Aanya Astaroth

The world around me blurred. My fingers trembled as I felt the weight of a memory pulling me under—a name whispered through the haze, barely audible.

"Theo… Theo, are you okay?" Irene's voice broke through the fog, her hand reaching out. I looked down at my hand, seeing it clenched tightly, blood pooling in my palm from where my nails had bit into my skin.

I tried to steady my breathing, but my chest only tightened , as if a wire was tightening around my ribs. My heart thundered, beating against the fragile confines of control I'd tried to build up around myself.

I couldn't breathe. My mind fractured, slipping down into a dark spiral. My eyes burned—wet, again. I hadn't realized I'd started crying until a tear slid down my cheek, hot and unwelcomed. Not now, please…

'No. No, please… help.' I felt the words bubble up, desperate, pleading. Panic clawed at me, tearing through any sense of composure I'd fought so hard to maintain.