Finding a dream
within the nightmare
Is sometimes the
Hardest part.
MANYA Drifted into the dream as if pulled into an abyss, her consciousness slipping through layers of darkness. It wasn’t the kind of dream that startled you awake with a scream—it was worse. It crept under her skin, seeped into her bones, and left her cold. It felt too real, like a memory she didn’t want to claim but couldn’t escape.
She stood in a dark space that seemed to stretch endlessly. The air was heavy with sorrow and something far more menacing. Ahead, a faint light flickered, illuminating a haunting tableau that sent a chill down her spine.
Her younger self, no older than six, lay crumpled on the ground, her frail body trembling violently. A figure knelt beside the child, clutching her limp form with desp
