mimieverbloom
Maryam gasped, her breath uneven as the nightmare consumed her. Darkness, fear, Azeil walking away-gone. Her body trembled, sweat clinging to her skin.
She jolted awake, heart pounding in her chest. But before the panic could take hold, strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her close.
"It's okay," Azeil's voice was low, steady. "I'm here."
Maryam clung to him, burying her face in his chest. "I saw you leaving... You left me."
His hand ran through her hair, his warmth soothing her. "Shh... I'm not going anywhere."
She looked up at him, tears pooling in her eyes. "Promise me."
Azeil cupped her face gently, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "I promise."
A deep sigh left her lips as she closed her eyes, letting the comfort of his embrace calm her. Safe. She was safe. He was here.
But then-
Cold air replaced warmth. Silence replaced his voice.
Her eyes shot open.
Darkness. An empty room. No arms around her. No Azeil.
Her breath hit...
Azeil was a name whispered in fear-ruthless, untouchable, the mafia king who never chased or waited. The world bent to his will.
Maryam was a ghost of her former self, heartbroken and lost. She didn't belong in his world, yet fate made their paths cross.
She wasn't afraid of him. She should have been.
He wasn't the monster she expected.
He was chaos. She was ruin. Yet, in the wreckage, they found each other.