The moment the sharp object sank into his chest, everything froze.
Tiara's scream caught in her throat as her body went rigid, her eyes widening in disbelief, while Arthur stepped forward instinctively, his expression darkening in an instant.
"Thalia—what are you doing?!"
But Thalia didn't respond.
Her hand trembled where it pressed against William's chest, her breathing uneven, her gaze unfocused as if she wasn't truly seeing him at all.
William, on the other hand, didn't move.
Not even a flinch.
His eyes lowered slowly to the object lodged against him, before lifting again to meet Thalia's face, his expression unreadable, though something flickered briefly in his gaze.
"You…" he said, his voice quieter this time, as the light in his eyes dimmed under the sudden wave of pain.
It was familiar… Too familiar.
Almost identical to the pain that gripped him every night—in the nightmare he could never escape.
