The moment his body went limp, a hollow terror carved itself into Olivia's chest. She pulled him toward her, cradling his head against her breast as if she could shield him from the invisible specter of death. But beneath her touch, the change was agonizing; a sudden, deathly chill swept through him, and the violent chattering of his teeth echoed in the silent room as a fever-chill took hold.
"Mathias?" she whispered, her hands frantically roaming the dark to find the contours of his face. She delivered several sharp, desperate slaps to his cheek. "Mathias! Answer me. You cannot sleep now... do you hear me? Wake up!"
A wave of primal panic surged through her. She wanted to spring up, to bolt toward the door and scream for the physician—for anyone—but the darkness rose before her like a physical wall. She was a prisoner of her own sightless eyes, trapped in a chamber that had transformed into a labyrinth of shadows.
