Marked By Darkness

Chapter 85- New Reality

Ruhi's POV...

The second night after our wedding, sleep came hard to me. The house was quieter than I expected, each creak and whisper of the wind in the walls making the darkness feel even more oppressive. My own room, which I had insisted on keeping after the wedding, felt suffocating in the silence.

It wasn't that I wasn't used to being alone-I had spent years learning how to be alone-but tonight was different. The bed felt too big, the room too still. Each time I closed my eyes, I could feel the weight of the past few days pressing on me. My mind wouldn't quiet, haunted by flashes of strange images: shadows moving in corners, figures that seemed to watch me from the dark. And then, I remembered the nightmares-the ones that had plagued me for days, where the walls closed in on me, and I could never escape.

I hadn't told anyone about the dreams. They were too vivid, too real. The sense of being trapped, of not being able to breathe-each time I woke up, I was drenched in cold sweat, my heart racing. I had to find a way to shake the feeling, to stop the nightmares from consuming me. But tonight, it felt worse. As much as I hated to admit it, I was afraid.

I looked at the clock. It was past midnight, and sleep still wouldn't come. My fingers brushed against the edge of the blanket, but it didn't help. Every shadow in the room seemed to move with me. I couldn't ignore it anymore.

I slipped out of bed quietly, careful not to disturb the silence too much. Maybe if I walked around for a bit, the fear would subside. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something-or someone-was watching me.

I hesitated outside the door of Ruhan's room, standing in the hallway for a moment, unsure of myself. I had barely spoken to him in the past few hours. Since the wedding, there had been a strange tension between us. But now... I needed him. Or, at least, the comfort of knowing I wasn't alone.

I knocked softly, my breath catching in my throat. When the door creaked open, Ruhan stood there, his expression a mix of concern and confusion.

"Ruhi?" His voice was low, laced with something like surprise. "What's wrong?"

"I... I can't sleep," I admitted, my words feeling weak and embarrassed even as I said them. "I don't want to be alone."

His gaze softened immediately, and without another word, he stepped aside, opening the door wider. "You don't have to be alone. Come in."

I crossed the threshold and stood for a moment, unsure. This was Ruhan's space, his room, and I had no business being here-especially not like this. But the thought of returning to my own room, with the shadows and the memories of the nightmares still fresh in my mind, made my heart race.

"I'll sleep on the couch," he added quickly, as if sensing my hesitation.

"No," I said before I could think better of it. "I... I don't want to sleep alone. Not tonight."

Ruhan didn't say anything, just nodded as he gestured toward the bed. "You can take the bed. I'll be fine here."

I hesitated, then crawled into the bed, pulling the covers around me tightly. It felt strange-being in his space, in his bed. But the warmth and familiarity of his presence settled me, and the rest of the house felt farther away. Safer.

I closed my eyes, but sleep still didn't come easily. Ruhan, though, seemed to sense my restlessness.

"If you want to talk about it," he said softly, his voice a low murmur in the darkness, "you can."

I didn't respond immediately, but after a moment, I whispered, "I've been having nightmares. I... I can't shake the feeling that something's wrong."

Ruhan didn't press me further, but I could feel his presence beside me, comforting and steady. As time passed, the fear seemed to fade, replaced by the calmness of the quiet night. I felt my breathing slow, my heart finally steadying. And when I fell asleep, it was with a sense of peace I hadn't felt since the chaos of the past few days began.