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𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 5:- 𝓑𝓮𝓽𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓓𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓽𝔂

"In the midst of a storm, she faced not only her fears but also the unexpected warmth of his unwavering presence."

Ivan's pov:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I

thank the store owner for the key, watching him leave before glancing back at her. "Well, looks like we have the store to ourselves now. That's lucky," I mutter, tossing the keys into my pocket.

That's when I see her sway, her knees buckle.

"Shit," I rush forward just in time, catching her before she hits the floor. "Damn it, Misti," I groan, her weight pressing into my arms as I lay her down on a nearby bench. The relief of not seeing her hurt is short-lived as I notice her skin burning to the touch.

I brush a strand of wet hair from her forehead. "You're burning up," I mutter, my voice dipping in concern, but there's no response, just her shallow, labored breathing.

I scramble through the store, my hands flying over shelves, knocking things down in my rush. "Cold drinks... a cloth... anything, anything," I hiss under my breath. My eyes land on a small towel at the back of a shelf, almost like a hidden gem. Wetting it with icy water, I rush back, pressing it against her burning forehead. "This has to work, come on," I whisper, a strange knot tightening in my chest as I sit beside her.

Minutes stretch into what feels like hours. Her face twitches. Then, suddenly, she screams.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it!"

Her voice cuts through the silence like a knife, her body jerking as if she's trying to fight something off.

I nearly jump out of my skin. "Hey, hey, calm down!" I lean over, gently gripping her shoulder, shaking her lightly to pull her out of whatever nightmare has her trapped. But she doesn't wake, her body still trembling as tears streak down her cheeks.

Seeing her like this... hell, it does something to me. "Misti," I murmur, my voice softer now. "You're okay. It's just a dream." But the tears don't stop, her lips quivering as she cries in her sleep.

"Please stop it. I will leave you guys one day... I will leave India," she whispers through her sobs.

Her words catch me off guard. I blink, processing what she just said. **Leave India?** "What are you talking about? Who... who do you think you're leaving?" My voice drops, the usual arrogance gone, replaced by genuine confusion and a flicker of something deeper-concern.

She whimpers again, her face twisting in pain. "Please stop it. I'm so tired."

I sigh, rubbing a hand down my face, feeling utterly useless. **Tired?** "I know, Misti, I know." My fingers instinctively stroke her arm, trying to offer comfort, but she passes out again before I can even reach her.

I huff, frustrated, but there's no anger behind it. Just... helplessness. "You're really pushing your body, you know that?" I whisper, glancing at her pale face. It's not fair-seeing her like this. I feel my jaw clench. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Outside, the rain hammers against the windows. I glance out, the sky turning darker, and groan inwardly. "Of course, it's still raining. Fantastic. Just what we need." I press the towel against her forehead again, feeling the cool water lose its chill way too fast.

But when I turn back to her, she's still... peaceful. The panic is gone. The nightmare over. For a moment, I just... watch. The rise and fall of her chest, her lips slightly parted, her damp hair sticking to her skin. There's a weird sense of calm in the storm, and I catch myself smiling before shaking it off.