Death to Power
Copyright© 2025 by TheSmartOne
Chapter 27: Ridiculous fears
Thornspire Estate—
Inside a plain white room, bare except for a bed and a side table, a girl who looked no older than fifteen tossed and turned in her sleep.
Rea Thornspire.
But her sleep wasn’t peaceful. Sweat clung to her skin, her brows furrowed, and her body shifted constantly, like she couldn’t find comfort in any position.
The frown deepened. Her body started trembling—subtly at first, then hard enough that the bed beneath her creaked and cracked.
Then—snap.
Her eyes flew open.
She shot upright, breath ragged and chest rising fast.
“Ah ... ah ... again...” she whispered, her voice low and trembling with something close to fear.
“Why am I still having these dreams?”
It was the same question she kept asking herself since she awakened her Origin. Because ever since that day, the same nightmare kept haunting her.
A blurred woman. A face she couldn’t quite make out. And those black tears ... dripping down, shimmering like oil, tainting everything.
Just seeing them made her skin crawl. Made her want to rip her own eyes out.
But the worst part?
She didn’t even know why.
All she knew was that the dreams began the moment she awakened her Origin. So they had to be connected.
But knowing that didn’t help her at all.
“What the hell am I supposed to do with that?” she muttered, voice sharp with irritation.
She didn’t have answers. No clues. No guidance. Just that vague, overwhelming nightmare that made her feel like a stranger in her own body. Like she was watching through someone else’s eyes. Not living it—just trapped inside it.
And that was the most terrifying part.
Rea sighed hard and collapsed back onto the bed, her breath still shaky.
It was messing with her. Badly.
And when you added that to everything else—
Knock knock.
A knock at the door. Then it opened.
A young maid stepped inside and bowed respectfully.
“My lady, we have received a letter for you.”
Rea didn’t respond immediately. She was staring at the maid—but not really looking at her.
No.
She was looking into her.
At her fear.
That’s what Rea could do. Her awakened skill let her see people’s fears. Not guess them. See them—laid bare, raw and exposed. And she couldn’t even control it. That meant every time she met someone, their fear bloomed in front of her like a grotesque flower.
Of course, powerful people could suppress it. But this girl?
Her fear was plain and pathetic.
Still, it made Rea tired. Exhausted. She was so fucking done with it all.
But outwardly, she stayed composed—the same well-mannered Thornspire daughter everyone knew.
She forced a small smile. “What letter, Amie?”
Amie stepped forward and handed her the envelope. “It’s from the Cerveau family, my lady. They’ve invited you to a meeting between the heirs of the other three families. And...”
She hesitated.
“ ... your fiancé, young master Kaden Warborn, will be there as well. Your father expects you to be at your best.”
Rea nodded quietly. “Understood.”
Amie bowed again and stepped out, leaving Rea alone with her thoughts.
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