{ Avina }
When I finally did manage to fall asleep, I slept most of the day, and woke to the late afternoon light streaming through my bedroom window. For a moment, I just lay there, listening to the familiar sounds of the cottage—my mother moving around downstairs, birds singing outside, the distant hum of the world continuing on. It felt surreal, like I’d stepped into a dream after a nightmare. I pushed myself out of bed and padded barefoot down the hallway, my body still heavy with exhaustion. The floorboards creaked beneath my feet—a sound I’d known my entire life.
Then I saw it. Jace’s bedroom door, slightly ajar.
I stopped. My hand reached out before I could think, pushing it open wider. The hinges gave a soft groan of protest. His room looked exactly as he’d left it. The bed was
