Aveline slept better that night than she had in years.
For the first time in a decade, no nightmares came for her, no shadows clawed at her mind, and no memories dragged her back into the dark.
Instead, her dreams were light.
She wandered across soft, floating clouds, laughing as they dipped beneath her feet. A stubborn little butterfly kept landing on her lips as if it had chosen her as its favorite resting place, and she kept trying to shoo it away, half-annoyed, half-amused. Somewhere along the way, a small black fox darted past her, quick and playful, and she chased after it with a grin, never quite catching it.
There were carrots, and… candies. More than she could ever eat, and yet somehow, she kept reaching for more, delighted like a child who had never known hunger.
And through it all, there was warmth.
A deep, comforting warmth that wrapped around her, steady and familiar, like being held close against her mother's chest.
It was perfect.
Almost.
