281 [Bonus chapter] Not the Answer I Expected

~ ZARA ~

I started to drift, my body growing heavy and the sound of my own breathing echoing in my skull until it drew me deeper into that dark, half-aware place of half-sleep, where I was hidden in my own head, but aware of things around me as if they were only present distantly.

My mind was drifting.

Something in the back of my head thrilled, and there was a feeling in my stomach that important things were about to happen, though everything was vague and formless and I was still aware of myself.

But then there was a noise like the door opening and I was sucked out of that deep, subterranean place, and as everything rushed back to the surface, I had two thoughts.

The first was, fucking Ash interrupting me just when I was going to sleep!

The second one was… what if it wasn't Ash?

Adrenaline jolted through me as my mind flickered images of malicious Physicist men, or unseen assassins entering my apartment. I gasped and sat up straight.