Vi woke up with a start, her breath coming in fast, erratic gasps. Her chest was tight, and the nightmare. oh God, the nightmare, still felt too real.

In her dream, she had lost everything. Her sister, Jinx, had been taken from her once again. And this time, there was no coming back. No happy ending. Only emptiness. Only silence.

Her hands were shaking as she sat up in bed, sweat making her clothes stick to her skin. The room was dark, silent, but Vi couldn’t calm down. Couldn’t shake the vision of Jinx’s vacant eyes.

The silence felt deafening.

She turned her head, eyes immediately finding the familiar warmth beside her.

Her girlfriend.

In a split second, Vi’s body acted before her brain could catch up, moving closer, wrapping her arms around her, clutching her to her chest like she was something fragile, something that could slip away at any moment. She buried her face in her girlfriend’s shoulder, her breath still shaky.