Chapter 39 Chapter 39

Chapter 39 Chapter 39
_Anya's POV_

The next morning, I walked into the dining room feeling exhausted.

Even though I had spent the entire night lying in Jacob's arms, I had barely slept at all. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the ritual room again. I saw the candles, the blood-covered symbols and the severed head lying in the center of that horrible pentagon. Then I saw Mom Jess standing in her doorway with that unsettling smile on her face and the dark red stain at the bottom of her nightgown. The images refused to leave my mind.

Maya remained restless inside me. We know what we saw.

I know.

No matter what anyone says, we did not imagine it.

I know that too.

Unfortunately, knowing the truth and proving it were two very different things.

When I entered the dining room, Jacob and Mom Jess were already seated at the table. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, making everything look warm and peaceful. It was such a normal scene that part of me wondered if the previous night had truly happened.

Mom Jess smiled when she saw me. "Good morning, dear."

I forced a small smile. "Good morning."

She looked completely normal. That was what frightened me the most. She looked like a loving mother. A kind woman. Someone who spent her mornings drinking tea and worrying about her son. But I could still see her standing in that doorway. I could still see the blood.

I sat down beside Jacob while a servant placed breakfast in front of me. My stomach was too tight to eat much but I forced myself to pick up my fork.

Jacob noticed immediately. "You still look tired."

"I didn't sleep very well."

His expression softened. "You should rest more."

I nodded quietly.

Across the table, Mom Jess spread butter onto a slice of bread with calm movements.

"Speaking of last night," she said casually, "what happened to those rogues who entered our territory?"

I immediately looked up. Jacob cleared his throat.

"We managed to capture all of them."

Mom Jess raised an eyebrow. "All of them?"

"Yes."

"And they have been dealt with?"

Jacob nodded. "They have."

Mom Jess took another bite of bread before speaking again. "But how did they get access to our territory in the first place? I thought security had been strengthened after Anya was attacked the other day."

I glanced toward Jacob. His jaw tightened slightly. "It had been strengthened."

"Then what happened?"

Jacob sighed. "The guards assigned to patrol that section of the territory were drunk."

Mom Jess paused. "Drunk?"

"Yes, they neglected their duties and failed to monitor the area properly."

Mom Jess shook her head. "That is unacceptable."

"I agree."

Jacob's expression became colder. "I will be punishing every guard who was involved. I will also be meeting with the warriors later today to remind everyone what happens when they fail to do their jobs."

A strange warmth spread through my chest. Despite everything that had happened the previous night, Jacob had not blamed me. Any other man might have been furious. I had accused his mother of performing dark rituals. I had dragged him into the west wing in the middle of the night. I had practically accused a member of his family of murder.

Yet Jacob had remained patient. He had listened. He had comforted me. Even now, he was sitting beside me as though nothing had changed.

I found myself studying his profile. Would he always be like this? Would he always stand beside me? Even if one day he had to choose between me and his own mother?

The thought made my chest ache. I quickly looked away.

The rest of breakfast passed quietly. Eventually, Jacob pushed his chair back and stood. "I need to meet with the guards."

Mom Jess nodded. "You should."

"I want this situation handled properly." His gaze shifted toward me. "Will you be alright while I'm gone?"

I smiled. "Of course."

He leaned down and pressed a kiss against my forehead. "Try to relax today."

"I will."

Mom Jess stood as well. "I have some errands to take care of in town."

Jacob nodded. "Be careful."

She smiled warmly. "Always."

A few minutes later, both of them left the dining room. The moment they disappeared, Maya stirred excitedly inside me.

Now.

I glanced toward the empty doorway. You want to go back there.

Yes.

You are crazy.

Maybe.

But I knew one thing for certain. I had not imagined what I saw. And if I wanted answers, I would have to find them myself.

After waiting long enough to ensure nobody was paying attention to me, I quietly slipped away from the main part of the mansion and headed toward the west wing. The abandoned section looked far less frightening during daylight.

