In the darkness, a blazing red fireball flickered nearby, its heat pressing heavily against my skin.
"Snap out of it, Viola!!"
"I—I'll never disobey Father again. So please…!"
My heart skipped. I couldn't hide my confusion.
What was happening to her?
Viola's entire body was shaking, the tremors so violent they showed no sign of stopping. She kept repeating those hollow words in a trembling, broken voice, as if she were begging someone who wasn't even here.
I forced myself to think.
When we met Count Amorin earlier, she had clearly been afraid. But even then, she hadn't collapsed like this. She'd been tense—yes—but still conscious, still holding herself together.
This was different.
Much worse.
Her condition had only spiraled after we entered this room.
No… more precisely—
After she saw what was inside it.
A realization struck me, cold and sharp.
Could this place be connected to her trauma?
