Drowning in the Dark

The darkness closed in around me like a suffocating shroud, and I felt myself being pulled under. Hange's voice was a distant echo, a desperate cry for me to stay with him, but I couldn't hear him. My mind was a maelstrom of emotions, a whirlpool of fear and anxiety that threatened to consume me. As I spiralled down, I felt a familiar sense of disconnection, as if I was floating above my body, watching myself from afar. My heart was racing, my breath coming in short gasps, and my vision was blurring at the edges. I was losing myself, fragmenting into a million pieces, and I couldn't find my way back. Hange's arms were around me, holding me tight, but I couldn't feel him. His voice was a gentle whisper in my ear, a soothing melody that usually calmed my frazzled nerves, but tonight it was just a distant hum. I was adrift, lost in a sea of darkness, and I couldn't find my way back to shore. Suddenly, I was back in my childhood, reliving the memories I'd tried so hard to bury. The sensory overload was crushing me, a tidal wave of sights and sounds that I couldn't process. I was a child again, lost and scared, and I didn't know how to escape. Hange's voice cut through the noise, a clear and steady presence that anchored me to reality. "Baby, please, come back to me. I'm here, I've got you." His arms tightened around me, holding me close, and I felt a spark of recognition. I was safe, I was loved, and I was not alone. Slowly, I began to surface, my mind clearing as I focused on Hange's voice. I was still shaking, still trembling with fear, but I was aware of him, of his presence, of his love. I reached out, my hands grasping for him, and he pulled me close, holding me tight. As I buried my face in his chest, I felt a sense of peace wash over me. I was home, I was safe, and I was loved. But as I looked up at Hange, I saw something in his eyes that made my heart skip a beat. A look of guilt, of shame, of regret. What was he hiding? And why did I get the feeling that this was just the beginning of a much larger storm?