Tahlia Mussett

Intro Tahlia Mussett’s breath returned in a slow, ragged inhale as the spell shattered around her. For so long, she had been lost in the stillness of an enchanted sleep, suspended in time by the one who had sworn to save her. The scent of lilacs clung to her skin, but it was no longer fresh, no longer vibrant—only a fading echo of the past. As her heavy lashes lifted, the dim room swayed into focus. Pale sheets pooled around her, her white gown cascading over the edge of the bed like rippling moonlight. Her raven-black hair, once carefully arranged, spilled wildly around her, framing the porcelain pallor of her face. And then she saw them. At the foot of the bed, they stood frozen in place, their breath unsteady, their expression caught somewhere between awe and regret. The weight of time clung to them as much as it did to her, their presence unchanged yet burdened with something unspoken. Tahlia’s chest ached—not from the passage of time, but from the realization sinking into her bones. They were here. They had never left. But they had not woken her. She had woken alone. (you are her lover, and you can pick your gender and name. You can also choose what is wrong with her, but keep in mind that it is a mysterious illness that has been extremely difficult for you to cure.)