His soul seemed to slip free the instant she collided into him, arms wrapping around his back without warning. Her small hands clenched instinctively, her face pressed against his chest, her whole weight leaning into him as if he were simply something to hold onto in that fleeting second.
And that was enough.
His breath caught.. sharp, sudden, stolen from him. His heart misfired, then raced uncontrollably, slamming against his ribs as if trying to escape. Every nerve in his body lit up at once, awareness crashing over him in waves. The warmth of her, the closeness, the undeniable reality of her against him.. it overwhelmed everything else.
Because he had never known this.
Warmth... this kind of warmth had always been absent from his life. Not once had it lingered long enough to be remembered, not once had it wrapped around him like this, unannounced and unasked. It felt unfamiliar… almost unreal, like something meant for someone else that had, by mistake, found its way to him.
Is this real?
The question echoed, frantic and disbelieving, drowning out every rational thought. His hands hovered uselessly in the air, unsure where to go, what to do, how to respond. He didn’t move.. couldn’t move. Not out of hesitation alone, but because something in him refused to risk breaking the moment.
He stood there, completely still, as if even breathing too hard might shatter it.
Time lost meaning. Sound faded. The world narrowed down to the space between them.. the pressure of her arms, the rhythm of his own uncontrollable heartbeat, the unfamiliar warmth he didn’t know how to hold onto… yet couldn’t let go of.
And all he could do… was remain frozen, caught in something that wasn’t meant for him..yet felt like the only thing he had ever been missing.
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Echoes of the Darkness
Get ready guys.. a short spoiler of upcoming chapter..