Murky darkness flooded Severine's vision.
Despite her closed eyes, despite the comfort of the soft mattress beneath her, despite the night lulling her back to sleep, she couldn't find respite.
The heavy blanket of sleep clouded her senses, dragging her back into the same nightmare.
The pool of her deepest fears engulfed her, swirling and sloshing with crimson.
The gray palette of the walls turned red, heavy with a burbling sense of torment.
Pain.
All Severine knew was that she was in pain, not in a physical sense, but it hurt even worse.
She had foolishly told Killian that she was fine just an hour ago.
However, the sleep she had grown used to had once again turned into nightmarish darkness.
The only difference was that the figures in those dreams had changed from her parents to strangers.
And one of those strangers was Killian, staring at her with those cold, indifferent red eyes.
