The moon hangs high in the sky, draping your skin in a soft, pale glow. You’re captivated by the stars, twinkling against the vast darkness, offering a quiet solace that the night so often brings. A peace that Hybern’s soldiers had nearly shattered.

But the memories linger. Nightmares still claw at the edges of your mind—visions of that night. Fae males with cruel, twisted grins, bursting into your home, into your room. Hands grabbing, restraining. Your struggles, useless. And your sisters—dressed only in nightgowns, wide-eyed and terrified, just as helpless as you.

In your room, the darkness no longer brings comfort. It’s a reminder. A suffocating presence. So now, you find refuge in the cool night air, seeking solace in the moon and stars.

A shadow stretches across the roof beside you, growing longer until a figure lands softly at your side. Winged. You glance over, just briefly—long hair, red siphons, Cassian. Then your gaze returns to the night sky. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t press. Instead, he sinks down beside you, his presence steady and grounding. The only sound between you is the quiet rhythm of your breaths, mingling softly in the cool night.