Chapter 5

Aesthelia blinks a couple of times before she gets used to the light that comes from the torch. It had been an hour after she was dragged by the sentinels to be locked up.

Aesthelia sat quietly in the corner of the cellar all alone. The underground dungeon she was locked in stank with the scent of blood and dirt. Aesthelia hums to distract herself from thinking of something that she fears will scare her in the dark. She has not been fond of darkness ever since she was a child.

She tried closing her eyes, but whenever she did, images flashed through her mind. It looks vivid and terrible. Aesthelia wonders if it's the old Aesthelia's memories, but it looks like nothing of today's reality but a nightmare. The images show wolves bathing in their own blood and many more scenarios. They flash through her mind fast. 

The images caused her discomfort and fear for an unknown reason. They are currently the most powerful compared to any other supernatural race. 

Aesthelia was thinking really hard when something caught her attention. A lamp came into view in front of her cellar.

Aesthelia quickly looked up to see her visitor. It was a man she had never seen before on the training grounds. The eyes reminded her of someone, but she couldn't figure out who it was.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" The man was questioned as the pain became visible in his eyes. 

Aesthelia's confusion increased. She was puzzled. What was her relationship with this person? Why does this man look so hurt? 

"I don't know," Aesthelia timidly answered as she hugged herself tightly. The cold, hard ground made her shiver. 

Why does old Aesthelia like someone who can't be hers? Someone who was destined for someone else. Aesthelia wanted to understand and unravel secrets about the character she's currently possessing, even though it is simple. The old Aesthelia was made to torment the female lead. She's hoping that there was a strong reason, other than obsession, as to why the real Aesthelia was crazy about Gior. It led to her death. 

"I told you before that it would do you no good," the guy said.

"You're making yourself miserable over a guy that won't even glance at you," the guy added, not waiting for Aesthelia's reaction. He expected her to yell at him.

He looked down at her form worrily. 

Aesthelia kept her mouth shut because she couldn't bring herself to deny or defend herself against that statement.

"I know. I learnt my lesson. I was just trying to talk to Merideth and clear things out, "Aesthelia mumbled into thin air, which was heard by the guy. 

The guy looked stunned for a second at that. He was wondering if it was the same Aesthelia he knew.

"Who are you?" Aesthelia asked when the silence engulfed them. She gulped when she received no response from the man until he chuckled, as if he found her question funny and cute.

"You can't even recognize my voice and my figure now? I'm hurt." The man commented in a joking manner. Aesthelia sighed in relief. He suspected nothing was wrong with her, not remembering him.

"It's me, Flo" The man finally introduced himself.

Aesthelia's eyes widened at that. She remembered this character very well. Flo Reiss is a wolf, with admirable strategies, and all. He excelled in both physical and intellectual areas at a very young age. He is also the female lead's cousin. 

Aesthelia's shoulder slumped when she remembered what would happen with Flo in the future. She read the part where Flo would be sent out, framed as a traitor, and eventually become a rogue. 

"I heard you carried me when I fainted. I wanted to express my gratitude, but it's a tough time, "Aesthelia trails off as she thinks about her situation and nervously scratches her nape. 

"I know you. You never express yourself. You keep everything bottled up and sometimes you pretend that you don't care, "Flo said with a serious face. He wanted to say something, but he didn't dare.

"But hearing this from you, it's enough," Flo warmly added and broke out a smile. 

Aesthelia blushed shyly. She shook her head and smiled back at him. Aesthelia wonders what made Flo's future so messed up. The story did not tell us why; it was briefly and suspiciously short.

"I'll be going now." 

Aesthelia wanted to ask why he visited her here, but from the way he talks, he seems close to the real Aesthelia. 

"I'll bring something the next morning," Flo said and bid goodbye to Aesthelia.

Flo left the lamp in front of the cellar. He knew that Aesthelia was scared of the dark. So, he purposely left it where Aesthelia could reach it herself.

Once again, her surroundings are engulfed by silence. Aesthelia stood up and walked towards the lamp. She would keep it until she fell asleep. She just hopes that she will be staying only one night here. 

Aesthelia stopped on her track when she heard something unusual. It looks like the prisoners in the other cellar are having a conversation. 

