Aria's POV
By morning, I told the witch about the dream. She listened without interrupting. When I finished, she examined me briefly before shaking her head.
"Your body has been severely weakened by the ritual. Hallucinations are not uncommon."
I stared at her.
She turned away and began sorting herbs. Then she glanced at me again.
"Don't let it bother you, Aria."
I nodded slowly. "Okay."
But as I walked away, unease settled deeper in my chest.
Lydia stirred. She doesn't believe us.
No, she doesn't.
Somewhere deep inside me, beneath the exhaustion and pain, I knew one thing for certain. The dream had not been meaningless.
The next day, the working began again. I had barely recovered from the first round, but the witch insisted that waiting too long would make the next stage more
