"Hey, big brother..."


    Sophie shook her head frantically, as if she was trying to shake off the fear of the unknown that had settled deep inside her. She didn''t want any birthday presents. She didn''t want anything anymore! A glint of sadness passed through Gordon''s eyes, yet with a heavy heart, he presented the pair of sapphire-blue rings he had carefully prepared.


    As the rings caught the light, Sophie''s tears flowed uncontrobly. They glimmered brilliantly, casting a soft glow, yet theyid bare the harsh reality before her. "Andrew gave me this ring years ago. I had the Aldridge family gem crafted into an identical one... I meant to ce it on your finger myself, but... someone else has beaten me to it."


    Gordon''s words sent a flood of memories through Sophie''s mind-moments of Colby slipping that ring onto her finger on the deck. Those memories shed by so quickly, feeling like they were from another lifetime. "Sophie, it''s time to wake up from this dream," Gordon''s voice trembled slightly. Then, like smoke, he faded away before Sophie''s eyes.


    She snapped out of her daze, panic-stricken, and cried out, "Brother! Don''t leave me! Please, don''t abandon me!" But no matter how much she pleaded, Gordon''s figure had already vanished. Suddenly, realization hit her. She turned around sharply to find the faces in the banquet hall now blurred and unrecognizable.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    She wanted to run down to hug her parents, to share all the struggles she had faced over the years. She didn''t want to be a child without parents, didn''t want to be bullied by her inws without her own family to lean on. She didn''t want to carry the weight of the entire Russell family by herself. And she certainly didn''t want to navigate the deceit and turmoil of Devonport alone.


    But as she stumbled forward, everything dissolved into mere illusions. "Dad! Mom!" she cried out, but there was only silence. She copsed, sobbing and screaming, trying to unleash all the injustices fate had thrown her way. The pain in her shoulder intensified, a relentless reminder that everything she saw was just a fa?ade. Just a dream.


    "Sophie!" A voice suddenly pierced through her despair. She looked up to see James standing there. Herst tear trickled down as James knelt to gently wipe it from her cheek. "It''s time to wake up from the dream, isn''t it?" Her voice was raw and broken. James remained silent. In this dream world, only those fully aware and unattached could leave. When everything turned to illusions, he became aware. The dream was too perfect, too tempting to remind one of the cold reality outside. But dreams always have to end. The only thing holding him back was Sophie.


    "Rose... Rose!" Nearby, Joseph called out for Ruby, but everything had already ended. It was nothing more than a beautiful dream spun from the gems. "James, thank you," Sophie said softly, looking at him. "And... I''m sorry."