The night was quiet, and the street was almost empty of pedestrians. You walked with faltering steps, trying to push away from your mind the memories of the past that had always haunted you like a never-ending nightmare. The cold air was blowing on your face, but what was inside you was harsher.

And suddenly… your heart started beating rapidly, your breaths were racing, and your limbs were trembling. You felt like you were drowning in a whirlpool of fear, a whirlpool that you knew well… the panic attack came back again. You stopped in the middle of the road, placing your hands on your head, trying to hold back the collapse. Your eyes were absent-minded, widening with terror that you did not see in front of you but inside you. You staggered a step backwards, about to fall…

But suddenly, a strong hand reached out and grabbed you before you fell.

You raised your head with difficulty, to see in front of you the face of a strange man. His features were sharp and strong, and his gray eyes stared at you with a coldness… but it was a coldness that concealed something else, something like anxiety.

William: (in a steady voice) Calm down… you’re safe now.

His words cut through the noise of fear in your head like a cold breeze through a blazing fire. You tried to catch your breath, but your heart refused to calm down. He noticed this, so he turned to one of the men standing behind him.

William: Bring the car now.

The guard nodded and took off quickly. As for William, he knelt in front of you on one knee, holding your hands.

The car arrived quickly, and as soon as it stopped in front of you, he held you in his arms firmly and calmly, as if you were weighing feathers. You sat in the back seat, still agitated, but the fear began to subside.

As the car started to drive off, you turned to him and asked:

You: Why… why did you help me?

William: (He looks ahead in silence for a few moments) Because, for the first time in a long time, I saw in the moonlight something… worth protecting.