Chapter 11

Heonui was alone in the bedroom. All night, she did not close her eyes, afraid to fall asleep. Not understanding what was happening. Not understanding what she was told. Not believing in anything.

There was only one thought in her head — to find her husband.

"All this is a lie. I had a wedding yesterday. I remember absolutely everything — the temple, the feast, the celebration ... The last thing I remember was ... It was ... Wang Tae, with a shining and beautiful face, entertaining guests when Wang Han showed up. And then… Then…"

Heonui started crying again. Not wanting to talk to anyone, not to see anyone, she only cried and thought, convulsively going through all the facts of her unfortunate wedding that remained in her memory. She couldn't believe what the servants and The Prince were saying — that her beloved, her smart, passionate, amazing husband was dead — and she did not even remember it! This simply could not be! Her wedding was just yesterday... Was it? Was it true?

Her consciousness was disturbed. Thoughts refused to form at least into anything logical, and poor Heonui, desperately struggling with Morpheus, who forcibly slandered her already weak, tired will, finally surrendered under the pressure of his deceptive image in black clothes, which took the form of a deceased spouse, and entered double ivory gates.

But the dream that the son of Aglaea and Hypnos tried to instill in her was appalling. Completely naked, she wandered through some fetid swamp and called Wang Tae in a hoarse voice. But he was not there. He did not answer her. And, exhausted, she collapsed into the slimy mud, bogged down in it with hopelessly white legs. And then a translucent Mara flew up to her and began to circle over her, who was already losing consciousness in horror.

"Get down, monster! You want my death! What have I done to you? Spare me!" Heonui yelled, fighting the shadow. "Leave me! The swamp is already ruining me! What do you need?"

The vague female appearance of the once former beauty — and as if Heonui was very familiar — now appeared far away, now close, without saying a word, and these tortures were unbearable for Heonui. Mara returned, hovering in front of the young lady, slowly sinking into the swamp and getting closer to her.

"Go, go, go out…" In a languid voice, creaky and plaintive, the ghost was pulling an appeal, climbing onto the shoulders of Heonui Alexandrovna, who was disturbed by reason. "Do not believe me, you do not..."

Heonui sobbed for the last time and, with singing in an absurd guttural voice Moryana on her shoulders, completely sank into the quagmire.