“You should sleep.”Dante said it like an order disguised as concern.Aruna stood frozen near the foot of the bed, her fingers tightening around the edge of the robe. The room felt smaller now that he was standing so close. Not because of walls or furniture, but because of him. His presence filled the air, heavy and unavoidable.“I don’t think I can,” she answered honestly.Dante studied her face for a moment, as if measuring something invisible. “You will,” he said. “Eventually.”He stepped back, giving her space at last, and moved toward the other side of the room. She noticed then that there was another door she had not paid attention to before.“I’ll be in there,” he said, pointing. “The door stays open.”Her brows furrowed. “Why?”“So you don’t convince yourself you’re alone,” he replied.That was not comforting.She climbed onto the bed carefully, as if it might collapse under the weight of her fear. The sheets were cool, soft, unfamiliar. Nothing about this place felt real yet.
Last Updated : 2026-02-19 Read more