~Elsie's POV
I heard my name like it was coming from far away, like it had to travel through something thick and heavy before it could reach me.
"Elsie… Elsie, open your eyes."
The voice was low, urgent, and it pulled at me in a way I did not understand. I forced my eyes open slowly, my lashes feeling heavier than they should, and when my vision finally settled, the first thing I saw was him.
Salvatore.
For a second, I thought I was dreaming again because there was something on his face I had never seen before. It was not cold, and it was not distant. It moved too quickly to name, something sharp and tense, like he was holding himself together by force.
His hand was wrapped around mine, tight enough that I could feel the pressure even through the haze in my body.
"Stay with me," he said, his voice lower now but more controlled. "Do not close your eyes."
