sobbing while asleep.

"Ahm, I just remembered I came to ask if you've seen Tee; we've been looking for her all morning." Freen's eyes widened in surprise. "No, I haven't seen her. Should we go look for her together?" Becca suggested, trying to distract Freen from her troubled thoughts.

But Freen's mind was on her dream; she saw Tee in her dream being teleported to the ancient timeline where they were in, from her dream, but she couldn't say it to Becca because it would sound crazy.

Maybe it was just a coincidence, she thought.

But she always has this feeling of déjà vu whenever something like this happens. Maybe she should trust her instincts and try to find Tee on her own.

"Freen, are you sure you're okay? You seem really preoccupied," Becca asked, concern evident in her voice. Freen forced a smile and replied, "I'm fine, just a little distracted. Let's split up and search for Tee; I have a feeling she might be nearby."

Freen nodded to Becca, trying to appear convincing. "I'll check the backstage area. You check the green room, okay?"

Becca nodded, still looking concerned. "Okay, but promise me you'll meet me back here in 15 minutes."

Freen smiled reassuringly. "I promise."

As soon as Becca left, Freen's expression turned determined. She recalled the maid's chamber from her dream—the secret passage that Tee had taken. It was a long shot, but Freen had to try.

She made her way to the maid's chamber, her heart racing with anticipation. The room was dimly lit, the air thick with dust. Freen's eyes scanned the space, searching for any sign of the passage.

She spotted the old dresser, just like in her dream. Freen's hands trembled as she pushed it aside, revealing a small door hidden behind. The door creaked open, revealing a narrow passageway.

Freen's breath caught in her throat. This was it—the passage from her dream.

Without hesitation, she stepped into the passageway, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. The air grew colder, the silence oppressive.

As she moved further into the passageway, Freen's pulse quickened with a mix of fear and excitement. She knew she was getting closer to uncovering the mystery that had haunted her dreams for so long. Why is she dreaming about this mansion, and why is she seeing her and her friends in the ancient timeline?

She goes back to the maid's chamber, where they found the old letter, and where she saw Tee teleported to the past in her dream, and when she was there, she quickly pushed the closet.

And then she saw the secret passage.

"Freen, why are you still there? Let's go; the guards are coming!"

Freen stood like a statue, looking back at a face exactly like hers; they both shared the same shocked expression before quickly making their way through the secret passage.

And then the door disappeared.

"อีแม่เนี่ย!" (E-mae nia!)