Chirr.
Chirr… chirp.
Buzz… rustle.
Inhale—exhale.
Sniff… sob. Groan.
"Unghhh… Nnnngh…"
Riley twisted in the sheets, writhing like someone caught in a nightmare. His body curled tight, arms locking around his knees as if he could squeeze the noise out of himself.
But it didn't work.
The sounds just kept coming—every buzz was a thunderclap, every rustle a roar.
Even the whisper of air sliding into his lungs sounded like a storm crashing through him.
He groaned again, low and guttural, his face buried against the pillow as if that would help. It didn't. The pillow might as well have been a megaphone, amplifying everything into his skull.
To any observer, it looked like he was being haunted in his sleep. But to Riley, still trapped in unconsciousness, it was unbearable noise drilling into his ears.
And it was more than enough to wake Kael.
