This extract from Dark Prince by Christine Feehan captures a deeply emotional moment between characters, underlining the power of shared experience and empathy. Mikhail’s act of replaying recent events in his mind for Raven demonstrates an attempt to connect and communicate the gravity of what transpired. It highlights how revisiting memories can serve as a means to process trauma, forge understanding, or provide reassurance. Raven’s visceral reaction — feeling as if hit square in the stomach — conveys both emotional and potentially physical shock, illustrating how deeply the events affect her. Such a portrayal resonates with readers as it taps into universal experiences of pain, vulnerability, and empathy. The brief phrase "he assured" indicates an attempt to comfort or affirm, though the incomplete clause leaves some ambiguity which heightens the tension, inviting the reader to ponder the nature and sufficiency of the reassurance. Through this short passage, Feehan communicates complex emotional states with minimal yet vivid language, emphasizing how moments of trauma and empathetic exchange play crucial roles in character development and the narrative arc. It reminds us how literature often mirrors real human interactions where words are partially spoken, emotions brimming beneath the surface, and understanding is as much felt as it is said.