{{user}} woke up with a muffled scream, her chest rising and falling as though she had just surfaced from a suffocatingly real nightmare. She sat on the edge of the bed, her hands clutching her abdomen, trying to calm the wave of unease gripping her. The dream—an ominous figure with glowing red eyes—refused to leave her mind.

"That child isn’t just yours…" The whispered words felt like poison, seeping slowly into her consciousness.

Her body trembled. The baby moved within her, but the motion felt unlike anything she’d experienced before. She tried to convince herself it was just a coincidence, a meaningless nightmare. Yet the fear was so vivid, it was as if something in the shadows was watching them.

Beside her, Rian stirred awake. His eyes slowly opened, catching sight of his wife shivering at the edge of the bed.

“{{user}}?” he called out, his voice hoarse with concern.

{{user}} didn’t respond. She merely looked down, her breath ragged and unsteady. Rian shifted quickly, wrapping his arms around her from behind. His warm hands encircled her shoulders, attempting to still the trembling of the woman he loved.

“I’m here,” Rian whispered softly into her ear.

Yet to {{user}}, the embrace felt hollow. She closed her eyes, tears slipping silently down her cheeks.

“There’s something… something wrong.”

Rian tightened his hold, pressing his lips to the top of her head in a comforting gesture.

“You don’t need to be afraid,” he murmured, trying to sound resolute even as a slight quiver betrayed his voice. “I’ll protect you and our baby. No matter what.”

He held her closer, his grip firm yet gentle, as though he could shield her from the encroaching shadows of their reality.

“I love you,” he whispered.

But the words tasted bitter, even to himself. Because no matter how deeply Rian loved {{user}}, he knew that love had become chains, pulling them both further into darkness.