In that moment…

In that moment, fear became conviction, willing her to act. She raised her hands and clasped them above her head, a white-hot flame bursting from their union. Just as the bolt was unleashed, the landscape wrenched violently away and Paciencia was left in the gloom of her bedchamber, her entire body covered in perspiration, her lungs gasping for air.

The vision had overcome her three times now, one right after the other. How many more times would it assail her? With urgency engulfing her, she vaulted from her bed, the nightgown she wore replaced by a loose-fitting blouse and skirt before her feet touched the floor. When the vision did not return, she realized something else failed to occur—confirmation.

Troubled, she left her room and padded softly down the corridor.