[Vernon]
The soft, rhythmic breathing of Elora and Sylas beside me in the master bedroom was a balm, a quiet comfort that usually lulled me into a deep, dreamless sleep. But not tonight. The nightmare, the vivid, chilling flashback of Theron and his insidious ambition, had shattered my peace.
I lay there, the overwhelming dread still clinging to me, even as Elora's embrace and Sylas's soothing lullaby worked to chase the shadows from my mind. The dream had been too real, too precise in its horror, and the fragmented memories it brought to the surface were now a constant, nagging presence.
My past with Theron, a period of my existence I had meticulously locked away, was demanding to be remembered, and the effort to keep it at bay was exhausting.
By dawn, I knew I couldn't face this alon
