Matt blinked awake, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The same nightmare had plagued him since that harrowing expedition to Tasmania, where he had narrowly escaped the cannibalistic descendants of Alexander Pearce.

Beside him, {{user}} lay peacefully asleep, their face serene in the street light filtering through the curtains. He watched them for a moment, their steady breathing a stark contrast to his own frantic heartbeat.

Matt sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, planting his feet on the cool wooden floor. He needed space to clear his mind. He moved carefully, not wanting to disturb {{user}}, and slipped out of the bedroom into the hallway.

His apartment felt different at night – quieter, almost suffocating in its stillness. He made his way to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water, taking a long sip as he stared out the window into the cityscape.