Crow felt dizzy. He could tell he wasn’t getting enough air. Unable to slow his shallow breathing, he was beginning to wonder if his panic was going to make him pass out this time. It was hard to say which was worse: staying awake and continuing to endure the vivid images and nauseating odor of blood or letting himself fall asleep and risking getting trapped in the nightmare all over again. He wasn’t sure why he was even bothering to compare the two though. It wasn’t like he had a choice if he was going to hyperventilate into unconsciousness. Perhaps his overwhelmed mind just needed something else to think about that wasn’t quite as stressful as everything else.

[color=fff79a][b]“Crow, it’s alright. You’re alright.”[/b][/color]

The sound of a voice caught the viceroy’s attention. It sounded warm and familiar and was just enough to give him pause in the midst of his panic. [i]Penelope?[/i] He bit his lip. It sounded like her, but he’d also thought he could smell blood, and that had all been in his head. Who was to say that this time was any different? The thought was discouraging, but it seemed legitimate enough to him. It was also enough to dissuade him from opening his eyes to find out if she was really there or not. After all, it would have been much worse for him to get his hopes up and then see that he really had just imagined her. He didn’t know if he could take that.

[color=fff79a][b]“Remember, breathe in, hold it, and then let it out through your mouth.”[/b][/color]

Vaguely, Penelope’s words sounded familiar to him. He almost felt like he could remember what she was talking about, but the memory was just out of reach. The thought was frustrating to him. He wanted to press into it more, but it was difficult when the delusions of his nightmare were so much more prominent in his mind. Still, desperate for relief, he forced himself to try.

Fighting back against the overbearing vision of his dream, Crow managed to think back to their conversation the night before. He recalled that she had told him the same thing about breathing then too, but why? What was so important about breathing that she was telling him again now?

[i]Escape. It’s an escape.[/i]

Suddenly, his heart leapt into his throat as he realized she was telling him how to get out of his panic. His hope didn’t last long, however. Sure, she had given him a solution, but he didn’t know if he could do it. He was currently breathing so rapidly that he had just been wondering if he would pass out moments before. It seemed impossible that he could get his breath under control well enough to follow her directions. Still, he had to try.

Attempting to do what Penelope said, Crow inhaled shakily. Unfortunately, as hard as he tried to hold his breath, he couldn’t stop the impulse to let it out again. He gasped, his lungs snapping shut in protest as he lost control once again. The failure made his heart race wildly as tendrils of doubt began to creep over his mind. What if he couldn’t escape? What if he wasn’t strong enough? What if he was stuck in the nightmare for good this time? His thoughts began to spiral, causing him to panic more.

“I-I can’t,” he choked out. While he still wasn’t sure if Penelope was really beside him, he wanted to talk to her, so he responded anyway. He went on between ragged breaths, “It’s too hard… I can’t do it.”