You played that well

I woke with a start, heart thundering painfully against my ribs, my breath ragged and uneven. The chamber around me was dark, the shadows thick enough to press in against my skin like velvet, yet they did nothing to soothe the lingering dread that crawled beneath the surface of my thoughts.

I'd dreamed of Enara again. Her voice, her touch, her words all of it clung to me, refusing to fade even as consciousness returned. But beneath the ache of longing, another sensation pulsed quietly, a warning whisper that something had nearly happened tonight something darker than the shadows that surrounded me.

Sitting up slowly, I pushed back the tangled sheets, letting the cool air chill my overheated skin. I flexed my fingers, still trembling faintly, before pressing my hands against my face, trying to steady my nerves.

[Another nightmare?] the system asked softly, sensing my distress.