I woke up because something felt… off.
Not dangerous, not that sharp, instinctive kind of wrong that makes you reach for a weapon before you're even fully awake. Just… different, like the room wasn't the same as when I fell asleep.
For a second I didn't open my eyes. I just stayed there, half-awake, trying to figure out what exactly had changed.
Azryth's arm was still around my waist, warm and solid, his breathing slow and even behind me. That part was normal.
The rest wasn't.
I opened my eyes, and almost jumped out of my skin.
Someone was kneeling beside the bed.
Wait… not someone.
Khaos.
Except not the version I was used to.
He looked older, not fully grown but no longer small enough to dismiss, maybe around ten, dressed in layered clothing that looked structured and deliberate, like something out of another era. The horns were still there, unmistakable, but everything else about him felt… different.
