44

44

ANNALISE

I woke up gasping for breath, my heart racing as if I had been running for hours. The nightmare again. The same one that had haunted my sleep for as long as I could remember. But this time, the faces were clearer, the betrayal more vivid. A name lingered on my lips—Spencer—though I couldn’t recall why. My body trembled, drenched in sweat, as I tried to piece together the fragments of what I had just seen.

But the dream slipped away like water through my fingers, leaving me with nothing but a lingering dread. I sat up and glanced around, disoriented. Where was I?

The room was dimly lit, filled with strange shadows cast by objects that looked older than time itself. Shelves were lined with trinkets, dusty relics, and books bound in faded leather. The air smelled of old wood and incense, a combination that felt both calming and unsettling at the same time.

An antique shop.

I stood on shaky legs, my limbs heavy and weak. My head throbbed as if it had been smashed against a wal