The first thing she noticed was the scent—smoke and roses.

  She stood in the middle of a grand ballroom, chandeliers flickering overhead, their golden glow reflecting on polished marble floors. The sound of laughter and music surrounded her, but she could barely focus. She knew this place. But she had never been here before.

  A hand touched hers—warm, familiar.

  She turned, and a man stood before her. He was tall, dressed in regal black and silver. His posture was strong, his presence commanding. But his face… she couldn’t see it. Every time she tried to focus, it blurred, like a smudged painting, just out of reach. But she knew him. She was certain of it.

  "You shouldn’t be here," he whispered, his voice deep and edged with pain.

  Her lips parted, but before she could speak, a scream pierced the air. The world tilted. Fire erupted around them. The man grabbed her wrist, yanking her forward, his expression no longer soft but desperate.

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  "Run!"

  But it was too late. A shadow loomed behind him, a dagger glinting in the dim light. Her heart pounded. She tried to warn him. She tried to move.

  Then—darkness.

  She jolted awake, her breath coming in sharp gasps.

  Her head throbbed. A deep, twisting pain settled behind her eyes, like something inside her was trying to claw its way out. She pressed her fingers against her temples, wanting it to stop, but the strange ache didn’t fade.

  This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t just a dream.

  Her chest tightened as flashes of the ballroom flooded her mind—the golden lights, the scent of roses, the warmth of a hand she had never held but somehow missed. The dream had felt too real, as if she had been there before, as if it wasn’t a dream at all.

  And that man…

  She gritted her teeth, frustration bubbling inside her. Why couldn’t she see his face? Why did it feel like she should know him—like she already did?

  Her heartbeat pounded louder in her ears, and the headache grew sharper. Her body knew something her mind refused to understand.

  She curled her fingers into fists, breathing heavily. And then, a chilling thought slithered into her mind, sending a cold shiver down her spine.

  Why was she feeling as if it was the prince she was supposed to destroy?