"Come on, now. Deep breaths. In. Out. With me." Her voice guided me like a rope across a collapsing bridge. My eyes locked onto hers, desperate to copy the rise and fall of her chest.She set me back gently, dashed away, and returned with a hairbrush. My head rested once more on her legs."Hold this. Just squeeze it tight. Please, Rali."I tried. My fingers clamped around the handle, but it felt distant, like I was gripping smoke."I can't... breathe," I managed to say.Tears streaked sideways, soaking into my temple. My chest slammed shut again and again, as though my lungs had turned to steel traps.It was getting worse. What if I didn't survive this one?"You can breathe. It's your mind lying to you, telling you can't." She pressed her arms around me, grounding me. "Come on, Rali. Count with me. Breathe with me."We did. In. Out. Again. Slowly. Painfully.And like before, the storm eased. I lived. Barely, but I lived.This wasn't the first time. The first had been when the Ash Twin
Last Updated : 2025-12-05 Read more