CHAPTER 96

  Aria's POV

  Jade sat on the white floor with a sigh. "Okay, where do I begin?" she murmured to herself.

  "From the beginning," I replied, folding my arms.

  She scratched her head. "Well, which beginning? Mine? Or–"

  I interrupted her impatiently. "From the beginning of everything, Jade. Stop stalling, and start speaking."

  Jade rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine.

  She looked away for a moment before she finally met my gaze. "I've been here, in your subconscious, for a long time, Aria. Just like Rhea. But unlike her, I was… asleep."

  I frowned, processing her words. "What do you mean?"

  "I don't know how I got here. I don't know why I exist inside you," she admitted. "But for as long as I can remember, I've been stuck here in a deep sleep. I could hear things happening around you, but I couldn't do anything. Not until something woke me up."

  "What woke you up?" I inquired.