LUCIAN
My eyes snap open with a sharp gasp, like I’ve been drowning for hours and finally broken the surface. My chest rises and falls too fast, lungs burning, and for a moment I don’t even remember where I am. The world feels heavy, blurred, the air thick in my throat.
And then I feel something different, warmth. I turn my head, and everything inside me comes to a stop.
Leah is there, right beside me. Her hair spills across the pillow in soft waves, the strands glowing softly like they’ve caught the light of the moon itself. Her breathing is steady, and calm. She's alive.
Relief hits me so hard it knocks the strength right out of me. A shaky laugh escapes my chest before I can stop it. My hand trembles as I reach out, brushing a strand of her hair from her face. “Leah,” I whisper,
