Celestial: Fallen

Chapter 36 - Awakening in Shadows

I felt the cool touch of a wet cloth against my face and forehead, accompanied by the soft murmur of distant voices. My eyelids felt heavy, but I struggled to pry them open, only to be met with a blurred shadow hovering above me. The voices gradually grew louder, more distinct, as if pulling me from a dream. I inhaled deeply, the air filling my lungs, and focused all my strength on the shadow in front of me, trying desperately to make sense of where I was.

The shadow wavered as my vision slowly sharpened. A pair of gentle eyes appeared, filled with worry, their soft gaze contrasting with the tense lines of a furrowed brow. I heard my name being called—faintly at first, as if from a distance—but it grew clearer.

"Can you hear me?" the voice asked, trembling slightly.

As my vision sharpened, I recognized Joshua first—his familiar silhouette looming over me, his eyes dark with worry. Leroy was beside him, his presence calmer but no less concerned. My heart ached, not from pain, but from the rush of emotion their faces stirred. Memories flickered—brief and disjointed—filling me with a strange sense of guilt I couldn't yet explain.

"Babe, what happened to you?" Joshua's voice cracked as he spoke, his fingers brushing against my cheek, searching for any sign of an answer. "Uncle Samuel called me, said you weren't answering... I came as fast as I could." His panic was raw, and seeing it hurt more than any physical pain I could have felt.

I wanted to speak, to tell him I was fine, but I couldn't summon the words. The lightheadedness was overpowering, and though I felt oddly numb, something inside me knew this wasn't just about the moment I woke up. It was what came before.

Leroy sat down, pulling a damp cloth from Joshua's hand. He dabbed my forehead gently, his face drawn with concern, though his voice carried an awkward lightness. "Sorry, babe, but I might've... destroyed your door." His grin was sheepish, but there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes, as if he wasn't sure whether to joke or be serious.

Joshua shot him a look—half frustrated, half grateful. "Of course we had to break the door down!" he replied, though his voice trembled. "But what matters is you, Arwen. Are you okay? Do we need to get you to the hospital?"

Their voices seemed distant as they bantered back and forth, but I heard the fear behind their words. As much as they tried to stay light-hearted, I could see the cracks in their composure. They were scared for me—maybe even scared of what they didn't know.

I smiled weakly, trying to ground myself in their presence. But deep inside, I knew it wasn't just their worry or the broken door that weighed on me. Something darker lingered just beneath the surface. A flash—like a dream— then nothing.

My stomach twisted, and the sense of dread I'd been ignoring threatened to overwhelm me. I knew I should tell them what I remembered, but the thought of speaking it aloud terrified me.

"I'm... okay," I whispered, though even I wasn't sure if that was true. Joshua and Leroy exchanged worried glances. They didn't believe me, and honestly, I wasn't sure if I believed myself either.

A few hours passed, and the tension in the room only grew heavier. Joshua and Leroy had tried calling Nick repeatedly, but there was still no response. Each passing minute without hearing from him felt like an eternity. I shifted restlessly, my mind running through every possible scenario, none of them good.

Another few hours went by, and just as the quiet began to gnaw at me, I heard the distant murmur of vehicles outside. The sound made my heart race. I stood up slowly, the dizziness still clinging to me like a haze, and made my way to the living room window. My hand trembled as I pulled back the curtain.