"Alex!" Sarah's voice cracked, her throat dry, desperate as his eyes fluttered open. For a second, his gaze was blank, distant, like he didn't recognize her—or the danger closing in around them.
But then his focus sharpened, and something sparked in those dark brown eyes. His hand tightened around hers, weak but present.
"Sarah…" His voice was barely more than a whisper, but it was enough. Enough to make her heart leap with relief. Enough to remind her that they still had a chance.
"You're awake!" she gasped, pulling him closer, her fingers trembling as she cupped his face. Tears welled in her eyes, the fear from moments before breaking through her resolve. "I thought… I thought I lost you."
For a brief second, their world shrank down to just the two of them, to the warmth of Alex's breath, to the way his gaze softened as he looked at her. But that moment of peace shattered as the roar of the creature echoed through the void once more.
