"What happened, my son?" she whispered, her tone filled with maternal concern. "You had a nightmare... why are you crying?"
Marcus tried to speak, but his voice was weak and broken. The memories felt jumbled and chaotic — Tyler, Robert, Sophia, the brutal fight, the crushing humiliation, and the devastating image of his mother with Alex... but they were already starting to blur at the edges, slipping away like sand through his fingers.
Natalia leaned closer, gently pulling him into her embrace. She wrapped her arms around him protectively, one hand stroking his hair while the other rested on his back. Marcus instinctively leaned into her warmth, seeking comfort like he had done as a child.
"Shhh... it's alright," she murmured softly, her voice low and rhythmic, almost hypnotic as she held him close. "Nothing bad happened to you, my son. It was just a girl... just a bad dream. Forget her. Let her fade away."
