The breakfast concluded, and Sevastian hurriedly left the dining room, offering a hurried excuse about an urgent matter to attend to.
Throughout the day, he successfully avoided the princess, unable to face her just yet. The thought of her being the healer tasked with treating him only unsettled him further. Sevastian had worked hard to push her out of his mind, but her unexpected reappearance brought her vividly back into his thoughts, leaving him more conflicted than ever.
Feeling exhausted, he collapsed onto his bed and fell into a deep sleep. Sevastian's body jerked in his sleep, sweat clinging to his brow as the nightmare gripped him. In the dream, the waters were dark and merciless, their icy embrace dragging him down. He could feel her hands, frail yet unyielding, forcing his head beneath the surface. His mother's face loomed above him, her expression twisted with a sorrowful anger that he couldn't comprehend.