“I lost myself to darkness, then. Floating in a warm pool of blackness that beckoned me down and down. Dimly, I heard Bjorn calling my name but I couldn’t move my body to swim back up to him. Wasn’t sure I wanted to. Going back meant pain and grief and loneliness. Why should I fight for that? “This is not your end, daughter,” a gentle voice answered. “You must battle on, for them.” “I don’t want to,” I answered, not sure whether it was a truth or a lie. “I don’t want to go back.” “You must,” a harsher voice, devoid of patience, snarled. “For yourself.” Hands pressed against my back, lifting me through the dark waters. I struggled, trying to escape back down, but I could not slip their grip. Higher they pushed me, pain burning through my body as I drew closer to the surface. “No,” I moaned as the burning intensified. “It hurts!”