Again, The Nightmare

Ericka had just realized that ever since she learned the truth about Liam and faced him in his other form, she no longer dreamed about Daniel.

Whether it was because Ericka was facing something she'd been constantly questioning, whether it was real or just a fantasy born of her desire to escape her fears about Daniel, she didn't know.

But it made her feel calmer.

Until then, she repeated her story to Liam.

She didn't blame him for being curious and wanting to hear her story. Who wouldn't want to know? A woman, alone, should live in a place with easy access, not in an apartment considered haunted and far from anywhere.

Well, Ericka didn't blame Liam for asking either. She told her story willingly. He didn't force her, and she was sure he would stop asking if she expressed any objections.

More than that, Ericka also admitted that telling Liam about her dark story with Daniel, oddly enough, made her feel lighter.

But that night, Daniel came to her again.

“Ericka…” His voice was low, hoarse, and too close. “You can’t keep hiding from me. I will find you and destroy you.”

Ericka tried to scream, but her voice caught in her throat. Her body was heavy, unable to move. She was paralyzed by her intense fear, even though, even in her sleeping subconscious, she knew it was just a dream.

Daniel’s hand reached for her, and though she shied away, it suddenly gripped her wrist. It felt cold, strong, and painful.

Strangely, the pain was all too real, and Ericka woke up with a loud scream.

Her breath was labored, her chest heaving irregularly. Sweat beaded on her temples and back, despite the cool air in the room.

Ericka stared at the ceiling, trying to convince herself that she was dreaming and that she was safe in her apartment unit far from civilization.

Daniel wasn’t here, and he wouldn’t suddenly come for her.  After all, there was a werewolf in unit 2704, who certainly wouldn't stay silent if he knew someone else was intruding on this floor.

Liam had a keen sense of smell and hearing, befitting a nocturnal animal. And he'd promised to keep Ericka safe.

But still, her body couldn't control the facts alone.

Her body trembled violently. She pulled her knees to her chest. Tears fell without her realizing it, not because of the dream itself, but because of the fear that accompanied it. A recurring fear that never truly faded, even as time passed.

Ericka's choked sobs escaped and penetrated the thin walls of the apartment.

Liam awoke to Ericka's screams. He sat up in bed, listening intently.

He got up and put on his slippers, walking to the door, observing the scene outside through the peephole. His claws slowly came out, alert, ready.

Then, his chest tightened as he heard another sound that followed the scream.

Ericka cried, and Liam suddenly realized it was sadness and fear all rolled into one.

"Ericka," Liam murmured lowly.

"She's scared," said Ther, his inner wolf, who usually didn't appear unless summoned. "Something's bothering her and breaking through the boundaries of reality, becoming a nightmare."

Suddenly, Liam realized something.

"It's about her ex-boyfriend," Liam said, felt a thick feeling of guilt.

Ericka had told him earlier that afternoon about her bastard ex-boyfriend. About the hands of someone she loved, who were supposed to protect her, but instead hurt her.

Liam remembered Ericka's face when she told him. She appeared calm on the surface, but her eyes were filled with a hollow feeling, like someone who had been holding back pent-up pain for too long, unable to express it.

"I shouldn't have asked," Liam muttered softly, mostly to himself.

He opened his unit door slowly and walked silently toward Ericka's.

His instinct was to knock, but his reason held him back. He knew that for someone who had experienced violence, a knock in the middle of the night could feel like a threat, not help.

Besides, when he entered Ericka's unit that afternoon, he had caught a glimpse of a chair behind the door. It must have been used to hold the door close.

And a baseball bat on the sofa, and another leaning against the front of the room, next to the door.

Ericka faces fears and is vigilant in her daily life.

The crying came again, softer, as if Ericka were struggling to swallow it back down.

Liam returned to his unit and went straight to the kitchen. He lit the stove, boiled water, made tea, mixed in some chopped ginger and cinnamon, and added a little honey.

Liam took out his phone and quickly typed a message.

"Ericka, I made some tea with herbs and honey. It's good for calming the nerves. Would you like some?"

He waited, worried that the tea would get cold. As he was about to turn on the stove again to warm it up, his phone beeped.

"I'll have some. Thank you."

Liam breathed a sigh of relief and quickly exited his unit. He knocked softly and quietly on the unit door. Once. Then again.

"Ericka…" he called softly, loud enough to be heard, but not startling. "I brought you some tea."

Behind the door, Ericka stood frozen. She stared at her phone, which displayed Liam's previous message and her reply.

Hearing Liam's voice at the door made Ericka question why she had accepted the offer of tea.

But that voice sounded calm, unstressed, gentle, and distinctly different from the voice of Daniel in her head.

She wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, then pushed aside the protruding chair and opened the door slightly, making a gap, allowing her to see Liam standing a few steps away, not approaching. In his hands were two cups of tea.

“Are you okay?” Liam asked with a faint smile. “This tea will help you relax.”

Ericka stared at the cups, then back at Liam’s face. For the first time since waking, her breathing slowed slightly and a sense of relief crept into her heart as her eyes met his, calm as the ocean without waves.

“Don’t open the door too wide,” Liam said. He offered the cups through the crack. “Drink. I’ll sit outside and accompany you, so you know you’re not alone.”

Ericka complied. She didn’t widen the door, didn’t ask Liam to come in. She took the cups from his hands and sat on the floor.

“Sorry… I… disturbed you,” Ericka said hoarsely.

“Don’t apologize,” Liam replied quickly, sitting on the floor in front of the door, following Ericka. “I… actually feel guilty. After you told me this afternoon, maybe the memories came back.”

Ericka bit her lip. She wanted to deny it, but she was tired of pretending to be strong. “I thought I was fine,” she said softly. “But it turns out… I haven’t forgotten that fear.”

Liam nodded slowly. “Trauma doesn’t obey time.”

They sat on the floor near the door, not looking at each other, their bodies side by side, the door only slightly ajar.

The aroma of the spices from Liam’s tea hung faintly in the air, and although there was a silence between them, it wasn’t awkward at all. It was a silence that gave a feeling of safety.

After the tea was finished, Ericka returned the cup through the crack in the door, remaining seated on the floor.

“Thank you,” Ericka said quietly. “That tea… helped. And you.”

Liam smiled and stood up. "Go to your room and warm yourself with a blanket. I'll stay nearby. If you need anything, just knock on your bedroom wall. I'll hear you. My hearing is very good at night, even though there's another room between us."

Liam's voice was calm and steady. Ericka's tears fell again, but this time it was different. It was from the relief and calm that had just slowly returned.

Liam smiled and reached for the doorknob, helping Ericka close it. He stared at the closed door in front of him for a moment before walking back to his own unit.

Liam didn't sleep again. He opened his laptop and worked, while listening intently.

He didn't need sleep. He just needed to look after Ericka.