*Aryanna*

For a second, I wasn’t sure where I was. The darkness of the room pressed in, the faint outline of the furniture shadowy and surreal. My heart pounded. For a moment, I thought I was still trapped in that old nightmare—my father’s fall, my mother’s silent car crash. The memories clawed up from the past, vivid and unrelenting, gripping tight until the chill of the room pulled me back to reality.

I blinked and caught sight of him across from me. Darren was ...