Chapter Text
Luciel stared at one of his monitors, absent-mindedly fingering the smooth, cold metal of the cross that always hung around his neck. He was trying to take in all he could of the Mint Eye satellite imagery he had tracked down. It didn’t provide as much information as he had hoped, but he would take all he could get. He needed to be sure he was as prepared as possible, especially now that Hana would be involved.
The thought of her sent a slight thrill through him. Finally allowing her to see behind his walls was freeing, but terrifying. He wanted this more than anything, but he could still feel lingering doubt nagging at the back of his mind.
As if aware that he was thinking of her, his phone rang, her name flashing across the screen. He looked at it with a chuckle. Why she insisted on calling when they were sitting in the same apartment, he had no idea, but he found it undeniably adorable.
“What are you doing?” he questioned as he accepted the call. “If you want to talk, just come here.”
“What if I would rather you come here?” He hummed thoughtfully for a moment, then conceded.
“Alright, alright.” He got to his feet and turned to see her standing, unsurprisingly, on the other side of the room. His smile faded, however, when he saw the apprehensive way in which she was holding herself, a tense expression on her pretty face. He hung up, letting his arm fall to his side after pocketing his phone. “Hana… what’s wrong?” She put her phone away as well, shifting slightly under his gaze.
“I…” She tugged nervously at her sleeve. “I’m just…a little worried. About tomorrow, I mean.” His stance softened at her words, and he moved closer to her.
“You know I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll protect you. No matter what.” He paused, recognizing his selfish need to have her near. “Are…are you sure you want to go?” She nodded vigorously.
“Of course! There’s no way I’m letting you go alone!” Her determination warmed him from the inside out. “But…” She chewed her lip. “What if something happens to you?”
“Hana-”
“No! You’re about to brush this off, but I’m serious, Seven!” She took several steps towards him. “I don’t have the training or-or the skills that you have…If something happens…” He rested his hands on her shoulders, leaning down slightly so he could be eye level with her.
“Nothing will happen.” He motioned to his equipment. “I’m making sure of that.” It was a promise he knew he couldn’t make, but it was worthwhile to feel her relax in his grip. She looked up at him, her eyes searching his.
“I trust you. Completely. But if things go badly tomorrow…I don’t want tonight to have just been spent worrying…”
“How about I take a break then? We’ll order some dinner?” She shook her head.
“I…I want this to finally mean something…I want…I want us to be real…I want you…” Her voice had dropped to a whisper, and he felt the heat as his neck and face began to flush. How long had he wanted this? Imagined this? He swallowed, his response stuck in his throat. But she didn’t need it.
The moment Hana reached for him, taking fistfuls of his shirt in her hands, the rest of the world disappeared. He didn’t think. He couldn’t think. Once she closed the distance, his body reacted before his mind could catch up. His hands shot to her waist, pulling her impossibly close. Their lips collided, frantic and messy as months’ worth of attraction and tension hit the tipping point.
Her tongue darted into his mouth, testing, teasing. He moaned, tilting his head to give her more. All of his worries were evaporating. Mint Eye, the RFA, the agency. None of it mattered.
Her hands moved to tangle in his hair, and he responded instinctively, pressing into her with a need so intense his chest ached. Her heat, her scent, her taste. All of it was too much, and yet still not enough. Each sloppy brush of her lips against his sent shivers straight to his core.
“God… Hana…” he rasped, the words inadequate, but they were all he could manage. “I…I want…” She smirked, her want mirroring his own in a way that made him dizzy. He began to trail kisses down to her neck. His hands slid higher, brushing strands of hair out of his way, his teeth grazing her softly. He buried his face against her, inhaling deeply.
She pulled him in again, muttering a breathless, “Don’t stop…” He obliged immediately, retaking her lips with fierce urgency. Hana pushed right back, just as ravenous as he was. Her hands clutched at his hoodie, trying to bring him closer and closer. Her insistence made him weak in the knees. In her eagerness, she pushed him back one step. Two steps. Until he stumbled, the world tilting. He was too lost in her to realize what was happening until it was too late.
They went down.
He hit the floor with a grunt, the air knocked from his lungs. Before he had even a moment to recover, Hana landed on top of him with a soft thud, further dazing him. For a split second, they froze. They stared at one another, panting, lips swollen, their faces inches apart. Then they broke into hoarse laughter.
