Andrei

  I awoke to silence. A dead, distant silence.

  And then the footsteps. Soft, steady.

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  They echoed, followed by a rhythmic thud.

  The space around me seemed empty.

  I felt the floor. Stone.

  “Who are you? Why can’t I—”

  I felt a finger against my lips.

  And then the voice. Weaving through my thoughts.

  Familiar as if it had always been there.