Lucille woke up with a sharp gasp, her chest rising and falling too fast. She felt as if she had just run a great distance. Sweat had soaked her back and was also beading on her forehead.
The darkness of the room seemed to press softly around her. Outside the window, the moon still hung high in the sky. It cast a faint glow across the chamber.
For a moment, Lucille simply lay motionless on the bed. Her eyes were half-opened as she tried to anchor herself to reality.
The entirety of the dream, particularly how it ended, had drained her mentally.
"...Lucy?"
Only then did she realize one of her hands was held by another, and that she wasn't alone. She turned her head, staring right into a very familiar face.
Ashrik sat by her bedside, kneeling on the floor. His posture was slightly hunched, one hand grasping her. Dobby and Ponyo were nowhere to be seen.
