Emma's Pov

　　My dreams are restless, a whirlwind of sensations and emotions engulfing my mind, causing a latent fear and anxiety. Each fragment seems to leave my spirit even more tired, and more confused. The terror grows as I try to understand what I must do, but the answer hides amidst the disturbing chaos my mind has created for me. I feel trapped in a spiral of confusing events, trapped and helpless, sinking in a turbulent sea that I can't control.

　　I try to run, but at the same time, I don't move, as if my feet are glued to the ground, invisible forces holding me in place. It's like running in quicksand; each step I try to take drains my strength and hope. No sound escapes my lips, not even a cry for help or a scream of despair. My anguish grows, and my chest tightens with the screams strangling my throat. I feel paralyzed once again, inside my own mind.

　　I want to wake up, I want to return to reality, and I have no idea how long I've been unconscious, which is terrifying. I long for reality, for a certainty that seems to slip through my fingers. When I wake, the transition from my dreams to reality is abrupt and painful. My body is stiff, and I feel as if I've spent hours entangled in tension. Pain radiates through my muscles, and a strong, nauseating smell fills my nostrils.

　　I am still dazed and confused, my stomach churning, my mouth dry and my tongue rough and heavy, as if carrying the weight of unscreamed cries. I gradually realize there's a coat covering my upper body. The fabric is warm and comforting, providing temporary relief from the cold I feel in my legs. Yet, I am confused by the mix of sensations, the warmth above and the cold below, until I notice my pants are wet, the dampness intensifying the discomfort. I look around; I am lying on a large double bed. Around me are my wet shirt and other dry clothes scattered on the mattress. The unfamiliarity of the room sparks fear again.

　　On the floor, there is a wet robe and towel, forming a small, disordered, and chaotic pile. I have the sensation that something chaotic happened here.

　　I look out the window and see that it is already night. Shadows dance outside, indifferent to my unrest and confusion.

　　"Emma, you finally woke up!" Eldra exclaims with relief, and I rub my tired eyes, trying to dispel the whirlwind of confusion and emotions hovering over my mind.

　　Besides the coat, I feel the cold, wet fabric of my bra clinging to my skin, the discomfort intensifying. Is someone undressing me? The thought is disturbing, since I am alone in this strange room, and before I can formulate any logical reasoning, Eldra responds.

　　"Yes. Daniel!" Eldra answers and my eyes widen with the revelation. "You don't need to be scared. He didn't do anything wrong to you. He was trying to help. Your brother, James, drugged you with a contaminated potion, causing a reaction in your system. Daniel rescued you and brought you to this hotel room," Eldra explains quickly, her words flooding my mind like a torrent I can barely process.

　　I nod, letting the words start to make sense to me, while I now observe the room better. The room is lit by a soft, yellowish light, barely masking the chaos spread throughout. Heavy curtains are slightly parted, revealing the night darkness outside, while the faint glow of city lights seeps through the window.

　　"But what happened? Where is Daniel?" I ask worriedly, my voice trembling. I try to get up from the bed, the cold floor touching my bare feet, contrasting with the warmth of the coat. I need to put on new clothes.

　　"It took me a while to neutralize the drug; it took several hours. Daniel helped with that. But Matthew must have felt you were in danger and came to your rescue," Eldra says, her voice more worried, and I feel my heart stop for a moment as if the air had been sucked from my lungs.

　　"Matthew is here?" I ask anxiously, my thoughts flooded with a new wave of emotions at the mention of my mate. That's when I noticed the bedroom door was ajar, the latch broken.

　　The room has some broken items, like shattered glasses on the floor, a table with a crooked leg, and a chair turned on its side, its cushion torn and scattered. The scene reflects the storm of angry feelings Matthew must have felt upon finding me with Daniel.

　　"Yes, and I think you should go after them. They started arguing, and Matthew didn't let Daniel explain anything. He thought Daniel had done something to you because he saw Daniel just as he was taking off your wet shirt," Eldra explains agitatedly.

　　With warmer and more comfortable clothes on, I run out of the room, my heart pounding frantically. The corridor is silent, except for the muffled sound of my ragged breathing and the distant echo of raised voices. At the end of the corridor, on the other side, I find Matthew and Daniel fighting, their bodies a mass of movement and fury, their shouts blending with the heavy air of tension.

　　"Stop!" I scream, my voice louder than I expected, echoing through the spacious corridor and loaded with urgency for them to stop hitting each other so violently.

　　I run towards them just as Daniel punches Matthew in the face. The sound of the blow reaches me, and I smell the blood in the air, making me even more frightened by their aggression.

　　Matthew staggers back but doesn't lose his composure and lunges at Daniel, his arms grabbing Daniel's waist. Matthew drives Daniel's body against the wall, the impact causing a muffled cry from Daniel, who then elbows Matthew's back and follows up with punches to the ribs.

　　I feel like I'm in the eye of a moving hurricane, destroying everything around it. As Matthew releases Daniel and he falls to his knees, I step between them before Matthew can land another blow.

　　"ENOUGH!" I scream desperately.