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CHAPTER 428
~Zara's POV~
I gasped awake.
The air around me felt thick, suffocating, like something was pressing down on my chest. My heart pounded so hard I thought it would burst through my ribs.
"Zara!"
Kaid's voice was sharp with urgency. His hands gripped my shoulders, steadying me. My breath came in ragged pants as I blinked, struggling to pull myself out of the nightmare that had swallowed me whole.
"Wake up. It's not real," he said firmly, his eyes locked onto mine.
I swallowed hard, trying to ground myself, trying to separate reality from what I had just experienced.
It had felt so real—the mist, the voice calling my name, the presence shifting around me like shadows whispering through my bones.
Kaid studied me for a moment before reaching into his bag and pulling out my water bottle. "Drink."