“You… you’re impossible,” he whispered, voice husky, a grin tugging at his lips.
“You’re one to talk,” she teased. Her palms pressed against his chest for balance as she sat up, shifting so her knees were straddling his hips. Her weight pinned him deliciously to the floor. Luciel’s head spun, and his breathing grew more ragged.
“Hana…” he tried to speak, but his words were swallowed by another kiss as she leaned down, her hair falling like a curtain around their faces. His fingers dug into the soft fabric of her shorts to brace himself as she rolled her hips against him. A voice at the back of his mind screamed that he should stop. That this was too dangerous for her. That he didn’t deserve this. For the first time in his life, he pushed the voice away with ease. Besides, the friction made any chance of self-control impossible.
God, I’m going to ruin her…
As if reading his thoughts, her lips left his so she could murmur against his jaw, “Bet you regret pushing me away now.”
He could only nod as he reached up, capturing her lips once more, this kiss slower, deeper. His hands explored her back, her waist, her shoulders. He wanted to memorize every curve as she shivered under his touch. Her fingers traced the line of his jaw as she similarly began to explore him, each feather-light stroke maddening.
Steadily, their connection again became feverish. His glasses tilted awkwardly on his face until she tugged them off without missing a beat, setting them aside. He barely noticed, far too intoxicated by her. God help him, he never wanted to get up.
As she devoured him, Luciel gripped her plush thighs bruisingly, trembling when she rocked against him again. He couldn’t hold back the raw and needy groan that tore from his chest. She pulled back slightly, eyes sultry as she stared down at him from behind her dark lashes. Her hair framed her face, wild and untamed. She looked heaven-sent. He had never seen anything more breathtaking.
“Princess…” His voice cracked. “If you stay on top of me like this, I’m not going to be able to control myself…”
“Good.” Her answer was simple, yet that single word broke him.
Luciel surged up to kiss her again, but she pushed him back down, taking control, mouth greedy as she pressed him harder into the rug. He couldn’t breathe without tasting her, couldn’t think past the warmth of her body moving against his. Each pitch of her hips made him crumble.
His fingers slid higher, tracing the dip of her low back. He wanted her. Needed her. She must have felt it too, because she began to lift her camisole, breaking their kiss only long enough to pull it over her head and toss it aside.
Luciel’s breath caught. His eyes roamed her, wide and hungry, before she grabbed his face and forced his gaze back to hers.
“Target’s still up here, agent,” she whispered devilishly, her voice low. “For now…”
“Yes, ma’am.” He couldn’t help but give a throaty chuckle.
Her hands fumbled with his hoodie, shoving it off his shoulders. Her mouth trailed down his neck, biting at his collarbone, leaving heat in her wake. Luciel whimpered, head back, hands gripping her ass tight as she rocked against him, her movements stoking the fire building low in his stomach.
“Fuck…You don’t know what you do to me…” Unable to keep his hips from bucking, he gave in and ground up against her.
“I have an idea.”
Then she kissed him again and tugged at the hem of his shirt. He raised his arms without thought, letting her strip him of the article. He was helpless to stop her. His heart hammered faster than ever when her hands pressed flat against his chest.
Luciel kissed her hard, sitting up beneath her so their chests collided, arms banding around her back, never wanting to let go. The sheer feel of her against him sent him spiraling. He rolled, sudden and rough, until she was on her back beneath him. He hovered over Hana, one hand on either side of her.
He pressed his forehead to hers, their heavy breaths mingling, savoring the moment of intimate stillness. Her hands cupped his face with a tenderness that he had never before experienced, and he had to bite back tears. He never dreamed that he could cherish someone so deeply and feel it in return.
And he’d almost blown it.
“Seven…” she started gently, seeming to sense the weight of his emotions.
“Baby…” his voice shook as he spoke. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry for all of it…I want to give you the world.” He spoke barely above a whisper now. “Please let me take care of you…” She bit her lip, coy and unbearably cute, and nodded her consent. He kissed her, pouring into it everything he couldn’t put into words.
He lingered on Hana’s mouth, unhurried. He kissed her again and again, softer now, more controlled, enjoying the little sighs he pulled from her. He finally began to move away, his mouth sliding to her jaw, then to the delicate spot just below her ear.
