38. A Swan for The Wolf

Jayden’s pulse pounded in his ears, his instincts screaming at him to flee. He spun around to escape, but before he could make it out, he felt a sudden tap on his face. “Jayden!” a familiar voice called urgently. The vision flickered, blending with reality, as if a paper burned from the center. He gasped, blinking rapidly, and found himself back on the bench beside Emric, his chest heaving. Emric leaned close, concern marked across his face, “Jayden, are you okay?” It was truly Emric, in flesh and bone. Jayden looked around, his breath shaky, his mind struggling to catch up. Swan was standing a few steps away, her eyes filled with worry. “Was that a dream?” Jayden’s voice wavered as he trembled, his body still gripped by the terror he’d just witnessed. “No,” Emric said firmly. “You sat down next to me, looked up at the sky, and then started whimpering. Your eyes were wide open the whole time, like you weren’t even here.” Jayden shuddered, his skin crawling. He allowed Emric and Swan to