Selena.
I woke up to an unusual silence.
Not the peaceful kind. Not the kind that wrapped around you gently and let you rest.
This one felt… wrong.
My eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the dim light of the cave. For a moment, I stayed still, listening. Waiting.
Nothing.
No quiet breathing beside me. No warmth at my back. No familiar presence that had, somehow, become my comfort.
I pushed myself up, my fingers brushing against the empty space where they should have been.
Cold.
My chest tightened slightly.
They always stayed.
Even on the worst nights. Even when things were uncertain, when tension hung thick between us, one of them was always there. Close enough to remind me I was not alone.
But now…
I swallowed the thought and stood up.
Maybe they were already awake.
Maybe I had slept longer than usual.
I stepped out of the cave, the morning air cool against my skin. The soft sound of water nearby filled the quiet, along with the faint rustle of leaves.