He kissed her neck slowly, tracing the line of her throat, letting his tongue flick against the sensitive skin before moving further. Each press of his lips was gentle and deliberate, unwilling to leave a single inch of her untouched.
Now at her collarbone, he dragged his mouth across it, pausing to suck lightly at the dip before moving on.
Her breath hitched as he spread kisses across the top of her chest, letting his lips wander over soft skin, his mouth trailing a reverent path. He murmured praises with every kiss and each small nip, his hands smoothing up her sides while his mouth journeyed downward.
When he reached the swell of her breasts, he paused, lifting his gaze to hers. A faint, mischievous smile crept to his face, softened by the pure adoration in his eyes. He kissed along the curves slowly before closing his lips around one nipple, teasing it gently with his tongue. He remained there, drawing out her soft mewls, then shifted to the other, giving equal attention. Each part of her deserved his devotion.
He began to move lower, leaving a line of hot, open-mouthed kisses down her stomach. He took his time, dragging the anticipation out, pausing now and again to nuzzle into her skin, to taste her, to breathe her in. Her fingers threaded into his hair, tugging lightly, her hips shifting under him with need.
Luciel’s lips hovered just above the edge of her waistband, taunting. He looked up at her again, his breath sticking in his throat as she met his stare. Her cheeks were flushed as she looked at him as if he were the only thing she knew.
“I want to taste you,” he whispered. Without a word, she helped him remove her shorts, the tiny wiggle she gave just about killing him.
Luciel’s breath was warm against her skin as he kissed just above the sensitive spot between her thighs, intentionally stalling the moment. His hands slid up her legs, parting them gently, thumbs stroking the inside, coaxing her to relax into him.
He pressed a soft kiss to the inside of her thigh first, then another a little higher, alternating sides, the work of his lips enough to make her quiver.
“So soft…” he murmured against her skin.
“Please, Seven…” Hana’s hips shifted restlessly, a quiet whimper leaving her, but he only chuckled low in his chest and moved even slower, enjoying her impatience. When he finally reached her, he pressed his mouth against her center through the thin barrier of fabric, making her gasp.
“So wet for me…”
“You should feel honored.” He bit his lip, smirking at her confidence.
“Oh, trust me, I do.” He drew the underwear aside with teasing fingers, baring her fully, and looked up at her one last time with hooded eyes. Then his tongue slid against her, a languid stroke from bottom to top that made her back arch. He moaned softly into her, savoring the taste, before settling in. His mouth worked her leisurely, tongue circling, flicking, retreating only to return with more fervor. His lips sealed around her clit, drawing a whine from her. He kept a firm grasp on her to keep her in place as she jerked and squirmed beneath him.
“S…Seven…” Her head tipped back, his name leaving her as a low moan.
He pushed his tongue deep into her, then circled back up to her clit, flicking it quickly before sucking hard again. Every motion was an act of worship. He wanted to unravel her bit by bit. He alternated between gentle licks and firmer strokes, keeping her just on the edge, teasing her relentlessly. Then his fingers joined in, two slipping slowly inside her, curling just enough to make her cry out. He worked them in tandem with his mouth, the rhythm precise and devastatingly controlled. Her thighs trembled against his shoulders. His scalp stung as her fingers found purchase in his hair and pulled, her voice breaking on his name. He only pressed in closer, groaning against her as if her pleasure alone was enough to undo him.
“That’s it, angel, I want to hear you,” he murmured, voice muffled by her cunt. “I want you to fall apart on my tongue.” The sounds that left her in response filled the room, urging him on.
His pace quickened then, tongue and fingers working her in perfect sync, loving care giving way to raw intensity until all she could do was surrender, her body clenching around him, release crashing through her in waves as he held her steady and drank her in like she was his salvation.
Luciel didn’t let go immediately. He kept his mouth on her, drawing out every last shudder, every aftershock, until she was overstimulated, gasping and tugging at him in a desperate attempt to stay grounded. Only then did he slow, pulling his fingers free and kissing the inside of her thigh, his lips slick with her.
He looked up at her, his pupils blown wide. She was an overwhelmingly beautiful sight as she went limp against the floor, her expression dazed, chest heaving, and her hair sticking to her sweat-dampened skin. His fingers traced up her leg. He circled close to her, then pulled away again, watching her hips twitch toward his hand. She swallowed, trying to steady herself.
