Chapter 15 Fractured Illusion

• The morning after her sleepless night dawned bright and deceptively peaceful.
• Elara joined the group for breakfast on the sunlit terrace, maintaining her usual icy composure. The others laughed and chatted casually about the fun they had during last night’s games, sharing playful stories and inside jokes. Sophia was particularly animated, while Julian teased his fiancée gently. Elara, however, remained mostly silent, only picking at her food with little appetite. Her mind was elsewhere, trapped in the shadows of the previous night’s nightmares.
• After breakfast, Sophia suggested a relaxing boat ride on the sparkling private lake. Most of the group eagerly agreed, looking forward to the outing. Elara politely declined, explaining that she needed some time alone to clear her head. Instead, she chose to take a long walk along the quiet wooded path that wound through the estate’s beautiful grounds.