Bernard managed his expression, shaking off the chilling air around him before entering. "Sweetie, why are you awake?"
Hera hadn't seen him when she woke up. Now, he was back in the room in a different attire.
She asked, "Where have you been?"
"Something came up, so I went out. It's all settled now," he explained. Noticing that she didn't look well, he sat by her side and hugged her.
He frowned when he touched her. It was the summer, yet her body was cold.
Feeling lethargic, she nestled in his arms. Her eyes were glazed over as though she had not yet recovered from the shock.
"I had a nightmare. You locked me in a small dark room, and I couldn't escape… Then, I woke up from the nightmare…"
The dream felt so real as though she had returned to her younger days.
She was locked in a small dark room for a day and a night, starving and in distress. A long while later, her adoptive parents and the nanny finally found her. When they were going to save her, a sinister-looking boy stabbed every one of them to death!
Her adoptive parents lay in the pool of blood, their faces distorted in horror. Meanwhile, Hera hid in a corner of the dark room. Her fearful eyes watched the boy approach her step by step with the knife, but he stopped in front of her.
She lifted her head and discovered that the little boy looked like Bernard when he was young!
She woke up from the nightmare after that. When she realized that Bernard wasn't there with her, she felt as though she had lost her soul. She didn't even notice that someone else was in the house.
"You've pushed yourself too hard, and you're under a lot of pressure. Don't torture yourself anymore. Could you stop trying that again? How about changing the method?" Bernard stroked her hair and comforted her.
She hummed in response, still plagued by the lingering fear. Her head was still a mess.
Suddenly, Hera questioned, "Bernie, are you lying to me again?"
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