#Chapter 167 – Prison of my own Mind

Lila The nightmares kept me from truly resting. Every time I closed my eyes, I was back inside the palace, walls glowing orange with heat, ceiling beams shrieking as they gave way. Damon’s voice was there, always just out around the next corner, swallowed by the roar of flames. His howl split the air, wild and feral, until the sound brought the entire palace down around me. My body ached remembering every stone I’d stumbled over in the escape. But worse than the pain was the quiet and loneliness. I reached inward, searching instinctively for Ruby. But there was still barely any trace of her. It was as though the fire had burned her away entirely. The absence left me hollow. Less than whole. I sat up on the cot, the thin blanket tangled around my legs and pressed my fingers into my temples to relieve the tension. My breath came shallow, ragged. I hated the sound of it. Hated how small it made me feel. The outpost was nothing more than a box of wood and stone, shutt