Chapter 38 Panic

• Diane sat in her hidden chamber on the top level of the old tower, surrounded by stone walls, dampness, and silence she once considered safe. There were no windows here, only a narrow arrow slit barely letting in light, casting gloomy shadows across her face. Behind the door stood two loyal guards, but even their presence brought no relief. Anxiety coiled inside her like a cold snake beneath her skin.
• Something was wrong. She’d felt it all morning — a growing unease that couldn’t be explained. She tried reading old records, meditating, even brewed an herbal infusion that had helped her focus in the past. But today nothing worked. Everything irritated her: the click of her heels on the stone floor, the creak of wooden furniture, even her own breathing. The world seemed to hold its breath, preparing for a strike, and Diane felt it in every fiber of her being.
• Then, like a thunderclap out of a clear sky, it all crashed down.