*Briella*
My eyelids were heavy, and weariness had settled into my bones, but I couldn’t sleep another wink. A storm of fear raged beneath the surface, keeping me from the respite I so desperately needed. My limbs ached for rest and my mind for peace, but the terror of what might come when the world faded to black held me captive in relentless wakefulness.
"Please, Briella," Kryzen's voice was a gentle plea in the dimly lit room, his gray eyes pools of concern. "You need to sleep. It’s been days."
I shifted on the edge of the bed, my fingers knotting the sheets into tight spirals. "I can't," I murmured, the words barely a whisper. "What if it happens again?"
"We'll make sure it won’t," he assured me, coming to sit beside me. The weight of his presence was both comforting and oppressive. "I’ll stay awake. All night if I must."
