Crossing the Border (Rania) novel Chapter 246

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**He Asked Me to Leave My Dreams, So I Decided to Make Him One of Them by Mira Lorian**
**Chapter 246**

Rania drifted in and out of awareness, caught in a surreal haze, as though she were submerged beneath the surface of water, struggling to find her way back to the light. The weight on her chest felt unbearable, and a sharp pain radiated from her neck, adding to her confusion.

Yet, amidst the overwhelming sensations, there existed a warmth that wrapped around her like a comforting blanket. A gentle, persistent voice echoed in her mind, calling her name with a sense of urgency that she couldn’t ignore. She strained to focus on that familiar sound, the one she would recognize anywhere, even in the depths of her subconscious.

Maximus?

With great effort, she attempted to pry her eyes open, battling the fatigue that clung to her like a heavy fog, threatening to pull her back into the abyss. Sleepiness tugged at her, but there was a fierce determination within her—a force compelling her to awaken.

She had to awaken. Maximus’s voice was laced with despair, and the mere thought of his sorrow pierced her heart. What could have happened to him? Why did he sound so crushed? The questions swirled in her mind, each one more frantic than the last. She couldn’t let him suffer alone.

Rania’s need to comfort her mate surged within her, overpowering the desire to surrender to the darkness that beckoned her. With monumental effort, she summoned every ounce of strength she had left and managed to move her body, finally opening her eyes.

It was as if she were indeed submerged in water…

Yet, through the murky depths, she glimpsed a bright beam of sunlight filtering down, beckoning her from above. She knew she had to swim toward that radiant source, to escape the clutches of this shadowy realm.

I must return to Maximus, she thought fiercely.

With painstaking effort, Rania pushed herself upward, each movement feeling heavier than the last. The surface seemed tantalizingly close yet frustratingly distant, as if it were teasing her with its proximity.

Strangely, she felt no panic; she could breathe as if the water were nothing more than air. But there was no time to ponder this oddity. Her focus remained on rising, on reaching the light.

But as she swam, the sun became obscured by dark clouds, and the warmth of its rays slipped away. The bright light vanished, leaving her in an oppressive darkness that swallowed her whole.

Everything around her was pitch black. She couldn’t even see her own hands, her fingers lost in the void.

Suddenly, the sensation of swimming faded, and she found herself floating, suspended in the inky blackness. She struggled to find direction, but it was as if the darkness itself conspired to keep her lost.

Rania closed her eyes for a moment, hoping to listen for Maximus’s voice once more, but it had disappeared, leaving her in a suffocating silence that felt like a heavy shroud.

She attempted to calm her racing heart, but it was a futile endeavor in this disorienting space. Time lost its meaning, stretching and twisting in ways she couldn’t comprehend. Just when despair began to creep in, she felt something solid beneath her feet.