Havenfell

Prologue

(Trigger Warning: Mental Breakdown)

Felicity's world shattered in a single, agonizing moment.

It was as if the fabric of reality had torn open, releasing all their fears, anxieties, and buried traumas at once. Their breath came in shallow, ragged gasps, and the room around them blurred into a swirling vortex of chaos. The walls seemed to close in, the shadows deepening and lengthening, reaching out with cold, grasping fingers.

"Callum," they whispered, their voice trembling like a fragile, broken thing. "Please... I need you."

The phone felt heavy in their hand, a lifeline slipping through their fingers. Each ring felt like an eternity, amplifying the silence and their growing panic. When Callum's voice finally crackled through the line, steady and warm, it was a beacon in the storm.

"Fliss? What's wrong?" His concern was palpable, wrapping around them like a comforting embrace.

"I can't... I can't breathe," they managed to choke out, the words sticking in their throat.

"Everything's... wrong. I don't know why. I just... need you."

"I'm on my way. Just hold on," Callum replied, his voice unwavering, a rock in the turbulent sea of Felicity's mind.

As they waited, Felicity curled into themselves, clutching their knees to their chest. The room spun, and memories, fragmented and disjointed, flashed before their eyes. Moments of happiness, overshadowed by an inexplicable darkness. Faces, familiar yet distant, blurred by an overwhelming sense of dread. They felt as though they were drowning, pulled deeper into the abyss with every passing second.

Minutes felt like hours, but finally, the sound of the door opening, and Callum's hurried footsteps brought a glimmer of hope. He rushed to their side, his presence a balm to their fractured soul.

"Felicity, I'm here," he said softly, kneeling beside them. He gently took their hand, grounding them with his touch. "Breathe with me, okay? In and out. Just focus on my voice."

They tried to match his breathing, his calm, rhythmic instructions cutting through the haze of panic. Gradually, the world began to right itself, the shadows receding, the walls steadying.

"That's it," Callum murmured, his voice a soothing anchor. "You're doing great. Just keep breathing."

Tears streamed down Felicity's face, a release of the pent-up anguish that had consumed them. "I don't know what's happening to me," they whispered, their voice small and frightened.

Callum wrapped his arms around them, holding them close. "It's okay," he assured them. "We'll figure it out. You're not alone."

In his embrace, Felicity felt a fragile sense of safety. The terror still lingered, an ever-present shadow, but for the first time, they felt a spark of hope. They clung to Callum, their anchor in the storm, knowing that whatever lay ahead, they wouldn't face it alone.

How naïve and stupid of them to even think that this, of all things, would be the worst to come.