DANE'S POV.

A loud yawn escaped my lips as I slowly blinked awake, my eyelids heavy with sleep.

The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting soft shadows across the room.

I stretched out my hand, searching the bed beside me for the familiar warmth of Astrid, but my fingers only met cold sheets. She wasn't there.

A pang of loneliness settled in my chest as I remembered the events of the previous night. The memories were still fresh, the pain of it all almost unbearable.

I had almost managed to forget how terrible it had been, but now it came rushing back with a cruel clarity.

The battle, the...