#Chapter 69: Cracks in the Ice

Lauren I stood in an empty, dark field, the silence thick, suffocating. In the distance, I saw Owen and Abigail, their voices fading the further I ran. The ground seemed to swallow my every step, and no matter how fast I moved, they slipped further away. Then, Alexander appeared, but his face was cold, distant. He walked with the kids, vanishing into the mist, leaving me behind. I screamed for him, but no sound came. Only a voice, quiet and sharp, echoed from the edge of the field: "You can’t keep them forever, Lauren. You’ve lost them once. You’ll lose them again." I fell into darkness, the weight of his words dragging me down. Just before I hit the ground, I heard Alexander’s voice, colder than ice: “You can’t stop this.” I woke with a gasp, my heart pounding, the remnants of fear clinging to me. My skin was slick with sweat, the nightmare’s weight pressing down. The room was unnervingly still. I glanced at Alexander on the couch near me. His steady breathing was the only