A strangled gasp tore from his throat as he jolted upright, his hand instinctively moving to his chest as though expecting to find a gaping wound. His breathing came in sharp, desperate pants, and sweat poured down his face like tears.
"It's okay," Lirien whispered, her voice gentle but firm as she placed her hand over his heart, feeling it hammering against his ribs. "You're safe. It was just a dream."
But even as she said the words, she knew they were a lie. Whatever Yomi had just experienced went far beyond any ordinary nightmare. The supernatural cold still clung to the room, and she could see the frost on the windows, the cracks in the mirror, the shadows that seemed reluctant to return to their proper places.
This wasn't just a dream. This was something else entirely.
