I stirred awake, blinking as the soft rays warmed my face, stretching lazily across my skin like a gentle hand coaxing me to consciousness.
The room was unusually quiet, an almost eerie stillness settling around me.
And then it struck me:
Damon wasn't there.
I sat up slowly, my heart beating a little faster as I looked around, scanning every shadowy corner of the room.
His side of the bed was empty, the sheets cold and undisturbed, as though he hadn't slept there at all.
Damon's absence was a relief—a weight lifting off my chest that I hadn't even realized was there.
I took in a deep breath, my shoulders loosening, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to relax.
But as I swung my legs over the side of the bed, my gaze dropped to my ankle, the spot that had been weighed down night after night by a thick, unyielding chain.
My breath hitched as I realized it was gone.
