Chapter 26

GWEN

I’m all alone in my room. The sun is setting outside, and the light is golden and warm. It bathes my room in a soft glow, and the shadows stretch long across the floor. The silence is comforting, like a blanket, and I can almost hear my own breath. The air is still, and I feel as if I am suspended in time. I am not sure how long I have been here, but I do not wish to leave. In this room, at this moment, I am content. Derrick granted my wish, he left me alone. But I couldn't help but feel sad about it, I didn't mean it. I felt empty. My life reverted back to normal. I felt disco-ordinated.

Seeing Derrick on the castle grounds was torture. As I walk through the castle grounds, I see him in the distance. We are like ships passing in the night, always just out of reach. The breeze stirs the leaves around us, whispering secrets that I cannot hear. The sunset paints the sky in shades of red and gold, but all I can see is the grey of his retreating figure. I wonder if he f