In her dream, Ariana found herself back on the eerie, deserted street, haunted by a horde of grotesque corpses drenched in blood. They crawled and sprinted after her relentlessly, sending a shiver of terror down her spine. Ariana ran frantically, her heart pounding, but the nightmarish creatures multiplied, closing in on her until she was engulfed in their menacing presence.

“Ah!" Ariana jolted awake with a sharp scream, her body drenched in sweat and her breaths coming in rapid gasps. She remained in a daze, her heart racing from the intensity of the nightmare.

Holden's eyes flickered open as Ariana's scream pierced the silence.

Concern etched across his face, he sat up and switched on the bedside lamp. Wrapping his arms around her, he offered gentle comfort.

“What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" he asked.

As Holden spoke, he soothingly patted Ariana's back. "It's all right. I'm here with you. Don't be afraid.”

Nestled in Holden's embrace, Ariana remained unsettled by the earlier encounter. Despite her attempts to relax, she couldn't fall asleep again. Every rustle outside seemed amplified, keeping her in a state of restlessness as she tossed and turned.

Holding Ariana's wrist gently, Holden asked, "Are you having trouble falling asleep?"

"Yes," Ariana admitted, tucking herself in closer to Holden in search of a sense of security. However, despite her efforts, she remained flustered and unable to calm her racing thoughts.

Leaning against his chest, she wrapped her arms around him tightly, clinging to him like an octopus, desperate for the reassurance of his warmth and strength.

Listening to the steady rhythm of Holden's heartbeat, Ariana's nerves gradually eased.

Holden gently touched Ariana's head, his voice soft and caring as he asked, "Are you still feeling scared?"

Ariana nodded and whispered, “I keep feeling like someone's walking around outside."

Ariana became more uneasy as she spoke. Her arms around Holden's waist unconsciously tightened.

She also wanted to calm down and rest. But no matter how hard she tried, she still couldn't fall asleep. She began tossing and turning again. In the meantime, she didn't want to let go of Holden, so she kept her legs around his waist.

Ariana kept changing positions, and her legs rubbed against Holden's lower body from time to time.

Holden was aroused, but he tried his best to restrain himself. He used one of his hands to stop Ariana from moving so often. But she struggled and rubbed him even more.

Holden took a deep breath, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her into his arms. “If you can't fall asleep, you can do something else to divert your attention," he said.

“What do you mean?" Ariana looked at Holden in confusion.

Holden responded to her with a kiss.