You blinked slowly, your chest tight and weak. The soft hiss of the nasal cannula echoed in the silence, each breath more labored than the last. Your body ached in ways it hadn’t before, as if you’d been asleep for an eternity, the world passing by without you. Your mind was foggy, sluggish, making it hard to remember when you had last felt fully awake.

As you turned your head, a sharp pain shot through your body, forcing a quiet gasp from your lips. That’s when you saw him—at the foot of your bed.

Shadow.

He was curled up, back resting against the bedframe, one arm draped across your legs. His quills, marked with red streaks, shimmered faintly in the dim light, casting soft shadows on the floor. Even in sleep, his brow was furrowed, as if some distant pain haunted him. His presence, though, brought the comfort you had grown so accustomed to over the years.

Shadow hadn’t left your side. He never did.

No matter how often you told him he didn’t have to stay, no matter how hard you tried to hide the fear in your eyes, he always remained. Loyal and unwavering. Your protector. Your closest friend.