A week earlier....
My hands were locked around her waist, holding her firmly on my lap.
Her warmth seeped into me, soft and addictive, grounding me more than anything ever had.
She whispered my name, and I felt it—like a plea, like a promise.
I pressed a slow kiss to her neck, right on her pulse, just to reassure myself she was real.
Her arms wrapped around me in return, fingers sliding into my hair, pulling me closer.
Her body molded perfectly against mine, like she was made to fit there.
"Chibi…" I breathed, almost in disbelief at having her like this.
And then—
The room dimmed.
Not suddenly… but like something invisible was swallowing the light, inch by inch, consuming the walls, the ceiling, the floor.
Darkness crept in silently, choking everything bright.
My chest tightened.
I pulled her closer, gripping her a little too hard, trying to keep her in my hold.
I forced myself to stay calm, even as the dark crawled closer like a living thing.
She cupped my face gently.
Soft hands.
Warm thumbs brushing my skin, grounding me.
She kissed my eyes.
My forehead.
Each kiss like a quiet reassurance: I'm here. You're safe.
My heart raced—
Not out of fear.
But because of her.
Her tenderness. Her calmness.
Her choosing to soothe me.
She smiled then—my smile snatcher—
And teasingly pinched my cheeks.
"Kitten…" she whispered.
I almost laughed.
I almost pulled her impossibly closer.
But before my grin could reach my ears—
The darkness behind her… shifted.
A pair of hands—pale, long-fingered, dripping with shadows—shot out from behind her.
They clamped over her mouth, swallowing her scream.
Her eyes widened in terror, reaching for me.
"Chibi—!"
The hands yanked her backwards into the dark.
Her warmth vanished.
Her presence ripped away from my arms.
Right in front of me.
I lunged—
But the void swallowed her whole.
I shot up from the couch, drenched in sweat, lungs burning, my voice tearing out of me—
"CHIBI!!!"