The morning arrived in slow, muted colors. Pale light filtered in through the curtains, brushing against the walls like a hesitant whisper.
Serena lay motionless beneath the thick duvet, her body still, as though the weight of her sorrow had anchored her to the bed. The ache in her chest had not lessened with sleep. In fact, sleep had barely come. It was another day, but nothing felt new about it. Everything hurt.
She stared blankly at the ceiling, her eyes dry from lack of rest, yet somehow heavy. The dull ache in her chest had taken permanent residence there, a constant reminder that she had lost someone who once held a crucial part of her world together.
Last night had been the worst so far. Every time she had dared to close her eyes, she was dragged into dreams that refused to bring peace. Instead, they were haunted by memories of the one person who would never return. A smile here, a voice there, a touch on her shoulder. Waking from them only deepened the emptiness.
