CHAPTER 17
Celeste’s POV
Since getting out of the asylum, Had been staying at Auntle’s apartment–a modest but familiar space that had become my only refuge. But the moment I pushed open the door, a strange feeling crawled over my skin, Something was off
I stepped inside cautiously, my fingers tightening around the keys that were always hidden in the plant outside the door. Right
there, by the door were items that didn’t belong to either of us
A shallow gasp slipped past my lips.
Has someone from that hellish asylum come to take me back?
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm. My heart pounded against my ribs as I moved carefully toward the living room. And
that’s when I saw her.
Amiddle–aged woman sat comfortably on the couch. She looked up the moment Lentered, her warm brown eyes meeting mine.
“You must be Celeste,” she said with a gentle smile.
I didn’t move. I had no idea who she was, and after everything I’d been through, trust wasn’t something I gave easily.
“Who are you?” My voice was steady, but my pulse was anything but. Every nerve in my body was on high alert.
She set the album down carefully and stood. “My name is Sylvia. I’m a close friend of Eleanor.”
I stiffened at the mention of my aunt. “I see… What can I do for you?”
I
“I’m sorry to surprise you, Celeste. Eleanor and I go a long way hack. I just came to return some of her belongings.”
I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling like I could actually trust this person. Slowly I took a seat opposite her. “You… you know my
aunt well?”
Sylvia nodded, a warm, almost nostalgle smile touching her lips. “Eleanor speaks of you often. She’s proud of you, you know.”
Something in my chest tightened.
“You’re one of her favorites from the orphanage, whom she really adores. The way she speaks about you… it’s like you’re actually her flesh and blood… The brilliant designer with a future so bright! She could barely contain her excitement just talking about
you”
A sharp sting burned behind my eyes,
Genius designer. A promising future. Words that felt like they belonged to another lifetime–another version of me.
I blinked rapidly, refusing to let the tears fall.
Sylvia watched me carefully, “She always sald you had a gift, Celeste. That no matter what happened, you’d rise again.”
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I almost laughed. If only my aunt knew just how far I had fallen.
I took a slow breath and shifted my gaze to the small box on the table. “You said you came to return her things?” My voice was
hoarse.
Sylvia nodded, but her expression softened into something hesitant. “Yes, but… there’s something else.”
She stepped closer, her eyes sweeping over me with quiet scrutiny. And then her gaze dropped to my wrists.
I flinched. Too late.
Sylvia inhaled sharply, her hands flying to her mouth as she took in the scars. “Dear God… Celeste, what happened to you?
I instinctively tugged my sleeves down, but the damage had already been done.
Her voice trembled. “I heard that you were… institutionalized. But I thought-” She stopped, her words failing as she looked at
me like she couldn’t recognize the girl Eleanor had spoken of so fondly. “I never realized—”
I lifted my chin. “I survived.”
Sylvia’s face twisted with emotion. “They did this to you?”
I let out a slow exhale. “Ravencrest Asylum isn’t really a place for treatment. It’s a prison. And they’re harsh to all the patients.”
She reached out, but I took a step back. I didn’t need comfort.
“They drug you, strip you of control until you can’t tell reality from hallucination. If you don’t obey, you suffer for it.” My voice
was eerily calm, but my insides churned violently as memories clawed to the surface. “I had to hurt myself just to stay awake- just to stop myself from slipping away.”
Sylvia gasped, horror flashing across her features.
“I had no choice.” I met her gaze, my voice firm, my walls back u
cup
“That place was
is meant to break me. But I refused to let them
Tears welled in Sylvia’s eyes. “Who… who sent you there?”
I didn’t hesitate.
“My husband Damien and my supposed friend Genevieve,” I said, my voice sharp, unwavering. “They did this to me.”
Sylvia paled, her shock evident. “But… your husband-”
“He’s not my husband anymore,” I cut in, my heart hammering. “Not after what he put me through.”
My hands balled into fists as I struggled to keep control. Everything was still fresh to me, starting from their betrayal and all throughout my suffering inside that hellish institution.
They had ripped me apart, piece by piece, stripped me of my freedom, my dignity. They had locked me away, thrown me into a nightmare I had barely escaped from.
CHIRIDI
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A tempest raged within me, fueled by the pain they had inflicted, but no longer consuming me. It had transformed into something else–something sharper, more controlled. Hatred, yes. But also resolve.
Sylvia exhaled shakily, as if she, too, was trying to process my words.
“I… I don’t know what to say,” she murmured, shaking her head. “I knew something was wrong, but I never imagined…” She trailed off, terror flickering in her gaze.
I stayed silent, watching as she seemed to struggle with her thoughts. Then, she suddenly shifted, as if remembering something.
“The fire at the orphanage.” Her voice turned grave.
I frowned, straightening. “What about it?”
Sylvia hesitated, then leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. “Celeste, your aunt… she wasn’t supposed to be there that day.”
A strange chill crawled down my spine. “What do you mean?”
“She had been speaking with a lawyer at that time…” Sylvia paused, looking at me grimly. “I knew she was trying to help you. Eleanor never believed what they said about you. She was working with someone–trying to find proof to clear your name. That pornographic video, the false insanity diagnosis–she was looking into all of it.”
My breath almost stopped. I had suspected my aunt had been trying to help me, but hearing this confirmation sent my mind reeling.
Sylvia continued, her voice urgent. “She was supposed to meet someone that day. But before she left, she got a text message. And then—”
I swallowed hard.
“She rushed out,” Sylvia finished. “And she never came back.”
I felt a sharp, sickening twist in my gut.
Aunt Eleanor… someone had lured her there.
My fingers trembled slightly as I absorbed the truth. The fire was intentional. I knew it.
A slow, burning fury began to rise in me. Now, I was starting to see the bigger picture.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. I turned to Sylvia. “Do you know what the message said?”
She shook her head. “I wish I did. But I never saw it, and Eleanor never mentioned anything before she left.” Her expression was filled with regret.
Disappointment rippled inside me, but I pushed it down. “Alright. Thank you, Sylvia.”
She gave me a soft, lingering look. “Be careful, Celeste. You’ve been through too much already.”
CHAPTELE
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I nodded, watching as she picked up her things and walked out. As soon as the door clicked shut behind her, I remembered that I had Auntie’s phone with me, which I had brought back from the hospital.
My heart pounded as I reached for it in my bag. In my grief and exhaustion, I hadn’t thought to turn it on. Now, I hesitated.
A slow dread crept through me, and something seemed to whisper at the back of my mind, warning me
Something’s definitely wrong.
Taking a deep breath, I pressed the power button.
An unsettling chill washed over me. My breath caught as I waited for the phone to light up.
