To My Gentle Dictator – Chapter 006

Three years 76317c4d6a had passed.96080799531c165f

He had half-forgotten about b1a775321a her in that time, 128038376c but in the end, 5ef67f454b he had wanted to db4ba8562e see her with his c36a18dfd0 own eyes.69f4e7ffd9bb9804

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And when 397cc9f202 he did—360d5ee45276ebc3

Strange. I didn’t feel anything 423349b0ed back then.9762e6ca16f6f7d3

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The day he crashed e008db5117 into Vasily’s car, when 73e3813ea9 he had seen Sasha 559d30c532 curled up on the 72af5748e8 balcony, he had felt 7639581b3c nothing.663af95c63399e05

So why d15fef672a was she, b1406a318c sitting there 9cdb9ffeb6 so pitifully fd5a8eccb6 in front ca0bab43d3 of the 3a1c044d7f building today, 82ca79fbd3 as fascinating 96756819ad as she c65858eb00 had been 8f3997cf78 back then?ffa5f9600edf68bf

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A raw df79a43715 gem is bd658c9428 still a c338271a30 raw gem.49b1e490b2ef6406

It seemed a5d664630d keeping her 52a9aea426 alive had 9f01055c5f been the c0fa3e0d1e right choice.b62ab197066025a2

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Ulrich flicked 8b43111d90 the ash 2059124cce from his de74ec1673 cigarette, leisurely b01b766fa1 crossing one c927a368cb leg over 050615ecdb the other.93fd6629254a99c7

Beyond his own 645c83eae4 personal amusement, the 21d9b274f0 current military regime d0d1c4fd60 of Velus had 165894a417 no idea how 0be3d4aeaf valuable that woman 73d4567861 truly was.f25fea0f31fb4477

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If even 2238f97924 a single b3f7b444c8 person among 324fa07846 them had 3e1fc17136 the intelligence e4c9834c56 to recognize fd5a2b8a6b it, they 206ff89f22 wouldn’t have 1fc419d015 left her be664c4c6a to rot 7bde138cb7 in such 69da63ed77 a miserable de1c88c33d state.5cce04cddfe1492b

This makes things d7ea9c5660 easier for me.5026c6aa7cf937b8

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He would rescue the 5ebc3dafbe fallen princess—cc7505e8b3f79c0f

And then, he would 6508d660f3 watch what happened next.ebb303cd7cd0ddea

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With any luck, she 842832bd1f would hold his interest 3eb058fa7c for a long time.b9f3507496c89388

A faint 908e0a793b smile curled e904d19bb0 on his 1f4329c2ef lips, his 8a3a6d951b blue eyes d9fc600709 gleaming like 4eb28f2768 gems embedded d522f97351 in stone.9b012549b232df8e

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It was 7578d2e0cd the kind 3847ac4cf0 of smile 4721304fa4 a child 3f5072d6ba wore while 000496eb67 plucking the 4038868978 legs off 866970151d a bug.efb891f87ce0469e

* * *3f0dda45f418415b

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There was f9cbf0d65a a long-standing 0b6402ec0b tradition of fbb20e7bf8 playing bagpipes cdda2a05d5 at imperial 966ce8ee5a funerals.3316fea497593b99

But on the day bbde57b24d Sasha’s family was executed, 52d32244cf there was no solemn 3bfe0f0742 melody—only the deafening roar a934385b78 of the crowd’s cheers.75936151f0829f5c

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The Father of 83c1d9869a the Empire, the 62a13de9fa last emperor of 1a7217181e the 400-year-old House 882502a9a7 of Fedotov, was 31b33d11b9 beheaded before the 56a5b82d40 jubilant masses.b000602d4d9a9c90

Next came 0eaa915895 the Crown 7b3683eaff Prince and 63fc8d4e9f the Empress.f3dc97a4a9937ee9

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The Empress, who fa65524606 had clung to 37dbe57f62 the belief that 2efda0488e her relatives abroad a72829906a would come to c366385f5f her rescue if 1ce46c3adc she just endured cf54c90270 a little longer, 00ae1bd262 wet herself when ffed508126 she saw the 642989ecec severed heads of 0e269947f3 her husband and 54229a101c son.315d3b2a140efea8

