Rosie's Games
Chapter 541 541: Awakening 3

Rosalind's chest constricted, as though a heavy weight pressed down on her. The feeling of drowning enveloped her, rendering her helpless.

Fear's icy grip clutched her heart, growing tighter with each passing moment. Desperation clawed at her, urging her to find a way to breathe, to escape the suffocating nightmare.

Gasping for air, a whirlwind of emotions swept over her: panic, confusion, and a profound sense of helplessness. Every labored breath became a battle against an invisible force, leaving her gasping for the precious air she so desperately needed.

As her vision blurred and consciousness wavered, faint voices whispered like distant echoes from another world.

Summoning immense effort, Rosalind managed to pry open her heavy eyelids. Her vision was blurred and disoriented, yet she found herself within the comforting shelter of a quaint, rustic hut.

The warmth of its wooden walls and the faint scent of herbs in the air offered a stark contrast to the drowning darkness she had escaped.

She shook her head, trying to shake away the dizziness that filled her.

Then she looked around the small hut. She was lying in a small bed that seemed to be a bed for a child. Opposite her bed was a large wooden bed. Then, there was another wooden table and a few things that one could use to eat and cook.

Aside from that, there were tools that one would typically use to hunt or cut some wood.

Where was she again?

A child's voice broke the silence. "Mother... Look! Look at this, mama!"

Rosalind glanced around, realizing she was alone inside the hut. She began to move towards the door and saw a child and a woman.

"Mother, look," the child said, with amber eyes and beautiful white hair. The child's gender was unclear due to the cropped hair, small stature, and unconventional clothing – a tunic two or three sizes too large.

"Pardon me," Rosalind tried to speak, but the child and woman seemed oblivious to her presence.

"Look, Mama, I made this. Do you think it's beautiful?" the child asked. The woman, with her back turned, did not acknowledge the child. Rosalind couldn't discern the woman's actions but could see that she was deliberately ignoring the child.

"Mama?" the child inquired.

"Did you visit the forest again?" the woman's voice was deep and rustic. The child flinched. "What did I tell you about the forest?"

"The demons lurk in the forest," the child stammered.

"Then why did you visit that place?" the woman hissed. She grabbed the child's arm and dragged her inside the hut, disregarding Rosalind.

"Pardon me, excuse me, but..." Rosalind tried to call out, but the woman continued to ignore her. Rosalind realized the woman might not be able to see her.

Was this a dream, then?

Rosalind frowned, her last memory involving Mathies stabbing her before she felt herself drowning. Without hesitation, she followed the mother and daughter into the hut. Inside, she saw the child kneeling, naked.

"WUWUWUWU... I promise I won't do it again. Please forgive me."

**SLAP**

Rosalind winced as the woman's hand struck the child's bare bottom.

**SLAP**

"Mama, please..."

"What did I tell you about crying?" the woman yelled.

"I promise I—"

"What did I tell you about crying?" the woman repeated.

"Crying is only for weak people."

"Then are you weak?"

"I am not!" the child replied, her voice trembling as tears flowed down her pale cheeks.

"Why did I tell you not to visit the forest?" the woman asked.

"Because demons lurk in the forest," the child responded, struggling to steady her voice. Her eyes remained moist.

"The demons are going to harm humans! They are monsters! They're going to kill you, slaughter you like a sheep, and have you for dinner! Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do."

"What will you do when you encounter one?"

"Kill!" the child proclaimed, her voice filled with determination. She suddenly looked at Rosalind and smiled. "Kill the demons! Kill!"

Goosebumps prickled through Rosalind's body, but before she could process the situation, her vision blurred once more.

"Mama, where are we going?" the child inquired as the woman carried her, running deeper into the forest.

"The demons are coming. They're coming!" the woman said. "We must hide. You must survive and hide."

"But..."

The woman suddenly set the child down near a cliff. Thunder rumbled in the distance as lightning illuminated the sky. In the darkness, Rosalind didn't immediately realize their proximity to the cliff.

"Mama?" the child asked.

"They are here," the woman replied. "They're going to kill you. Be strong. You must survive and kill them. Do you understand?"

"But, Mama..."

"No more questions," the woman wiped away the child's tears. "Remember, the demons will kill you if they discover your secret. Be strong and defeat them. Do you hear me?"

The child nodded, gazing at the woman. Rosalind looked back, hearing growls and snarls in the distance, but the darkness concealed the source.

"Now go!" the woman instructed. Then Rosalind felt her body plummet along with the child.

Again, her vision blurred, and this time she watched the child coughing as she awoke. It seemed the child had survived the fall and was somehow transported into a nearby cave. Rosalind frowned.

She continued to watch as the child struggled to rise, dragging her body away from the water and onto dry land. Exhausted, the child fainted once more.

Not long after, Rosalind heard the sound of horses and human voices nearby. A man stumbled upon the child, and Rosalind observed as the man brought her to a camp of soldiers.

Then the scenery shifted. Rosalind couldn't determine how many years had passed, but she continued to observe the child growing and training as a soldier.

For some unknown reason, the child dressed as a boy despite being a girl. Rosalind couldn't hear the child speak, and the child never looked her way again.

All she could see was the unwavering determination in the child's eyes – a determination to slay demons.