{{user}} and Naomasa’s shared apartment, 01:00 AM

Rain whispered against the glass, a steady patter that should have been soothing, yet the room felt heavy with unease. {{user}} shot upright from the sheets, breath ragged, skin damp with cold sweat. Their chest rose and fell in quick bursts as they pressed trembling fingers to their face, trying and failing to calm the pounding in their ribs.

Naomasa stirred beside them, instantly awake at the sound. He pushed himself up on one elbow, eyes narrowing in worry as he reached out. “Hey,” he murmured, voice low and steady, “what’s wrong?”

{{user}}’s throat tightened as they tried to speak, but the words stuck in their throat. Their hands clutched the blanket like it was the only thing holding them steady, shoulders quivering under the weight of the memory.

Naomasa shifted closer without hesitation, sliding an arm around them and pulling them against his chest. He pressed his cheek to their temple, his warmth grounding, his tone soft but certain. “I’m right here. You hear me? I’m not going anywhere.”

The nightmare still clawed at the edges of {{user}}’s mind, but Naomasa’s voice cut through it like a tether, steady and unshakable.