For the first time in years, Shail found himself dreaming like he used to as a child. It left his sleep restless and his breathing uneven. Before him, a black pit opened up. No air moved in it, as if the pit lead to nothing. It was a giant vacuum that didn't belong in this world. Shail stood on the edge of it, watching his sandals push closer to the edge. He did everything he could to pull back, but some other force pushed him, or maybe pulled him forward. No matter how he screamed or struggled, his limbs didn't obey. Not even a whisper made it out of him.

So this was death. This pit was the oppressive heaviness inside him where all air was squeezed out. Rocks crumbled beneath his sandals, tumbling down into the pit. By now, they stuck out an inch into that darkness. Just when he thought he might fall though, a whisper of wind floated over the pit. His lungs breathed in deep, fresh air, like flowers that bloomed for one week in the desert. Across the darkness, a white horse tossed its mane. Like nothing, it walked across the air toward him, kneeing the ground as if to say, 'why don't you help yourself?' And just like that, he could.

A second later, the pit vanished and Shail blinked his eyes. He found himself in the cave again and his heart beating just a little bit faster. Not seeing Gemini immediately, he stumbled from the bed and made his way to the cave entrance again. There he sat, looking out at the sky that now appeared just past midday. He just...needed to breathe for a second. The dream was too raw.