Page 124 of King Of Order

At some point, Rio disappeared, then returned.

Mauri was here now, too.

Both men loomed over me—brows furrowed.

‘Get her to sleep,’ Mauri said. ‘Maybe some rest might help?

I stared at them, helpless, my mind screaming for release, but all I did was slice my eyes away from them.

I tried to move my lips. I wanted to tell them to leave me alone so I’d give in to the intoxicating cloud of sleep that washed over me, but no words formed.

Rio led me upstairs to my bed, banding a hand around my waist.

His touch was gentle, almost hesitant, as if he feared he might break me with the slightest pressure.

I lay motionless, sensing the shadows creep in again, trying to pull me under.

It was easier to let it take over, shut down my mind and body, stop perception altogether, and freeze from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

But deep down, I knew I might never return if I fell into that void.

I would lose my soul in that frozen place, and I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to thaw again.

Still, it was so tempting. The terror of losing control, of being consumed by the pain, was one of the most terrifying things I had ever experienced. But worse was the knowledge that I had no power to stop it.

No matter how much I tried to fight, to claw my way back to the surface, the darkness would come for me. I had no say on the subject.

So I remained eyes open, staring at the ceiling, waiting for it to claim me.

VALERIO

The night stretched out, an endless haze of tension and exhaustion. Sleep eluded me, as did any mental rest.

My eyes stayed glued to her—Chiara, lying in her bed like a shadow of herself, unmoving except for her chest’s steady rise and fall.

I slid in next to her, pulling her against me, but it was like holding air.

Her light had somehow taken flight.

She didn’t respond to anything. Not my touch, not my voice.

When I shifted her onto the mattress, she moved like dead weight, her body following but not her mind.

Her eyes remained open for hours, her lips silent as if none of what I was doing or saying to her was getting through.

It was like laying down with a ghost, and that hit harder than I’d admit to anyone.

My chest tightened, but I pushed the panic down.

I couldn’t afford to lose it.

Not now.

I held her close, my arms wrapped around her, hoping to pull her back through sheer will.

But the minutes ticked by, and nothing changed.

She stayed still, her breathing even, her body warm, but her mind was unresponsive. I didn’t know if it was coming back.

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