“Seven, please…I need you…”
“Here, pretty baby?” He slipped two fingers through her wetness but only teased her entrance, sliding them up to her swollen clit in one slick pass before pulling away. Her frustrated whimper made him grin.
“Don’t be a dick…” He nipped the crease of her hip before returning to her lips. He kissed her, letting her taste herself on his tongue. His hand slid between them, this time thrusting two fingers inside her without warning. Her gasp broke against his mouth, and her nails dug into his shoulders.
“That better?” he teased, pumping his fingers, curling them just right before pulling out again, leaving her fluttering around nothing.
“Please don’t… don’t stop there…” she begged, twisting beneath him. She reached down, palming him through his jeans, causing him to inhale sharply through his teeth. He was straining against his last barrier of clothing, and her touch only made it more painful. “Take these off…” Her words left her, half plea, half demand, and he had no choice but to heed them.
With shaking hands, he shoved his jeans and boxers down, freeing himself. Hana did the same with her soaked panties, and he allowed the head of his cock to drag hot and heavy against her slick folds. The contact made him curse under his breath, forehead pressing against hers as he fought to maintain control.
“Tell me you want this,” he requested. “I need to hear you say it. I need to know you won’t regret it.” She nodded against him, grinding her hips into his as she did.
“I want this. I want you,” she breathed. “More than anything.” He claimed her lips one last time, his fingers tangling in her hair.
Luciel teased her first, grinding against her, coating himself with her arousal, prolonging the anticipation a moment longer. But then Hana shifted her hips needily beneath him, and his restraint shattered. He pushed into her. Slowly, inch by inch, he stretched her, filled her. She was so warm. So tight. So irresistible.
Hana cried out, her back arching. He buried his face in her shoulder with a choked groan. He stilled for a moment, letting her adjust. Then, when she rolled her hips beneath him in silent encouragement, he began to move.
At first, they were controlled, careful thrusts that pushed deep, pulling back just enough to make her miss him before filling her all over again. Soon Hana’s hips were rising to meet his, small noises escaping her with each movement.
One of his hands slid up to cup her breast, squeezing as he drove into her deeper, hips snapping with purpose now, matching the tremors of her quivering body. Hana’s moans grew louder, ragged, punctuated by sharp inhales. Her nails raked down his back and along his chest as he pressed fully into her.
He shifted slightly, angling his hips so that each thrust dragged against that sensitive spot inside her. Hana’s mouth opened in a silent scream, her head falling back against the floor. He kissed her exposed throat as he maintained his rhythm.
“You feel…so fucking good,” he growled against her skin. “Made for me…”
“Fu…fuck. A-amazing... Don’t you dare stop…” she begged as she moved with him. “More…I want more, Seven…”
Her words drove him feral as he found an unrelenting rhythm. The room filled with the sounds of skin meeting skin as they both chased their climax. When she wrapped her legs around him, he thought he would lose it right then and there, but he managed to hold on, fucking into her wildly. He could feel the pressure, a growing ache that begged for release. Desperate, unrestrained sounds were pulled from him, mingling with Hana’s cries.
“You’re mine. P-please say you’re m-mine,” he begged through gritted teeth.
“O-f course I am…S-seven.” He shook his head.
“S-Saeyoung…m-my name. It’s Saeyoung.” His name left him as little more than a whisper.
“Saey-young…” She said, barely audible, as if testing the feel of the name on her tongue. “Yours…I… I’m yours, Saeyoung.” Those words wrecked him.
He kissed her fiercely, drowning in her, and thrust faster, harder, until they were both nearing the edge. Hana clung to him, her cries rising and her body tightening around him. He buried himself deep, groaning her name like a prayer as she shattered beneath him, her body pulsing around his, pulling him over with her. Hips stuttering, he spilled into her with something between a broken sob and an elated laugh, his whole body vibrating as pleasure ripped through him.
Saeyoung collapsed against her, both of them shivering in the aftermath. They were still for a time, limbs tangled, hearts fit to burst from their chests. Hana’s fingers found his sweat-dampened hair, stroking it, grounding him as his breathing slowly evened out.
He carefully, reluctantly, pulled out of her with a slight hiss, and allowed himself to fall beside her, tucking her snugly under his arm. She slotted against him so perfectly as she curled into him without hesitation. He began to trace idle circles on her shoulder with his fingertips.
