The next morning hen I woke up, the first thing I noticed was silence. Not the heavy, suffocating silence of danger lurking in the dark, but the kind that feels almost freeing. My eyelids fluttered open, weighed down with sleep, and I blinked against the faint morning light seeping in through the high windows of my room. The bed was cold beside me cold and Empty.
My breath hitched, and for a moment, I just lay there, stunned. Then, slowly, I sat up and looked around. No looming shadow in the corner. No strong presence filling the air like smoke, making my lungs ache. No piercing eyes watching me even in sleep. He was gone.
I don't know how long I sat there, staring, afraid to believe it. But when the truth settled in, a burst of air left my chest, half a laugh, half a sob. My lips curved into a smile so wide it hurt.
