Chapter 36 Fractured Illusion

• "In the wreckage of shattered dreams, even the most fervent illusions can bleed. What is loved beyond reason often lies in ruins, a testament to the peril of unbridled desire."
• — Viktor Giovanni
• The cold morning air cuts through the thin veil of sleep still clinging to me. I sit up, rubbing my eyes, trying to shake off the restless night. My body aches from tossing and turning, my mind weighed down by dreams that feel too close to reality. I drag myself to the shower, hoping the hot water will wash away the heaviness, but even as I step under the stream, I feel the tightness in my chest persist.