𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐂 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 ! [ rhysand ]

𝐢𝐯. pieces of history !

𝐂 𝐎 𝐒 𝐌 𝐈 𝐂   𝐋 𝐎 𝐕 𝐄   !

𝙲 𝙷 𝙰 𝙿 𝚃 𝙴 𝚁   𝙵 𝙾 𝚄 𝚁   !

( 𝔭𝔦𝔢𝔠𝔢𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔥𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔯𝔶 ! )

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

          "𝐍𝐎!"

The blonde jolted awake in her bed, a thin sheet of cold sweat covering her skin. Her hair stuck to her cheek as she heaved in breath after breath, hoping to expand her contracting lungs. She felt clawed fingers digging into her shoulders, drawing blood and sending shocks of pain through her body. 

She swallowed the rising bile in her throat and clenched her eyes shut, forcing the nightmare away. It wasn't real. She was in her bed in Velaris. She wasn't running. She was fine.

Placing a hand to her chest, she felt her thumping heart within her. It was strong and fast, slowing relaxing as it came to the realization that she was safe. There was no reason to be pumping blood so fast anymore. She kept her hand there, monitoring her heart, until it finally slowed to a normal speed. 

Sucking in a deep breath, Ana ran her hands over her face. She was well-aware of the dried tears on her cheeks, but she ignored them, opting to instead focus on the nightmare she'd just experienced.

It was different than the others⎯worse. Everything felt real⎯the claws ripping through her skin, the teeth gnashing at her throat, the chilling voice that sent ice water through her veins. Everything about the nightmare felt so unbelievably real that Ana wondered if she'd been transported to Hell for a moment. Especially after hearing his voice.

Ana had done a good job of pushing away the memories that Amarantha had forced her to relive while in her captivity. She'd been able to ignore the screams resonating in her head and battle through the pain of rebuilding her walls and patching up old wounds. But the one thing she hadn't been able to get rid of was that stupid voice. 

Even after years of safety and love, Viktor continued to torment her. In her dreams, while she was awake. Everywhere she went, he was there. Standing in the corner of her vision, laughing cruelly in her ear whenever she made a mistake. He stayed with her no matter how hard she tried to rid herself of him.

And these nightmares weren't helping her. She knew it was his voice. How could she not? It was cold, emotionless, and sadistic like she remembered. She'd be a fool to think it was some other monster from her past. But his voice wasn't the thing that scared her. 

It was the message⎯the threat she would always wake up to.

"You can never run. For I will always find you, Anastasia."