My body convulses violently, and my vision blurs as my eyes roll back into my skull. Panic grips me, but I can’t hold onto anything, can’t focus on anything except the excruciating agony ripping through every fiber of my being. Every cell in my body feels like it’s on fire, as if I’m being consumed by invisible flames, burned alive from the inside out. All I can hear is muffled noises—distant, indistinct, as though the world has been submerged underwater. Asher? I can’t tell. The agony is too much, drowning out every other sensation. But then, amidst the torrent of pain, there’s something else, something warm. A faint tingle, like a soft caress on my cheeks. I try to focus on it, latch onto the soothing sensation, but it’s fleeting, overwhelmed by the torment consuming me. Suddenly, my a

