Nina pressed a hand to her chest.
For some reason—perhaps only in her mind—there was a faint, lingering ache there, as though something had been pierced long ago and never fully healed.
A quiet, unsettling intuition rose within her.
Her arrival in this beast world… might not have been an accident.
"Nina, what's wrong?"
Sal had sensed the moment she woke. When he looked over, he saw the sheen of sweat across her brow, her face pale and shaken. His expression softened with worry as he gently wiped the dampness away.
"I had a nightmare," Nina murmured. Her voice was faint as she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Sal… I want to go sleep with the little ones."
"Alright."
He carefully dried her off, helped her change into fresh clothes, then carried her toward the children's room.
Odian stirred the moment they entered.
He glanced outside—the sky was only just beginning to pale with dawn.