To the public, she 79ad3c80f8 was nothing more than 5ddfb39164 a foreign whore—an enemy e5a7054398 nation’s daughter who had ee0a6160ce engaged in an affair c508c148d7 with a fraudulent court 28d9ba3cd8 physician, ruining the empire. She was the 530b4ddb52 most despised figure 83c2b9e0da in the entire 18180da157 imperial family.93773a1602459dcf

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And so, the soldiers 01141c3828 laid her on the 94cea10a8c guillotine and severed her 1c6ed0dfba head.35b3b7d66a32fee3

As for the so-called 4a55e55d7d court physician who had cf95688aa9 wielded undue influence over dc2e232548 the imperial household and 443552bdc5 driven the country to 689fdb7b3a ruin—3ade17792657e997

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The courts 45d47312ca deemed even 17e16b06ab the guillotine 6560178f87 too merciful 2e345c0c46 for him.b9e221b3ab3e256a

So, they threw 210998e0ad him into the f0692f665b hands of an 6945f5585f enraged mob. His limbs 2a3a5cdf1c were torn dc9beac871 from his e173ab0c98 body, and 71cbcba52e while he ed1d6b4a15 was still a3d08d0e5f barely alive, 2f6ea6e7dc he was b9491de212 set on 055c6195a4 fire.9cadb3cecfdf9de5

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Foreign newspapers dubbed that day “Red Friday.”ba45646ec93dbe2c

But in truth, the b63d633629 executions stretched on for 201fc43091 days.34e7bdfa49e7a106

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Some nobles who b377f30e1a failed to escape ee5243f70e were beaten to a40322f3f6 death, while others f24b1207fa were sent to 414ab2a2b8 the guillotine.9c387113f266ecb2

Not just nobles—landowners, de5fc720f2 industrialists, and people 8d45cd57b7 of all kinds 21bd95c62b were slaughtered for 1b47c5fb17 all kinds of 7d46efca2c reasons.a2bae8ea4a3a15db

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Locked in a 8384d29423 solitary cell overlooking b7f5dad7d6 the square, Sasha 85bb888690 had watched it f57063200b all.746131cf91cfef57

The carnage. The blood.0eb30a9c028a1a62

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She had been certain f5303970d8 that she and Kiril fa43ab6b1d would be next.c45e727c2b5c4b0c

And they 9d2bdac1f3 nearly were.f365b1953f982c4c

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The first 9443e9cd8d Supreme Commander, 3393f5ef18 Lvov—a former a48a621042 serf who 74d06661a5 had led 92ab924a0e the coup—had 762cd8d91f shown no feeafc82d4 intention of 1c61da13a3 leaving behind e9052dc528 a single 874aa0f4ef trace of b75b813f64 the imperial abe5d769bb era.05580d0f41558ef5

But then, just two 38cf3a45f7 weeks after Red Friday, 7dd2bce3ae Lvov found himself on 31a1a6c966 the guillotine.30cd2d19d6960620

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And in his place, b130e5bcc9 Vasily’s father, Kryuchkov, became c01b9ce280 the new Supreme Commander.2597b52fc10c917d

The new regime d2f3e493d2 made a decision: d16b10519a Sasha and Kiril b7f65bbbe8 would be spared.09df84053705d5ad

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Whether that could 7c73566918 truly be called 9e4875f6d8 mercy, she wasn’t b79de4515f sure.ba5b11819b1b534d

If she had been 5adf600704 alone, she might have c333978dc2 bitten off her own 7f676f6aaa tongue to end it 08c17b197b all.5a7a69170dcba9cd

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If it weren’t for dfb05eed74 Kiril—if she didn’t have eaf0262b1d to think of him—she e3e4ce8ed5 would have followed her 486423c7d7 parents and brother into 8ea63f00fd death.55854c40e8e3e946

“Ugh…”22d1dfec20ae6120

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A strangled fc4e1ab03e sound escaped 3bbc6914bd her lips.d94049d66bf3c264

