Chapter 125. Drowning in Feelings

The moment Daniel and Marku stepped out of the room, the small smile I’d forced onto my face vanished. I wasn’t fine at all. I ached to stretch my limbs, to lace up my running shoes and escape into the woods, to let the crisp air clear the swirl of confusion in my head—but I already knew it wouldn’t happen. No one would let me; they all insisted I needed rest.

In some ways, I agreed. My mind buzzed with too many unconnected thoughts. Little by little, fragments were falling into place: patterns I hadn’t noticed before, clues I didn’t understand. The dots were connecting, yet I still had no idea where I stood. Every time I recalled my mother’s death and the sight of that dark creature, my imagination leapt to the worst possible outcomes. I resisted—I tried so hard—but I was scared. A nagging sense told me something bad was coming. My lips trembled with each breath. Even after taking a hot bath, I felt as if I were freezing to death: the hairs on my arms stood on end, and an icy