A hoarse voice muttered, "Those filthy pups and mutts."

"They dared to hide someone important in this filthy pack!" The same voice shouted in anger.  

There's a sound of metal. It sounds like they are struggling with a metal chain. Aesthelia guessed that there were two or three people in that cellar.

"They might be stronger now, but our kind is more vicious and greedy," another voice said confidently. 

"Even if they killed us. The king would never turn his back on us. A war might break through, "he added, in a whisper. 

"King?" Aesthelia wondered aloud. She quickly covered her mouth with her palm and turned away. The conversation went silent, which made Aesthelia nervous. Did they hear her eavesdropping?

Aesthelia sighed in relief when the conversation continued. It seems that the distance is okay; she's able to hear them with her werewolf super hearing ability.  

'King? Is it related to the empire? ' Aesthelia thought there was no conflict between the beast and royalties. 

Aesthelia was quietly listening when an old man from the cellar in front of her came into view. It's appearance is all wrinkled.  

Aesthelia hitched her breath.

"You don't belong here," The old man spat out as he crawled forward to hold the cell and support himself, but the old man hissed in pain when he came in contact with the cell bars.

'Silver? That means that old man is a werewolf,' Aesthelia thought as she observed. Good thing, she didn't touch the cell.

Aesthelia eyebrows furrowed as she tried not to look away from the old man's stare. It was as if he was reading her mind. 

"What do you mean I don't belong here?" Aesthelia asked. She wanted to confirm if the old man was referring to the strongest she-wolf imprisonment. She didn't dare to come closer. It is safer that way.

"It started all over again because somebody wants to alter everything. Well, you can't." The old man spoke mysteriously. It looks like the old man also lost his left eye.

'It started all over again?' Aesthelia mentally repeated his word.

"Unless you find the key, that will prevent the tradegies from happening," the old man added, as if he was giving hints or so. 

Her eyes widened at his word.  

  

Aesthelia realized what the old man was telling her: that there was a way. It's a hope for her.

"Are you perhaps transmigrated too?" Aesthelia asked. She took a step forward to engage in the conversation. It might help her in some way. 

With the way he talks, Aesthelia gets the impression that the old man is a character who has already experienced how the story goes until the end. She wonders if his soul transmigrated into that body.

The old man's pupils constricted. "No," the elderly man replied coldly.

Aesthelia remained silent and deeply thought about it. 'If he didn't transmigrate, he may be or might not be a time traveller, but it's clear that there's no timeline, just the plot. The story restarted for a reason; someone wanted to alter the events, but how did this old man remember it?'

"How come you seem to know what will happen?" Aesthelia voiced her curiosity. 

"I don't know. I just remembered everything one morning after my death. Why do I have to live again to be tortured and die in this cellar? " The old man devastatingly said as he started to weep loudly. 

Aesthelia's heart clenched at that sound. She can't say anything. It's obvious that this old man was tortured with his legs chopped off, left eyeball missing and the visible bruises.  

She was about to say and ask why he was here, when two werewolves who were guarding the dungeon tonight came inside the old man's cellar. 

Aesthelia's heart skipped a beat as she watched them drag the weeping werewolf. 

"W-why?" Aesthelia stuttered. She tried to speak up but was completely shut off when one of the werewolf guard glared at Aesthelia's way. 

It scared her and made her shake in fear. The darkness didn't help at all. The lamp was kicked off by one of the guards on their way out.

The sound of screaming can be heard.  

It is a sound that will hunt Aesthelia in her nightmares. She was just having a conversation with that person, but now that person is being tortured or worse, it is his death. 

Aesthelia tightly closed her eyes and covered both of her ears. The scream is still echoing in her mind. She hummed a melody, hoping that it would help to ease her own discomfort.

She lay down in the cold hard ground with a thought running through her mind, 'Will I die the same way as the old man did?'  

Her shoulder was shaking in fear. She tried to calm herself by inhaling and exhaling. Minutes had passed when Aesthelia fell, unconsciously. 

This time, when Aesthelia fell asleep, the images of werewolves bathing in their own blood flashed through her mind. It is the start of her prophetical nightmare.