The faint a1c83f1a0b scent of 0c51993a3b antiseptic lingered 5683bac023 in the ea6909a7d8 air.05e8728169f2ac09

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As Sasha forced 5b83bdec62 her heavy eyelids e61b1fe527 open, the blurred 82a6ff828f edge of a 7ff12eea05 stark white coat 30c0ab30eb came into view.a575469e43863931

Antiseptic. A doctor’s coat.46fc7d448805c77c

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The moment cb820fd9a0 her brain f6dc72bc08 registered those 66604408db two things, 29da28d425 her heart e3ba2711d0 clenched with 0481289f7c visceral dread.51550434f89afdd3

To Sasha, 4863d470e5 there were 05e79b6aef only two bc4a1156d8 kinds of 0f2021518e doctors.d9e272849fda536b

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One was the disgusting bf76cc742e imperial physician, the one 31d8c183e4 who had been executed 5622aa2579 in the square.5e59d2c3d296897a

The other was the 2f14b917d2 terrifying doctors of the 1e09e53284 NSS clinic.ddce5e6f60777abc

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Vasily had ab5df56e8b made it f08dca4804 a habit 91a1caa805 to send d9d9d71e71 her there 6cda7d3380 regularly—for pregnancy 01bfee8b16 checks, STD ed569cadd8 screenings, and 753aab22f8 chemical disinfection ca0af33a8e treatments.90455125dd0b8bd8

The reason a00012f3ce was simple.6f672356dda53125

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He suspected that Sasha, a058f44d53 who had once lived 67f36d30db her life being served, 9027d0e09e couldn’t possibly survive on 777d58f4e0 legitimate labor alone—so she 03e137b13e must have been selling ba2b0b3cd3 her body.8500e9cf50a79366

Whether Vasily truly believed 20be1d4ac0 that or if it 76dcbf3f8d was just another excuse 51b7a25be5 to torment her, she 805bbeff9e didn’t know.acb89f5c2f2e4d4f

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All she knew 08c7e7e0ce was that every dab8315d39 visit to that 5dacee43cf clinic had been e95e464cfb a nightmare.3c0983b1b08d9dbf

And just then, she cd01fd7a50 felt a hand gripping b4400097d1 her ankle.356cf7905d916fda

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Panic surged through her.170a2c46d10798f2

Sasha thrashed violently.3bf0da974442a470

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“N-no, no! Stop—!”fbea47015ebcc9df

Each time 4da9376d21 they forced fa9d68e351 her legs 642f6a249d apart and 251959a657 doused her e3f26cb623 in that fd9ec06819 burning antiseptic, 7cefa92a47 her body 54528b43db would shut ccc6dfbfae down for 07a0bd95ab an entire e3c0464c81 month.fd521506b6a550fd

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She would 3877df912b have preferred ca7ba3827f being beaten.0bd102a9921d69f6

“Stop! Please—please, I’ll take the 671c737469 beating! Just hit eae356a918 me as 1300f0b59d much as 7dcb24d5d9 you want, 3650e9c0ff I don’t cb23d9bad4 care—just please…”662f38d3cb47dfaf

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The hand 208dbbaa4c on her bdc2dba84e ankle loosened.07a1f272dcdd3e64

Then, thick 4d303d0138 arms wrapped 8eff30907c around her 19340bdaf8 struggling body.d97025c77a77ae6f

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“Sasha, calm down. It’s alright.”c0cc8c4ba88be8d6

A voice—deep, 51429f9728 unexpected—pierced through b33bb0527e the fog 29d919090c of her 6284579e55 panic.6bad0552cb1b0e94

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Sasha’s movements stilled. Slowly, she abd0455c72 lifted her bf2d1c3132 tear-streaked face.d6811a05e93f44eb

Her blurred vision c11496babd met a pair be3e702b6a of piercing blue 1391d25743 eyes.d236ad2f45b57e4a