Sunlight streamed through cracks in the damaged roof. Golden beams illuminated the dusty hallways and revealed details that had been hidden by darkness the night before.

As I walked deeper into the ruined corridors, I noticed old portraits hanging crookedly on the walls. Most were faded with age. The people in them wore clothing from another era; long dresses, formal coats and jewelry that looked centuries old.

Dust covered everything. Some of the frames were broken. Others hung at strange angles. The entire place felt forgotten. I continued forward until I reached the old wooden door.

My heartbeat immediately sped up. This was it. The room. The place where I had seen the ritual.

Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the handle and pushed the door open. The hinges creaked loudly. Sunlight poured inside. I stepped into the room cautiously.

Just as before, it was completely empty. There were no candles, no symbols, no blood and no severed head.

The bright daylight made the room look even more ordinary than it had during the night. Frustration tightened inside my chest. "This is impossible."

Maya growled softly. Keep looking.

I spent nearly an hour searching. I examined every wall, every corner and every stone. I crouched to inspect the floor carefully. I even pressed my hands against the walls, hoping to discover a hidden mechanism or secret passage.

But there was nothing.....absolutely nothing. The room seemed completely normal. Eventually, I stepped back and stared around helplessly. "I know what I saw."

The empty room offered no answer. For the first time since last night, doubt tried to creep into my mind. Not because I believed I had hallucinated. But because there was no evidence...no proof....nothing that could convince anyone else.

With a heavy sigh, I finally left the room and pulled the door closed behind me. I began walking back through the ruined hallway. Then suddenly, a powerful gust of wind swept through the west wing.

The old building groaned loudly. Dust filled the air. A loud crash echoed behind me. I jumped and spun around. One of the old portraits had fallen from the wall.

My heart slowly settled. "It's just a painting."

I walked over and picked it up. The frame was badly damaged. Most of the wood had rotted away long ago. Frowning, I brushed some dust from its surface. Then I paused.

"This is strange."

The frame was empty. There was no portrait inside. There was only a faded backing. I was about to place it aside when something caught my attention. A small piece of paper was sticking out from behind the frame. My pulse quickened. Carefully, I tugged on it. At first, it resisted. Then slowly, something slid free.

It was a photograph.

I stared at it in confusion. "What is this?"

Turning it over, I looked at the image. The moment I saw it, the world seemed to stop. My breath caught in my throat. The photograph showed a young woman holding a baby in her arms.

My fingers began trembling. "No..."

The woman looked exactly like the person from my dreams. It was the same woman. She had the same beautiful face. The same blonde hair and gentle eyes.

I felt dizzy. Every dream I had experienced flashed through my mind. The mysterious woman smiling at me. The woman reaching toward me. The woman calling my name.

Tears immediately filled my eyes. "Who are you?" I whispered.

Maya sounded shaken. It's her.

I know.

It's the woman from our dreams.

I stared at the photograph in complete disbelief. The resemblance was undeniable. This was not a coincidence. This was the woman I had been seeing for weeks. The woman who haunted my dreams. The woman who somehow felt connected to me.

My gaze slowly lowered toward the baby in her arms. The infant was wrapped in a small blanket. The photograph was old and faded, making it difficult to see details clearly. But something deep inside me already knew.

My chest tightened painfully. Could that baby be me?

My hands shook harder. Questions exploded inside my mind.

Who was this woman? Why was her photograph hidden inside a ruined portrait frame? Why had she appeared in my dreams?

And why did looking at her make me feel as though I was standing on the edge of a truth that could change everything?

I stared at the photograph for several long seconds. Then suddenly....

"Anya!"

My entire body froze. The photograph nearly slipped from my fingers. I knew that voice.

My blood ran cold. Slowly, I lifted my head.

Mom Jess was somewhere nearby. And from the sound of her voice, she was getting closer.