Epilogue

~Aspen

I feel hands on me before I even realise I'm awake.

Someone is grazing their fingers along my hand soothingly. For a moment it feels so perfectly blissful I don't want to open my eyes. I just want to stare into the darkness, let it envelop me forever.

Regardless, I crack my eyes open, blinking past the dull light.

I'm laying in bed, Kastriv by my side. His head is bowed, hand in mine as he sits perfectly still.

"Kastriv?" I breathe out, my voice raspy and rough.

He immediately raises his head, eyes widening. Pulling his chair closer to the bed, he helps me sit up so more, making sure the pillow behind me is perfectly propped up.

"Hey...you're awake," he says, like he can hardly believe it. He's clearly been sitting there for who knows how long, probably thinking I'm head.

"I'm alive?" It feels too good to be true. I thought for a second there that I would have died.

Many times in my life I sometimes wished for a simple way to relieve my pain. But as soon as that feeling came, i