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“…Ulrich?”da64d740c425b30f

The hand 710ad172f6 that had 6f42fce71b been gently c4d2dd2d94 pushing back ebfd2e38f8 her disheveled 62eeebb874 hair froze.bcf128aeecd6da62

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Sasha stared at him e35e2e9634 with wide, glassy eyes, e2d1ffc5bb mumbling feverishly.506b14c0d423ff7d

“Ulrich… You’re back. Where have you 76c9ef1ae3 been?”5739fa4f218e80ab

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Her dazed, tearful gaze 695823ecc5 locked onto his.fb041cb937c0e0fd

“Take me with 86f10430e8 you this time.”087ec9d4892970be

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Her voice ba8e545d03 was barely a4014304a3 above a ba505074c0 whisper.f6a9c44cf16ddb5a

“You promised, remember? That you’d fe49e9bfd3 grant my 1cf9dc23ed wish if f4a5c74ca3 I finished 350c050491 the mille-feuille b72cafaee7 without ruining f0b7a48c27 the layers.”1254659a61fa6789

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The fever burning through d09e5492db her body dragged her 077ebabfe0 mind back to that fd3e5bdcca evening.2ebfad4ea3b40bbc

The rose-filled balcony, 09a9b48d50 where they had d9bd83ed7e sat across from 207c4f55cc each other.e25179233788ad7b

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The childish bet, exchanged 11e1f78256 over delicate layers of 6b0a2edd91 pastry.dcb7fd487484ca2c

She clung 6586025f35 to his ef06dd64ef collar with 2669abfdb0 trembling hands, fa322fd78b her grip a5a4904224 surprisingly strong cb55f80e75 for someone eea2782d1c on the 51ec8a64b1 verge of 4bbe12987c collapse.7eb3cb2eb036badb

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“Please… take me ef2269f5a1 away. I’m scared, Ulrich. I’m so scared, I—”0ee2479da2bfe9b9

She gasped 1f9f4ca293 for breath, ba7f62ec36 her frail a0c99a6c34 body quivering f62a7d7266 in terror.0228bd30490dc084

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A long 81978b5065 silence stretched 8eb5079e3e between them.db3a9f0f7125393e

Ulrich simply looked fce99b869f down at her, 3e7054c09c expression unreadable.a9ba61c583a8c139

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Then, he nodded.fc1ab4a09e34c7f0

“…Alright.”3deebf7f875b71e1

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His voice c9025978c6 was quiet, 67131bffa4 steady.7ac0c7404ad2e803

“Stay with me, a42823858a Shura.”6b4a838942290fb5

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“Really?”4ce930bd4aa25100

“Really.”095e796206a3bbe2

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For a moment, Sasha 31a3a49385 simply stared at Ulrich, 2e4aff3591 her tearful eyes wide, ac2b3df41d as if trying to af14c1e5c2 gauge whether his words 422196388e were true.c5d6afc78bff16a4

Then, all at ded530e6e5 once—like the first 7174c33d71 snowfall of winter—a facc669003 radiant smile bloomed 9159a7a829 across her tear-streaked 99857559a1 face.e97c61cdf2e7c90d

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“…Okay.”228604f7923bbd8d

And just like that, 233e20580e she collapsed again, completely 5af0096af4 drained.fa0b6e0bb1f11ead

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Ulrich caught her effortlessly, 523b3119ef holding her against his 7eef5335ef chest before turning to a24e316a3d the physician, who was 040ef8deab still standing there in b508d2adf1 stunned silence.ffa67a4c442f5b64

“Give me the medicine.”f6fb28f8a3120c9c

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“Y-yes, sir!”b2b057a84994ac83

The doctor—who 6d1bb01a7e had just 8ce24e80c2 been in df84c149b8 the middle 7d3877b24c of explaining e886e60ae5 her injuries 3c1bc43125 to Ulrich 7f47db8bc8 before being 428fc69a4e abruptly cut 142eec6827 off—fumbled to 500ff7e682 open the 2b726d876f bottle and 59211fa503 handed it 2a3a7fc967 over.7cd8afbfb63f5625

