When Breath Becomes Air Audiobook Novels & Stories

“Fine. Show me.” Kai moved behind me, his chest brushing my back. His hands settled lightly on my shoulders. “Breathe in slow through your nose… deep into your belly. Hold it. Then let it out even slower through your mouth. Like this.” He demonstrated, his breath warm against my ear. “Try it.” I closed my eyes and copied him. In… hold… out. It felt weird at first, but his voice stayed steady and kind. “Good. Again. Longer hold this time. You’re doing great.”

I follow his instructions, and the tightness in my chest begins to ease. "That’s it. Inhale. Exhale." The tumultuous waters transform into gentle waves as his voice envelops me. "Inhale. Exhale." Everything around me feels distant. Terrible sounds reverberate through the cells, yet I maintain my focus on the face before me. I continue to breathe. His expression remains inscrutable. "That’s it. Just relax now." His tone is unexpectedly soft. "Good lass." I snap back to reality. "Are you alright?"

His palms were warm and grounding. “Breathe,” he said softly. “You need to breathe, Ash.” I tried, but my lungs locked. “I can’t.” I gasped. He moved closer and gently pressed his forehead against mine. His voice dropped even lower, steadily, trying to anchor me. "Yes, you can.” He whispered. “Take a breath with me. In through your nose. Just once.” He inhaled slowly, waiting until I mirrored him. “Good,” he whispered. “Now out.”

The world returned in fragments. A crushing weight on my chest. Cold, wet stone scraping my cheek. A desperate, rhythmic pressure against my lips, forcing air into lungs that burned like they’d been scoured with salt and sand. A voice, raw and broken, repeating a word like a prayer, or a curse: "Breathe. Lucia, breathe! Please! Breathe!"

His hands hang loose at his sides but his fingers twitch. “Feet shoulder width,” I instruct. “Knees soft. Do not lock them.” He adjusts. “Breathe in through your nose,” I continue. “Slow. Count to four.” He does. “Out through your mouth. Count to six.” His breath shakes on the release. “That is fine,” I say. “Do it again.” We breathe together. The bond hums. Quiet. Present. Minutes pass. Or maybe seconds. Time bends here. Blake opens his eyes. “It is louder tonight.”

With my fragile body, I quickly fell into a dazed state from lack of oxygen. Then, little by little, it started to feel warm, like a fire burning nearby. I could not help but move toward that warmth. However, there was a voice shouting somewhere, desperate and urgent. Through the haze, I saw a light ahead, and fresh air rushed in. Driven by pure instinct, I crawled toward that light. In that moment, I forgot everything. I forgot that I was supposed to wait for Anthony. I forgot that I was trying to please him. I even forgot about being a good son.

Elara once again tries to breathe, but she only feels her throat burning. Elera tries again, this time her body reacting on instinct, air rushed suddenly into her body. It hit her lungs too fast; it was too cold, also. The air feels very sharp. She tries to cough it up, but she can barely do that. The sound could barely escape her dry and broken lips. Her chest rose unevenly, and the air felt like a foreign substance that was not supposed to be there.

He finds them funny, but I always feel like I'm dying during them. That alone makes me panic even more. But I suddenly feel a strange sensation.... It's rough... It's some sort of vibration. I can even hear it! Yes, it's definitely a vibration. I feel myself focusing on it. Trying to figure out exactly what it is I'm hearing. And as I'm doing so, I feel my lungs finally filling with air. I take a deep breath in, it's so loud as I fill my lungs. I exhale before taking another large breath in. I feel the air, I'm able to breathe!

“You’re safe now. I’m here. Just breathe, baby. Focus on your breathing.” I tried. God, I tried. Each breath was a war, my chest tight like it was bound by invisible ropes. But I heard him, and I clung to the sound of his voice. “Inhale with me. In… and out. That’s it. Nice and slow.” I focused on him. On the rhythm of his breath. The weight of his hand in mine. The slow, grounding strokes he drew across my back. “You’re doing great, sputafuoco,” he murmured. “Just keep breathing. I’ve got you.”

My breath came shallow and sharp, each inhale scraping. “Easy.” Kaden’s voice. Right there. Close. His hand was already on my back, solid and grounding, fingers splayed like he was anchoring me to the present by force. “You do not get points for bravery,” he added quietly. “I was not trying to be brave,” I muttered. “I was trying not to drown in my own ribs.” Kael snorted from somewhere nearby. “That checks out.” I forced my breathing to slow. In. Out. The hum settled with it, coiling tighter, denser. Waiting.