Josie
Thorne's breathing was shallow against my shoulder, each rise and fall trembling like the world beneath him was caving in. His tears had soaked through my nightdress, and the salt burned faintly against my skin. I kept holding him tighter, like maybe I could press away the fear inside both of us.
"Hey," I whispered, brushing his damp hair from his forehead. "You need to calm down, Thorne. You're safe now."
His grip only tightened. "I didn't mean to scare you," he said, voice breaking. "I just— I saw it, Josie. I saw something moving in the shadows again. It's close. It's here."
A shiver crawled up my spine. I didn't want to admit it, but the air around us already felt heavier. It was like the darkness had a pulse, and it was watching.
"I'm fine," I lied, forcing a smile even though my throat felt tight. "You didn't hurt me, okay? Everything's going to be all right. We've survived worse."
