Chapter 202: I Can Help

After quite a while of keeping her behind special bars, Harper decided to visit Rhea today. She didn’t know why she was being so disturbed to make that move, but all she could realise was that she was actually doing as the urge directed.The prison building where Rhea was kept wasn’t like the others. It was built separately, far away from the crowded cells that housed prime criminals.

The walls were simple, layered with steel, and just a few guards standing at some corners.

Addressing it entirely as a prison yard would be quite overrated.

Harper walked through the doors with steady steps, her badge in hand. The guards moved aside, letting her pass, though some glanced at her with curiosity.

Everyone knew Rhea wasn’t a special prisoner. Her actions had been tender, and the reasons for her crimes weren’t born out of selfishness like so many others.

Inside, the air was cooler. The hallways were quiet, only the faint sound of footsteps echoing. Harper stopped in front of a small room with a single barred window. A guard unlocked the door, and she entered.

Rhea sat on a narrow bed, her hands folded on her lap. She looked up when Harper came in, her face pale but calm.

"Miss Harper," Rhea said softly.

"Rhea," Harper replied, pulling the chair closer and sitting across from her. For a moment, neither spoke.

But after a while, it was Harper who broke the silence. "I came to see how you’re doing."

Rhea gave a faint smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "How does one do in a place like this?"

Harper’s expression softened. She lowered her gaze for a moment before lifting it again.

"It’s better than the others. You can take a look or even try to get some experience of you want," she said.

Rhea gave her a clear look that objected with full force.

Harper nodded with a slight smile, and then sighed as she went on with her words.

"I wanted to tell you... I’m sorry. About your sister. I know how much you loved her. I can’t imagine the weight you’ve been carrying."

Rhea’s eyes grew glassy, though no tears fell, as it was already looking like she had no tears to shed anymore.

She nodded slowly. "She was all I had. Losing her broke something in me. I thought if I could just... Just control something, make something happen, it would fill that emptiness. But it never did."

Harper reached across the table and placed her hand over Rhea’s.

"I want you to know, if not for the President considering the cause behind your actions, you’d have been sentenced to life imprisonment in the regular cells. He believed there was still more to you than the mistakes you made."

"We all do. That’s why I’m here right now in front of you, sympathising with you, Rhea."

Rhea’s lips parted, and she whispered, "He spared me?"

Harper hesitated before giving a nod. "Something like that... Yeah."

Rhea bowed her head, silent, the gladness she felt was very visible in her eyes.

The weight of mercy was sometimes heavier than punishment.

Harper leaned back, her face changing, lines of worry creasing her forehead. She hesitated, then exhaled, this time looking like different thought was on her mind.

Rhea noticed immediately and asked. "What is it? You look troubled."

Harper looked at her, debating whether to speak.

She figured she didn’t have to. Even if she had to, it shouldn’t be to Rhea who would clearly do nothing to add an assist in this kind of situation.

But then, finally, she happened to speak up.

It was like something had pushed her again.

"The world is in danger, Rhea. A danger greater than anything we’ve seen. Soldiers in from another world, powerful enough to tear down buildings with ease. And the worst part is... The only way we stand a chance is if one of the ladies who dreamt of creating a weapon against them remembers how she did it."

Rhea stiffened at once as those words slide in.

Her eyes widened as though a forgotten thought had just shaken her. She remained silent for a moment, her mind racing.

And upon seeing Harper shaking her head in uncertainty, she understood the weight of it all.

"I... I can help," Rhea suddenly spoke.

Harper blinked, surprised and doubtful.

"You can?"

Rhea nodded, though uncertainty lingered in her tone. "My father... He used to take herbs. Strange ones, rare ones. He said they helped him remember things. Dreams, images, pictures he had seen but lost in his mind. He would drink the mixture and recall everything after going back to the same dream. My mom used to say it was demonic, but he only got those herbs from the woods when he went hunting."

Harper frowned, torn between hope and caution. "Are you sure about this?"

Rhea hesitated, then nodded again.

"Yes. If the girl takes them, she might return to that dream. She might see it all again, clearly this time."

Harper stood slowly as she had a look of wary.

"This is risky, but it might be what we need. We probably have no other choices at this point." She gestured to the guard. "Prepare her. She’s coming with me."

...

When they arrived at the villa, Jayden was in the strategy room with Temi and Charlotte. Harper wasted no time in pulling him aside. Rhea stood behind her, guarded but calm.

Jayden raised an eyebrow. "Why bring her here?"

Harper explained quickly, her voice steady. "She says her father used herbs to recall dreams. That it might help Paula return to hers and see how she created the weapons clearly."

Jayden’s eyes narrowed, doubtful right at the very point.

He turned to Rhea. "Is this true?"

Rhea nodded, her voice quiet but firm. "Yes. I know where to find the herbs. If you allow me, I’ll take you there."

Jayden glanced at Harper.

Harper gave a slight nod.

Then after a long pause, Jayden gave a shrug of acceptance.

"Fine. But she doesn’t go alone. Harper, you’ll go with her. And take a team of men. I want no mistakes."

"Yes, Mr. President," Harper said with a wry smile as they moved on.

...

The journey wasn’t far, but it wasn’t simple. They traveled to an old rural area where Rhea’s family once lived. The air smelled of soil and wet grass, the ground scattered with wild plants. Rhea guided them to a hidden grove where many rare leaves grew.

She knelt carefully, her hands brushing the plants as if they were old friends.

"These are the ones," she whispered. "My father used them in teas and mixtures."

The men collected the herbs under Harper’s orders, sealing them in containers. By the time they returned to the villa, evening had begun to fall.

Paula was waiting in her chamber. Her face showed both fear and determination. She sat on the edge of the bed as Rhea explained everything once more.

"If you drink this and fall asleep, you’ll return to your last dream," Rhea said. "You’ll see it clearly. Every picture. Every detail. Especially the ones that matter most."

"My father once dream of how he could catch a tiger without having to shoot it. When he woke up that day, he couldn’t remember a thing, and he went ahead to take the herbs. All of us doubted him, including my mom who never trusted his fantasies, until he brought a tiger home the next day, well alive and strong."

They all stared, captivated, and Harper gave that shrug of hope and belief.

Paula held the cup in trembling hands and looked at Harper, then at Jayden, who stood silently by the door. "And if it doesn’t work?" she asked.

Jayden’s voice was calm, steady. "Then we keep finding a way. But if it does, then you might hold the key to saving us all."

Paula drew in a shaky breath. She raised the cup to her lips and drank. The taste was bitter, sharp, but she forced it down.

Slowly, her eyes grew heavy as she lay back against the pillows, her breathing evening out.

The room was silent as they watched.

Minutes later, Paula’s eyelids fluttered shut.

And then...

She was there.

The same field stretched out before her. The sky was a harsh gray, and the ground trembled with the march of mech-suited soldiers. Their weapons flashed, tearing through towers, crumbling walls, and sending smoke into the sky.

Screams echoed. The world was burning again.

But this time, Paula wasn’t just a helpless watcher. She felt clarity in her mind, sharper than before. Every detail stood out. Every sound was crisp. She looked down at her hands, and something glowed faintly within them.

It was starting.

The dream wasn’t fading this time. It was pulling her deeper.

She knew she was about to remember, and this time, she wouldn’t forget it again.

.

.

[A/N: What’s your thoughts on the herbs?]