After the heavy meal settled in my stomach, the bone-deep fatigue from the afternoon's massive walk crashes over me all at once.
I shuffle over to the bed, letting out a soft sigh as I pull back the blankets and slip beneath them. Resting my head against the plush pillows, I stare up at the ornate, vaulted ceiling of the bedchamber.
Man... I am completely exhausted, I think to myself, my eyelids growing heavy. Eleanor's body is surprisingly frail. I didn't expect a single garden stroll to completely drain all my energy like this. I guess I really need to build up some stamina... but for now, I don't have anything else on my agenda. Maybe I should just take a proper nap.
As my thoughts begin to drift, a sudden, curious urge flickers in the back of my mind.
Wait... I wonder how things are holding up back in my original world? Let me check in on my actual body just out of curiosity.
"Show me what's Sara doing in her world," I command in a low voice. Within few seconds, a strange, translucent screen flickers to life in the air right before my eyes. Through the shimmering display, I can faintly see my old room. It's pitch dark outside the window, shrouded in the quiet stillness of the night.
Curious, my eyes dart toward the corner of the screen where a digital clock glows softly in the dark.
2:42 am.
So it's still night there. I've some time to rest. So I should use this time while I can.
Within seconds, my eyes close, and I slip into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Hours pass in the blink of an eye. The golden afternoon light slowly fades, replaced by the deep indigo shadows of evening.
Knock, knock.
A soft rap at the door pulls me from my slumber.
"My Lady? Are you awake?" Lily's gentle voice calls out from the other side.
I groan softly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I sit up in bed. "Y-yes... come in."
The door clicks open, and Lily steps inside holding a silver candleholder, casting a warm, flickering glow across the room. "Are you feeling well, My Lady? Would you like me to have your dinner served now?"
I blink, disoriented. "Dinner? Is it already time for dinner?"
"Yes, My Lady," Lily replies with a soft, polite nod. "You've been sleeping straight for three solid hours."
"Three hours?!" I echo, my eyes widening in disbelief. I press a hand to my forehead, letting out an amazed breath. "Good grief... Eleanor's body really was completely wiped out from that walk," I wisper.
A loud, familiar rumble suddenly echoes from my stomach, answering the question for me. I flush slightly, offering Lily an embarrassed, lopsided smile. "Ah... well, I suppose I am feeling pretty hungry after all. Can you serve the dinner now?"
"Yes, My Lady."
After climbing out of bed and splashing some cool water on my face to fully wake myself up, I sit down as Lily arranges a warm, comforting dinner. I polish off the delicious dishes with quiet satisfaction, feeling much more energized than I did in the afternoon.
Once dinner is cleared away, I realize I'm not quite tired enough to go right back to sleep. With a few hours to spare before officially turning in for the night, I decide to take the opportunity to thoroughly explore Eleanor's spacious bedchamber.
I spend the next two hours poking around the room out of sheer curiosity like flipping through the pages of romantic poetry, novels and history books stacked neatly on her mahogany desk, browsing through the overflowing wardrobe filled with those suffocating corseted gowns, and examining the various trinkets and perfumes scattered across her vanity. Time slips away quietly in the cozy, candlelit room.
Just as I'm examining a peculiar silver hand-mirror, the door opens and Lily peeks back inside, looking mildly exasperated.
"My Lady, it's getting quite late," Lily gently scolds, crossing her arms with a motherly expression. "You really should get to bed now. Otherwise, you won't be able to wake up tomorrow morning."
I chuckle softly, setting the mirror down. "Alright, alright, you win, Lily. I'm heading to bed."
Changing into a soft, comfortable cotton nightgown, I crawl back beneath the covers, letting out a relaxed sigh as I pull the quilt up to my chin.
As my consciousness begins to fade and I drift toward sleep once more, a strange sensation washes over me. Within a matter of minutes, the familiar pull of my consciousness starts dragging me backward, slipping away from the fantasy realm and back toward my original world.
Little do I know, while my mind is slipping away and everything seems peaceful in Eleanor's world, something unexpected is quietly beginning to unfold without my knowledge...