Rose had her eyes closed, yet she could still see the light from the candles that surrounded her. She felt their warmth, their glow. But suddenly, her eyes flew open when she heard a sharp movement of air extinguish a candle.
Sure enough, her eyes followed the direction of the sound, and she found the candle's black smoke drifting up from its wick.
Pfoosh, the sound came again, from behind her. Rose spun around, but only saw the extinguished candle's smoke again.
Pfoosh. Pfoosh.
Rose was frantic now, spinning around and around, not being able to catch whatever or whoever was blowing out the candles. The only thing she knew was that with every flame gone, Rose's eyesight was fading dimmer and dimmer.
Pfoosh, pfoosh, pfoosh.
"Show yourself!" she cried out, her voice echoing in the immense space before her.
Pfoosh. Pfoosh.
"Stop it!"
Pfoosh.
Finally, there was just one candle left. With nowhere to hide, Rose put her full attention on it. Whoever was blowing them out would have to show themselves now. She heard footsteps approach, and the flicker of the flame began to illuminate its shape. First boots, then trousers. Then a bodice and laced shirt. Then raven hair. Then her face. A face who had matured significantly since Rose had last seen it, but one that struck fear into her heart.
"Angelica, no," Rose pleaded.
Angelica only grew closer and closer still to the candle. She gave a large inhale.
"Please, Angelica. Please…"
Then, pfoosh.
Darkness, cold, silence. The silence was large and immense, and suddenly began to ring in her ears. This ringing increased and increased until it began to deafen her until—
"Rose?" Elizabeth asked, stirring her from the nightmare. Rose readjusted back into reality, noting the light that illuminated her makeshift bed in her father's old quarters in the Cove fortress.
"Aye?" she answered breathlessly.
"You're coming with us, correct?" Elizabeth asked, adjusting the tricorn hat atop her head. "We've got the ship ready to make sail for our sacking of Port Royal. I thought you said yesterday that you had business to attend to there."
Rose sat up and began to put on her boots. "Yes, sorry. I overslept."
Elizabeth looked concerned as they together descended the fortress. "Everything alright?" she asked on their trek.
Rose grimaced. "Another nightmare."
"Ben again?" she asked quietly.
Rose shook her head. "Shockingly, it was Angelica."
"Angelica? Have you dreamt of her before?"
"No," Rose replied. "And that's what concerns me. …I have a feeling I haven't seen the last of her."
