Faye's POV
The tremors beneath us sent shockwaves through the stone floor. Without thinking, I threw myself over Hardy's unconscious form, my arms wrapping around his bare torso as if my body could somehow protect him from whatever was happening above. The gesture was absurd - even in his current state, he could survive things that would crush me instantly. But fear doesn't listen to logic.
I pressed myself against his chest, bracing for the cave ceiling to come crashing down on us both.
But it never did. The shaking subsided, leaving only the harsh sound of my own breathing echoing off the walls. My arms stayed locked around him, and somewhere between the adrenaline crash and pure exhaustion, sleep claimed me right there against his warm skin.
I woke to cold emptiness.
My arms grasped at nothing but rough stone. The realization hit me like ice water - Hardy was gone.
