Chapter 5

Athasia barely remembered falling into bed. The exhaustion of the night had hit her all at once the moment she stepped into the small, dimly lit apartment. Her surroundings—the cracked walls, the faint scent of old wood, and the scattered belongings of the girl who previously inhabited this body—blurred together as her legs carried her toward the simple, creaking bed. She'd planned to unpack the memories that now felt like hers, to sort through the life she'd inherited, but her body betrayed her.

The second her head hit the pillow, she was out.

Darkness surrounded her. A suffocating, endless black that felt both vast and claustrophobic. She tried to move but realized, to her alarm, that she couldn't . Her wrists were tied, the roughness of the restraints digging into her skin. She was pinned to a cold, unyielding surface—something firm, like a bed.

Her breath came in short, uneven gasps as she struggled, her strength useless against whatever held her down. That's when she heard it:

"Athasia…."

A low, deep voice broke through the silence, sending a chill down her spine. It echoed, smooth and deliberate, laced with a familiarity she couldn't place.

"Who's there?" she tried to say, but her voice failed her. The air seemed heavier, pressing against her chest.

Before she could react further, she felt it—a weight settling on top of her, a presence that sent her senses spiraling into overdrive. The darkness grew closer, pressing in on her, as strong hands slipped beneath her clothes.

Her breath hitched.

The touch was cold, almost teasing, as it glided over her skin. The hands roamed with slow, deliberate precision, tracing the curve of her waist and moving upward. Her body reacted involuntarily, a sharp shiver coursing through her. She clenched her jaw, trying to suppress the unfamiliar sensation, but her resolve began to crumble as the hands explored further.

Then she felt it.

Soft, cool lips brushed against her neck, lingering there with an unnerving tenderness. They pressed against her skin, igniting a strange heat that spread through her veins. Her body betrayed her completely as a quiet sound escaped her lips—a muffled moan she tried desperately to stifle by biting down on her bottom lip.

The attempt failed miserably. The voice above her chuckled, low and dark, as though mocking her inability to resist.

"Athasia…" the voice whispered again, sending shivers down her spine.

Her body stiffened as the lips on her neck trailed lower, the hands inside her clothes pressing more firmly against her skin. Every touch, every sensation felt agonizingly real, leaving her trembling with a mix of fear and something else she didn't want to name.

The voice, still impossibly close, began to murmur words into her ear.

"Sixth floor…"

Her heart raced.

"Sixth floor… Sixth floor…"

The words repeated, growing louder, more insistent, until they drowned out everything else. The hands, the lips, the presence—it all seemed to blend into the command.

"Sixth floor!"

Athasia jolted awake, her body shooting upright in bed. Her chest heaved as she sucked in a desperate breath, her mind racing to make sense of what had just happened.

She was drenched in sweat, her hair clinging to her neck as her trembling hands gripped the bedsheet. The phantom sensations lingered—hands on her skin, lips on her neck, the sound of that voice whispering her name. She brought her fingers to her neck instinctively, the memory of those lips still burning against her skin.

"Sixth floor…" she whispered to herself, her voice shaky but audible in the stillness of the room.

Her pulse thundered in her ears as she swung her legs off the bed, planting her feet firmly on the cold floor. She clenched her hands into fists, trying to steady the trembling that refused to leave her. Whatever that dream—or vision—had been, it wasn't random. It was too vivid, too invasive.

Athasia crossed the room to the window, her reflection faintly visible in the glass as she gazed out at the quiet street below. The command echoed in her mind, relentless and unyielding.

"Sixth floor…" she repeated, her voice firmer this time.

Her glowing green eyes narrowed as determination replaced the lingering fear. Whatever was waiting on the sixth floor, she was going to find out.