“You’re shaking,” she whispered softly. He gave a nervous laugh, pressing his lips to her temple.
“These past months,” he started, his voice heavy with emotion. “They’ve been…confusing. Scary.” He thought for a moment, unsure how to put his feelings into words. “You made me want things that I never dreamed I could have…but when we only knew each other through a screen, it was easier.” Her arms tightened around him as he spoke. “I could give you the Seven that made you laugh without putting you in danger. I guess you still made it impossible to focus, but...But then the security system…and physically being here, with you…” He sighed. “I made things so hard for you. I hurt you. I am so, so sorry…”
“You don’t have to-” He cut her off with a shake of his head.
“Despite all of this, even when I tried to make you hate me, you stayed by my side…” A lump tightened in his throat, and he kissed her forehead, savoring her scent. His arms wrapped around her tighter, afraid she would disappear if he let go for even a second. “I love you. I have loved you. I love you so much it hurts. I’m done denying it…from now on, I’m yours. No secrets. No masks. For as long as you will have me, the real me, I will be yours.”
Hana took his face in her hands, thumbs wiping away the tears he hadn’t realized he’d shed. She looked up at him with an impossibly wide grin and pulled him down into a deep, tender kiss.
“I will always have you, Sev-” She caught herself. “Saeyoung. I love you. All of you.”
Hana held the steering wheel with a trembling, white-knuckled grip. Her hands were sticky but slick as they painted the wheel crimson. The smell of iron hung strongly in the confined space. The gas pedal was pressed to the floor, the car’s engine straining as she forced it faster, faster, faster through the streets, swerving recklessly between lanes. Her vision was blurred by the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks as she ignored the horns that blared after her. All she could do was pray she wouldn’t be pulled over.
Why the hell did it all go so wrong?
The plan had been perfect. It should have been perfect. They should have been able to get in and out without detection, but here she was, her ears still ringing with the echoes of the gunshot. Saeyoung had dropped, in what had felt like slow motion. It was only by adrenaline and sheer force of will that she had managed to half-walk, half-drag him to the car after Saeran had run off.
She dared to steal a glance at him now, her chest tight with panic.
He was slumped awkwardly in the passenger seat, head lolling against the window, and his blood soaking into the upholstery. She had tried her best to staunch the bleeding using his hoodie and her sweater, but it had done little to help. His breathing had grown increasingly shallow and uneven, each gasp appearing to cost him. He groaned in agony as she swerved around another vehicle, his eyes fluttering shut.
“Shit…shit. I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” She winced as she had to jerk the wheel to dodge yet another car. “Just stay awake. You have to stay awake,” she pleaded.
He tried to look at her, his usually bright amber eyes now dull and glossy behind his blood-smattered glasses. It hurt like nothing else to see him so fragile.
“So…tired…” he muttered, barely above a whisper.
“I know, I know.” Her hold on the wheel tightened as she willed the car to go faster. She wouldn’t let him slip away. “But you have to talk to me. Please. Keep talking. Tell me one of your awful jokes. Get mad. Tease me. Anything!” she pressed, voice cracking on the last word. His lips twitched in an attempted smile.
“You…driving my car…so sexy.” She couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, but it quickly broke into a sob. She choked it down. She couldn’t break now.
“Yeah? I’ll drive for you all you want, babe. We just have to get through this and get home, okay?” She bit her lip hard as she swallowed away the lump rising in her throat. “You just have to stay with me, Saeyoung,” She hoped he couldn’t hear her fighting to keep her desperation in check. “Th-think of Elly! You have to see her again, right?”
“Hana…” His voice was so hoarse, and she could make out a subtle gurgle at the back of his throat.
No. Please no.
“Yes?” was all she could get out while maintaining her composure.
“Sorry… s’posed to…protect.” His words came out slurred.
“You did! And you will, love. That means you have to take care of you right now. Focus on being okay.”
“Don’t…deserve…” She shook her head violently.
“Stop. Don’t you dare speak like that…” She took a deep, shuddering breath. “You deserve everything, Saeyoung. Happiness, love, me…you deserve the world.” He managed a weak chuckle before slumping back again.
“I love…you…” Another soft sob left her.
