I lay on the bed out of boredom, staring at the monotonous white ceiling, my thoughts drifting away.
The light in the room suddenly dimmed, and I instinctively thought it was Howard playing a trick. Lazily, I said, "I'm in no mood for your games today."
However, the expected response didn't come. I paused, suddenly on high alert, and then swiftly sat up in bed. The dark room seemed to transform into a gaping monster, ready to devour everything, including me!
"Howard, stop playing around, I'm a little scared." I tried calling out to him, but there was only dead silence around me, as if my very existence had been erased. Unable to hear the chirping of insects outside the window, I felt like I was in a world cut off from reality.
This eerie scene made me increasingly uneasy. I mustered up the courage to get up and began to slowly fumble my way towards the switch on the wall.
However, after fumbling for a long time, not only did I not touch the wall, but I also felt like I was getting farther away.
"Howard..." My voice suddenly became ethereal, as if I was trapped in an enclosed space, echoing as I spoke.
"Stop calling; he won't appear. You're in the world I created now." A sudden, unexpected sound startled me, but its familiarity quickly brought me back to my senses.
"Ivy, what are you doing trying to scare me like that?" Despite the tremor in my heart, I was determined not to let it show and lose the upper hand.
A dazzling white light suddenly appeared before me, and I closed my eyes for a moment to adjust until my vision gradually accommodated the brightness.
Ivy stood in the white light, looking at me with a cold expression and a slight smile. "What? Why would I try to scare you?"
"Then why did you bring me here?" I didn't believe she just wanted to play with me. Judging by her fierce look, it seemed more like she was here for revenge.
"What do you think I want?" Ivy sneered at me. "If it weren't for your interference, Matthew and I would be the happiest couple right now. Who invited you to meddle in our affairs? What gives you the right to make decisions on his behalf? You claim to act in his best interest, but you're merely fulfilling your own selfish desires."
I frowned; although I admitted I once had feelings for Matthew, I had slowly let go after realizing he didn't like me, so her malicious words, meant to hurt me, had no effect.
"I've reiterated countless times that you are simply not right for each other," I replied calmly, feeling at peace inside.
In my heart, the mismatch between Matthew and Ivy wasn't just because Matthew was merely a substitute in Ivy's eyes. The deeper issue lay in their fundamental differences: one was a living, breathing person, while the other was like a ghost, which made it impossible for them to have a real future together.
However, Ivy seemed unaware of this, or perhaps she deliberately ignored it. She never approached Matthew with pure love, just like she did with Brian. Her feelings came and went so quickly; I really couldn't believe someone like that could bring Matthew true happiness.
I had witnessed Brian go mad, turning from a wise scholar into a mentally impaired fool under Ivy's influence, so I couldn't guarantee she wouldn't do the same to Matthew one day for some reason.
My words clearly hit a nerve with Ivy. She suddenly lost control and, in a fit of rage, lunged at me, gripping my neck tightly. "Who says we're not right for each other? We've been destined to be together since our past lives; we're the perfect match." Her voice was filled with undeniable determination and anger.
She was choking me so hard that I could barely breathe. I desperately slapped at her hands, trying to break free. However, against her immense strength, I felt as helpless as a ragdoll, completely overpowered. She could have easily ended me, like swatting a fly.
"You don't understand anything." She continued, her eyes burning with anger. "You don't understand our feelings, but only destroy us. It would be better if I killed you. Once you're dead, everything will be over." Her voice carried a cold ruthlessness, sending a chill through me.
I was filled with confusion, not understanding why she suddenly had such strong murderous intent towards me. But there was no time to figure it out. Her grip was getting tighter, and it was getting harder to breathe. I could feel my life slipping away.
I began to regret that since becoming Aiden's student, I hadn't properly learned from him. If I had learned even a little bit of skill, I wouldn't be in such a passive and dangerous situation.
Just when I thought I was about to die, an urgent shout rang in my ear, "Karena, wake up!"
The familiar voice made my heart tremble. I immediately realized it was Howard's voice; he would definitely come to save me.
At this moment, all my fear and confusion were replaced by hope. I firmly believed Howard would appear in time to pull me back from the brink of death.
I desperately tried to open my mouth, using all my strength to call his name, but it was to no avail.
At the critical moment, a cold, ruthless voice pierced the silence, filled with suffocating murderous intent, as if to devour someone. "Ivy, if you don't want to die, wake her up right now, or I promise you'll pay a heavy price for what you've done today."
My heart skipped a beat, and tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. As expected, in this life-or-death moment, Howard was the only one I could truly rely on.
"What a nuisance." Ivy reluctantly released her grip on my neck.
I lost my support and fell heavily onto the cold ground. Before I could recover from the shock, a dazzling white light suddenly descended from the sky, enveloping me completely.
I gasped for breath, opened my eyes, and saw the familiar white ceiling. Everything around me was so familiar, and beside me, Howard's anxious and beautiful face was particularly clear.
I cried out, involuntarily raising my hand to tightly hug him. "Thank goodness you came. If you had been a moment later, she would have strangled me to death in my dream."