*Kryzen*

I woke up to the faintest hint of dawn trickling through the curtains, the scent of jasmine still lingering in the air. The bed beside me was empty, the sheets cool to the touch where Briella should have been. I sat up, confusion knitting my brow as I called out her name softly, "Briella?" No answer came. My eyes darted around the room. Her nightgown wasn’t draped over the chair, but her slippers were missing from the bedside.

“Briella?” I called again, ...