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KIRILL The moment I open my eyes, I realize two things. One, I fell asleep. Ever since my father started his torture sessions, my type of sleep has been only resting my eyes. I’m always fully aware of my surroundings and ready to spring into action at any moment. I haven’t had a deep night's sleep in…maybe twenty years or so, to the point that I’ve forgotten what it feels like. The army made my sleeping habits even more erratic. What’s the point of resting my eyes when I could be using that time to do something constructive? Consequently, my sleeping time has gotten shorter and shorter over the years. The only exception was that night in the village. I found it concerning then, and it’s even more troubling now, considering I actually fell into a deep sleep for…over six hours. This brings me to the next thing I’ve realized. Sasha is gone. The bed is crumpled where she slept, and her scent lingers in the air, but that’s the only evidence that she was ever here. I look down and find a bla