Chapter 148: Awake

"I was completely terrified when I saw you suddenly appear - it really caught me off guard," Rhys explained in a hushed tone, attempting to keep his voice steady despite the trembling.

 "Remember when you said you wouldn't go off alone?" Rhys asked, taking a deep breath as he observed her breathing, recalling the intense fear he experienced when he couldn't locate her earlier in the washroom. "You promised that you'd wait for me."

, "I regret not being there," he muttered as he exhaled shakily and kissed her knuckles, squeezing his eyes shut. He had cried more today than ever before. 

"You shouldn't have been alone," he told her. He pondered if she had been frightened, if she had cried for help, or if she had understood the situation. The thought was so painful that his entire body recoiled.