I reread the last several paragraphs over and over. Was Raelynn… dead-dead? What did he mean by the next world? Is that a euphemism for the void? Why can’t Euphridia find her? What happened to her body? Her soul? All the world’s light went out? Why did Euphridia’s wails cut off? Did Olethros do something to her, too?

I tore my gaze away from the screen. Tears spilled from my eyes, and my whole body shook uncontrollably. Why was I so upset about this? It was just a story… but… my chest tightened for the second time today, harder this time. Sweat poured down from my temples into my eyes, blurring my vision. A wave of fear and nausea hit me, and I put my head down on my desk, shutting out the harsh glare of the computer screen before me.

“It’s just a story, it’s just a story!” I tried to reason with myself, but it felt too real. I felt like I had lost something priceless. I was known to get overly invested in fiction, but this was ridiculous!

Do what the nurse taught you, Rachel. It’s just one of those again. I held my breath and slowly counted from one to five before exhaling with the same count and cadence. I repeated this until I could eventually open my eyes and lift my head. Pushing the laptop away, I grabbed a pen and paper, doodling complete and utter nonsense as I let the last waves of anxiety sweep over and through me. By the end of the attack, I was overcome with exhaustion, and the only thing I could do was slink from my chair to my bed. I pulled my blanket over my head and hid from the world for as long as possible.