Athena

The sun had barely risen, and yet the weight on my chest made it feel like the day was already drowning me in darkness. Light, my daughter, still slept in the corner of the room, her soft breaths rising and falling against the blanket. Liam, my son, curled in a ball near her, unaware of the storm brewing beyond our walls. I should have felt peace in this moment, should have cherished it. But instead, dread gnawed at me, sharper than any fang or claw I had ever felt.

It had been two ...