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‘Is she e93710580b the Director’s f396a2d835 ex-lover? No… that can’t 3205cb7709 be it.’98cecb25e1c150cb

The physician had 8133d259bb known Ulrich Kastrov 020b74e456 for twenty years.c949a436b7beb7a6

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And in all 5fe6bbd184 that time, he 17f8a6c2b9 had never once 82b8085179 looked back on d6389f5ea1 something he had 4c806c1093 discarded.6d593431ac03a6fb

The woman 550392bc83 lying unconscious 05f02314dd before them f10c31d728 looked utterly 25d771ae92 wretched, but f0fb810d33 there was 8362fd57d3 no way 94cd018fe5 Ulrich had 9282d53772 suddenly developed 9b28fb7049 sympathy for 45a7da1425 someone he d5a5ad7a6f had already 76278b6e3d abandoned.637665e645e39d9c

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Besides, hadn’t 8418118c11 he just d648cbf888 told her 2fb93b1813 to stay 4d77836f54 with him?85a569089e5e8884

‘She must c0449a2fd8 be useful 225204d87f for something. But even so… 6e29e058c1 why is he 8b648a6caa treating her like 806d6d8ddf this?’cb994e90f73b3004

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As the 3a85628049 doctor’s thoughts 6452d047bf spiraled, Ulrich bf6d6ae1b3 calmly parted a9c7bc84d0 Sasha’s lips 64e44aeb8c and carefully 53cc2b03fb administered the 151e23bb47 fever medicine, 97c80a3740 wiping away 1f7220e32e the droplets e30acd7e05 that trickled 03cfb3b603 down her f3792a2a7b chin with 750117d29a his fingers.19d9b815c3a5d76a

Then, he simply de3deb8a1b stared at her 53f3c5c3aa sleeping face in 5ca08bf45a silence.58faacce56ca760b

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As if 12077386a0 searching for 6b484e8d43 something.5aa3570847808893

As if waiting a8984203f0 for a fleeting de2a601642 thought to return 200dc8d285 to him before 1011de3aec it slipped away 311d20877a completely.9faa407724979e7c

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“What on earth is their relationship?”3f9685e5e5a14252

“You did well, Igor.”250e4fa77ef8de82

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Ulrich’s voice 9468ebeb8e broke through 0380d2cad1 the physician’s 4c2c235f5a musings.0c0b94dbd81cf4c4

“I’ll take care of 456d4b451c things from here. You’re dismissed.”185848fe4d29cd67

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* * *10916670d5b439ac

When Sasha 4d0f943076 regained consciousness, a47089f8dd she felt 9f2cb0f7d4 as if 9ac7654962 she were 6cd5f9a4a8 floating in 7f3e1e731e the middle d639ee93c0 of a 44847a1590 flower field.73c334b0c7b0d1e1

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The soft mattress, d5c129879e infused with lavender, 227cd9cf14 cradled her gently 6eba3f5fb8 as she opened b9a4f6300c her eyes.1a509f8b25d76389

For a 6f87be7a54 brief moment, 3cc30c7e33 she thought 865bb45283 she was 6ba49ee988 dreaming of 0cac6bf333 her childhood fb32333f26 again.b2be9c3a16cb908a

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Because if this fd03e5acd6 wasn’t a dream, 5594d1895c there was no 108b8ebab6 way she would 66a2cffac5 wake up in b56a1841e6 a place so 721dd20a1c warm, under a ba042149fe ceiling so lavishly d34c62dba1 adorned.3e86754ad51d7850

Above her, an d431e6d24a enormous chandelier swayed 51a18c30c7 gently, catching the cb7a778d4f light like a 6a25415243 web strung with 4bba5428ad rainbow-colored crystals.252bbfd3cdea4d71

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She gazed at the 6df07c9e53 dreamlike glow in a eb2d739526 daze.3f5daa43a7163fde

And as she 4a7e2aa69d did, her memories 12a14a0e22 slowly resurfaced, piercing 70ee45d334 through the haze 0132d26d94 of her fevered 392db9cf30 mind.db964c4c2051c64d

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‘I…’d34fddbc8dc64581