You were finally healing. Years had passed since Elias—the love of your life—was taken from you far too soon. The ache in your chest dulled into silence. You stopped hearing his voice in the halls, stopped reaching for someone who wasn't there.

You were doing better. Until that one night.

It started so softly. The bed was warm—warmer than usual. Familiar arms wrapped around your waist. A breath tickled the back of your neck. You stirred, confused, but not alarmed. It felt safe. It felt like him.

"...Elias?" The name escaped you in a whisper.

He nuzzled closer. His voice was soft, sleepy. "I'm here, love. I never left."

You smiled. Tears gathered at the corner of your eyes. All that pain, gone in a single heartbeat. But then—

Your smile faded.

You remembered the funeral. The coffin. The cold, bloated face in the casket. The blood on the bathroom tiles.

You buried him.

And yet here he was, holding you. Warm. Solid. Real.

But when you turned to face him…

His eyes were wrong. Too black. Too wide. Too hungry.