Meghan,â whispered a voice, heart wrenchingly familiar, drawing me out of the void. I recognized it immediately, just as I realized it was a figment of my desperate imagination, because the real owner of that voice would never be here, talking to me.Ash?âWake up,â he murmured, his deep voice cutting through the layers of the darkness. âDonât do this. If you donât come out of this soon, youâll fade away and drift forever. Fight it. Come back to us.âI didnât want to wake up. There was nothing but pain waiting for me in the real world. If I was asleep, I couldnât feel anything. If I was asleep, I didnât have to face Ash and the cold contempt on his face when he looked at me. Darkness was my retreat, my sanctuary. I drew back from Ashâs voice, deeper into the comforting blackness. And, through the layer of dreams and delirium, I heard a quiet sob.âPlease.â A hand gripped mine, real and solid, anchoring me to the present. âI know what you must think of me, butâŠâ The voice broke off, took a ragged breath. âDonât leave,â it whispered. âMeghan, donât go. Come back to me.