The sterile white walls of the hospital room had become all too familiar to Aurelia Valemont.
Seven days.
Seven long, aching days of watching her little brother lie still beneath thin, white sheets.
The steady beep of the heart monitor. The slow rise and fall of his chest. Those were the only signs that he was still alive.
The others. Cedric, Cassian, Eleanora, Serena. They had all woken within the first day.
Shaken, injured, but conscious. They visited often, sometimes with gifts. Sometimes with jokes that didn't quite land.
Their voices grew quieter each day, their smiles thinner.
Even Reo and Luna had tried to visit once. But security had stopped them at the entrance.
Protocols were strict for survivors of the Black Gate incident. No unauthorized visitors. No unnecessary risks.
Not that it mattered. Aurelia hadn't left his side.
She sat in the same chair every night. The same coat draped around her shoulders. Her dark hair had lost its usual polish.
