Time slowly passed inside the room.
Theo barely moved the entire time.
His fingers still lightly brushed through Iris' hair while he silently listened to her breathing.
Outside the room, faint footsteps and distant voices occasionally echoed through the hallway.
Yet none of it mattered to him right now.
For the first time since the beast tide began… everything finally felt peaceful.
After nearly two hours had gone by, Iris began to shift slightly in her sleep.
Theo tilted his head slightly, a very faint but warm smile on his face.
Slowly, her brows furrowed while her fingers tightened around the blanket again.
Then her eyes slowly opened.
For a second, she looked utterly confused as her head rose.
Her blurry gaze wandered around the room aimlessly before finally landing on Theo.
The moment she saw him awake, her eyes widened instantly.
''T-Theo…?''
Theo gave a weak nod.
The next second—
Thud!
