He jolts awake as the first morning light filters into the room, his heart pounding, his mind racing. He glances over at Aniya, who is still peacefully asleep beside him. He watches her for a moment, her face relaxed, her body softened in sleep. And he feels a pang of regret, knowing that this moment, this easy, comfortable silence between them, is about to be shattered.

He carefully extracts himself from the bed, tucking the covers around Aniya. He sits on the edge of the bed for a moment, looking down at her, taking in the sight of her sleeping form one last time. He doesn’t want to do this, doesn’t want to ruin this, but he knows he has to.