Sharon shot up in bed, drenched in sweat, her breath shallow and ragged. It felt as if she had narrowly escaped a dark, unimaginable force. Her hands trembled as she clutched the sheets, heart racing, the vivid images of her nightmare lingering in her mind. She had seen Daniel—bloodied, wounded, collapsing before her eyes. The injuries had seemed so real that she could almost smell the metallic scent of blood in the air. Yet, as her eyes adjusted to the dim light of her room, she knew it had only been a dream. Or was it?
“Sharon, what’s wrong?” Cameron’s voice cut through the haze, cool and composed. His presence, invisible to others, was a constant shadow in her life—calming yet tormenting. He was her protector and advisor, but also the driving force behind her most dangerous impulses.
“It was Daniel,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “He was bleeding, Cameron, and I couldn’t stop it.”
Cameron watched her intently, eyes narrowing as he processed her words. “It’s just a dream, Sharon,” he said, his tone smooth yet laced with an undercurrent of calculation. “You know what you need to do. He deserves what’s coming. You can’t back down now.”
But Sharon wasn’t so sure. The nightmare had shaken her deeply. For the first time in weeks, she found herself questioning whether she could actually go through with the plan Cameron had orchestrated. Deep inside, a part of her recoiled at the idea of harming Daniel. Despite everything that had happened, there was still a lingering attachment—a piece of her that didn’t want to cross that line, didn’t want to become a killer.
“What if I can’t do it?” her voice cracked with uncertainty. “What if I don’t want to?”
Cameron’s expression hardened. “Don’t let weakness get the best of you. Daniel betrayed you. He needs to pay for what he did.” His words were like a hypnotic drumbeat, compelling her to continue down the dark path they had started. But Sharon wasn’t convinced. The nightmare had shaken something loose in her mind, revealing an inner conflict she couldn’t easily dismiss. The fear of losing control, of being consumed by her own anger, terrified her.
Meanwhile, across town, Nick stood with arms crossed, face tense with worry. Something felt terribly wrong; Sharon had been unreachable for too long. Mariah and Tessa stood nearby, their expressions mirroring Nick’s concern as they watched the tense exchange.
“Daniel,” Nick began, voice steady yet laced with worry, “have you heard from Sharon at all? She’s disappeared, and no one knows where she is.”
Daniel raised an eyebrow, skepticism dripping from his tone. “You’re telling me you don’t know where she is? Sharon doesn’t just vanish without a reason.”
“That’s the thing,” Nick replied, running a hand through his hair. “She’s been acting strange—mentioned needing to clear her head, maybe take a trip, but she never said where.”
Daniel leaned back, eyes narrowing. “It’s funny,” he said slowly, “I thought you would know exactly where she is. After all, she’s been different lately, almost like she’s hiding something.”
Nick frowned. “What do you mean, hiding something?”
“She’s been talking about strange things,” Daniel explained, hesitating. “Nightmares, visions—things that don’t make sense. Are you sure she’s okay?”
Marian stepped forward, voice soft but urgent. “Nick, we need to find her. Something’s wrong, and I can feel it.” Tessa, ever the calming presence, nodded. “We’re not going to stop until we find her.”
Daniel shifted uncomfortably, the tension in the room thickening. Though he tried to appear nonchalant, a flicker of guilt flashed in his eyes. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on with Sharon, but if you really don’t know where she is, then maybe I’m not the only one in the dark.”
Frustration bubbled within Nick as he clenched his fists. “If anything happens to her, Daniel, I swear—”
“Wait,” Daniel interrupted, voice edged with unease. “You think Sharon’s in danger?”
“I don’t know,” Nick admitted, his voice low. “But I think she’s scared, and if she’s scared, then something’s seriously wrong.”
Back in the depths of Sharon’s mind, the battle raged on. The more she thought about her dream, the more conflicted she became. The image of Daniel, wounded and vulnerable, haunted her, replaying like a broken record. If she went through with Cameron’s plan, she knew there would be no turning back. Daniel wasn’t just another obstacle; he was a person she had once cared for, and that made all the difference.
