Chapter 96

Aria’s POV Jade sat on the white floor with a sigh. “Okay, where do I begin?” she murmured to herself. “From the beginning,” I replied, folding my arms. She scratched her head. “Well, which beginning? Mine? Or–” I interrupted her impatiently. “From the beginning of everything, Jade. Stop stalling, and start speaking.” Jade rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine. She looked away for a moment before she finally met my gaze. “I’ve been here, in your subconscious, for a long time, Aria. Just like Rhea. But unlike her, I was… asleep.” I frowned, processing her words. “What do you mean?” “I don’t know how I got here. I don’t know why I exist inside you,” she admitted. “But for as long as I can remember, I’ve been stuck here in a deep sleep. I could hear things happening around you, but I couldn’t do anything. Not until something woke me up.” “What woke you up?” I inquired. Jade shook her head. “I don’t know, and I know that it wasn’t just random—I’m sure of that. One day, I just… woke up.” She hesitat