Treacherous Trap

Sophie's voice quivered as she gasped, the sight before her evoking a flood of memories she had long hoped to forget.

"Mother!" She cried out, her heart pounding in her chest. "Sophie, run!" The woman's urgent shout pierced the air, her eyes locking onto Sophie.

'No, this can't be real.' Sophie thought, a jolt of disbelief coursing through her veins. To her dismay, she realized her body had regressed to that of her five-year-old herself, resembling the very image from that day.

As the woman's words echoed in her ears, tears welled up in Sophie's eyes uncontrollably. It was the most tramatic incident of her past, one she had always wanted to bury deep within her memories - the day her mother died, killed by a beast just before Sophie's eyes.

Now, as she comprehended the reality of the situation, uncertainty gripped her heart. This illusion, the cruelest of its kind, forced her to relive and confront her most traumatic moments. Sophie found herself at a loss, unsure of what actions to take.

"Betta! Grab her and flee!" In addition to Sophie and her mother, a black-haired maid stood by their side, her face etched with panic.

Sophie's heart sank as she remembered the past events. The maid would swiftly seize her and escape, while her mother would meet her end at the claws of the approaching beast in two minutes.

Deep down, Sophie understood that this was all an illusion, a treacherous trap. She knew she couldn't succumb to its grip, yet her heart refused to believe it.

Following Sophie's mother's instructions, the maid swiftly snatched her and pulled her away.

"Let me go! No, don't take me away, Mother!" Sophie protested, her tiny frame struggling to break free from the maid's firm grasp.

Despite her desperate attempts, Sophie's feeble strength proved no match for the maid's grip. With effortless ease, the maid lifted Sophie onto her shoulders and dashed away, while Sophie's anguished cries and futile struggles filled the air.

Helplessly, she watched as a mysterious creature, that she never seen before in the aurora world, emerged from the depths of the woods and pounced upon her mother.

The gruesome sight of her mother's body being torn apart sent shivers coursing through Sophie's trembling form.

While these events played out in Sophie's mind, unbeknownst to her, something entirely different was happening outside.

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Outside, their limp bodies lay unconscious beneath the towering tree they had encountered mere moments ago. However, an eerie transformation had taken placed to the once vibrant surroundings. The tree and its surroundings, which are filled with beauty and vitality, now resembled a desolate and dry, with withered trees.

Unbeknownst to them, the illusion had trapped their senses from the moment they stepped foot into this chamber. The enchanting scenery they had seen and the colossal antlered beast that Sophie had witnessed were nothing but illusions.

As four of them suffered under the torment of their nightmarish illusions, a sudden movement occurred behind them, the huge tree suddenly shook. The very ground trembled as elongated roots emerged from the earth's depths, as they slowly started coiling around the four unconscious bodies.

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Deep within Kathleen's mind, she had already discerned that she was trapped in an illusion. Yet, much like Sophie, she remained clueless about the solution to escape.

Presently, she found herself inhabiting the body of a six-year-old Anna, standing before a beautiful woman who she hated her entire life.

"Mother, this is my annual progress card." The words unconsciously slipped from Anna's lips as she gazed at the woman. Positioned to her left stood another individual, a boy of five years.

The young boy clasped a similar card in his own small hand, mirroring Anna's gesture. The woman's scrutinizing gaze fell upon both children as she collected the cards. However, upon inspecting their contents, a deep frown etched itself upon her face.

"Anna, what is the meaning of this?" The woman's voice carried a tinge of anger, her displeasure evident.

Anna trembled ever so slightly, her voice meek as she inquired, "What's wrong, Mother?"

Emotions welled up within Kathleen, witnessing the scene through Anna's innocent eyes. Anger coursed through her veins, knowing all too well what would happen next. If given the chance, she yearned to leap forward and deliver a resounding slap to the b*tch that was seated before her.

The boy who was standing beside was the women son, her stepmother didn't want anna to do better then her son. The woman's anger escalated, her fury blazing as she ruthlessly tore the progress card into shreds, she throw the fragments directly at Anna'sface.

"Haven't I told to not get better grades than your brother? What are you doing, defying my words?" The woman, none other than Anna's stepmother, had been the one that ruined Anna's life.

Taking the boys hand, the woman stormed out of the room in a fit of rage, leaving behind a small Anna who slowly sank to the ground, her small and delicate hands started collecting the torn remnants of paper.

Kathleen's frustration reached its zenith; never before had she had such intense hatred towards anyone as she did towards her stepmother. After all, she know this was nothing but a teaser, the things she endured had already left a scar in her mind.

She was fully aware that this was all a well settrap by the illusion, she understood that succumbing to anger and frustration would only lead her deeper into its clutches.

With determination, Kathleen tried to control her anger and focus on finding a solution to escape the clutches of this illusion.

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Iris found herself enveloped in an pure crimson light, her vision obscured by darkness. A moment ago, she had lost consciousness, and now, as she opened her eyes, all she could perceive was the overwhelming hue of crimson light.

Gradually, the intensity of the crimson light began to fade, allowing her sight to become more clear. However, even then, her vision remained obscured, preventing her from discerning the surroundings with absolute precision.

Amidst the Crimson glow, a silhouette materialized, its form and shape was that of a human figure. Yet, all Iris could make out was a shadowy figure advancing towards her.

Stepping forward, the shadowy figure extended a hand towards Iris, as it out put it's hand on her head. She struggled to comprehend what is happening to her, she couldn't feel her body nor she was nnconscious.

However, a fleeting warmth graced her head from the hand before an excruciating Pain descended upon her consciousness, making a heart-wrenching scream to escape her lips.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh~"

The pain was unbearable, it felt like someone was smashing her head with a hammer, as if her head was on the brink of shattering.

Time seemed to lose its meaning, leaving Iris adrift in a torturous sleep. She was unable to discern between if this is happening a reality or an illusion, yet she didn't give up and tried hard to endure the pain.

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Author Note -

I was thinking of changing the novel name to 'reborn as the female lead', leave your opinion on the comment section.