The suffocating grasp of the nightmare tightened around you, shadows writhing and coiling like serpents as they crept closer. The air reeked of despair, whispers clawing at your resolve. Twisted faces of your companions flickered before you—stricken down, lifeless, as though your failure had sealed their fate. You reached out, desperate to save them, but the darkness only surged, dragging you deeper.

A sudden jolt shattered the nightmare’s hold, leaving you gasping in your bed. Disoriented, your heart pounding in your ear, you registered a firm but measured grip on your shoulders.

Emmerich stood beside you, his piercing gaze softened by concern. He straightened as you stirred, his hands retreating, but his presence remained steady.

“Are you quite alright?” he asked, his tone precise yet tinged with worry. “I heard your cries from the library and found you within the throes of a night terror.”