“I-” She glanced over to see that he had faded out again. “Hey! No! No, no, no! Saeyoung, please wake up!” She reached over with one arm to frantically shake him, tears freely streaming down her face. “Stay with me, Saeyoung, please!” She took his hand, entwining her fingers with his. They were limp and so, so cold. She brought his knuckles to her lips, kissing them. “Please don’t leave me…”
All the buzzing sounds and sterile smells of the hospital had begun to blend, becoming muted and dull. Time ticked by at a pace that was both agonizing and surreal as Hana stared blankly at the bloodied hoodie that was clutched tightly in her fists.
She hadn’t bothered to clean up and sat in the waiting room with her arms, clothes, and face smeared crimson. It had been a difficult task to convince the doctors and nurses that she didn’t need to be seen. That none of it was hers. That it all belonged to him.
The image of Saeyoung’s hand slipping from hers as they took him back for surgery kept replaying in her mind.
She could make out the hushed whispers and anxious pacing of the other RFA members. They had arrived impressively fast following her vague, frantic texts. She assumed Jumin and his wealth had something to do with that, but she hadn’t bothered to ask. She hadn’t bothered to speak with them much at all, aside from her scrambled, broken explanation of how they had ended up there. They had been understanding, though, leaving her to her quiet corner while lingering close enough to still support her.
Her head snapped up as footsteps approached, then paused in front of them. The doctor. Hana leapt to her feet, Saeyoung’s hoodie hugged tight to her chest.
“How is he?” she asked urgently. The woman said nothing for a moment, her expression somber. “How is he?” she demanded again, more forcefully now. The doctor shook her head, and the world felt as though it had begun to spin.
“I’m so sorry. We did all we could, but the bullet caused…”
Every word that followed sounded distant and muffled. She struggled to catch her breath as the oxygen seemed to rush from the room, and her fingers dug into the fabric in her hands until they hurt. As realization set in, grief crashed over her in a violent, overwhelming wave. A sudden, broken wail tore from her chest, and her legs gave out beneath her. She was only dimly aware of Zen and Yoosung catching each of her arms, keeping her from collapsing to the floor in a sobbing heap. They were shaking too. She could hear Jaehee’s faint whimpers as she wept and the exchange of serious words as Jumin, ever the stoic, took the lead in handling things with the doctor. She didn’t process any of it, however.
Gone… he’s gone…
The thought played on repeat, sharp and torturous. She allowed the two men to lead her back to the row of seats and was persuaded to lie down. She curled in on herself, wrapping the hoodie around her like a blanket. It still smelled like him. She could feel Jaehee sit beside her, and the woman’s small hand began brushing tenderly through her hair.
Hana’s body was unbearably heavy. She felt as though she was sinking further into the unforgiving plastic seats. She had no idea how much time had passed, and she didn’t care as she pulled the hoodie tighter, desperate to imagine his arms around her one last time. Maybe if she held it close enough, she could trick herself into believing he was still there.
Days passed in a surreal state, morning bleeding into night with little to separate the two. Hana no longer knew how long it had been, maybe a week, maybe two? Jumin and Jaehee had arranged for her to be returned to her apartment, and she hadn’t left since. Zen and Yoosung had been tireless in their efforts to bring her around with regular calls, texts, and food deliveries.
None of it mattered, though. She couldn’t pull herself out from under the oppressive grief.
She had spent her first days home hunched over her laptop, trying her best to learn anything she could about Saeran and Mint Eye, Saeyoung’s hoodie draped over her shoulders. Without any of his skills or knowledge, however, it was fruitless. Their secrets were too well buried. He was gone, and she was useless.
Now, Hana was curled up on her couch as she had been for who knows how long, drifting in and out of a troubled sleep. For a time, her bleary gaze rested on the cat robot that was perched on the edge of her coffee table. Its sightless blue eyes bore into her. She had hoped it would bring her comfort, but its playful, cutesy speech had only twisted the knife, so she turned it off.
With trembling hands, she pulled out her phone. Beyond the dozens of ignored notifications, the lock screen prominently displayed the one picture they had taken together. The only one there would ever be. She stared at it, numb, the image blurred and distorted by the tears in her eyes.
“Saeyoung…what am I supposed to do…”
The phone slipped from her hands, clattering to the floor. She didn’t even flinch. Her arms felt like stone, her chest hollow, her mind fraying at the edges, and soon sleep was dragging her back under.