Thunder rumbled in the distance, a low growl beneath the storm-darkened sky. The air hummed with anticipation as raindrops danced on rooftops and leaves, swaying at the imminent arrival of the storm.

  Elara, nestled in the warmth of her bed, succumbed to the sound of raindrops pattering against her window pane. The force of wind orchestrated a haunting melody, causing the windows to shudder in response. Each gust carried the scent of rain, a fragrance that enters the room.

  Amidst the storm, Elara found herself ensnared in a curtain of shadows and foreboding dream. A sword, raised menacingly above her, glistened with an otherworldly sheen, reflecting the inferno blazing behind her. The flames roared as it devours the remains of a house, casting elongated shadows across the faces of fleeing figures.

  Elara, helpless on the ground with her hands clutching a wet dirt, she heard the screams around her, a kingdom in chaos. And then, inevitably, the sword came down to strike her.

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  ***

  A sudden clash of thunder shook Elara awake. Gasping for breath, she sat up, her body drenched in sweat. Finding herself once in dark room was now bathed in the soft glow of lamplight and the flickering warmth of the fireplace. A contrast between the nightmare's darkness and the comforting light of her room left her momentarily disoriented.

  "What?" she whispered, her voice a mere breath against the lingering echoes of the thunder.

  Yet, before her confusion could fully take root, the room plunged into darkness. A swift, unnerving blackness swallowed everything—the lamps, and the fireplace, extinguished.

  A moment of breathless silence enveloped Elara, the storm outside echoing the turmoil within her. In the impenetrable darkness, her senses heightened, attuned to the pattering raindrops and the distant murmurs of thunder.