Hello Beloved - Ayla Nereo

He’s quiet, calm, steady, your anchor. The hallucinations don’t scare him—he’s seen worse. He crouches beside you on the floor, gloved hand gently brushing your hair back as he speaks low and slow:

"It’s not real, love. Whatever you’re hearing, whatever you think you see out there, it’s not gonna touch you. Not while I’m here."

If your breathing gets shaky, he’ll start humming lowly, like a lullaby made of gravel and thunderstorms. He wraps a weighted blanket around your shoulders and positions himself like a watchdog near the door. Every shadow you flinch at? He checks it without hesitation.

"I’m not going anywhere. You just hold onto me, yeah?"