Finn drove Leon back to the Deskmore mansion, the weight of silence enveloping them like a heavy shroud. Leon sat in the passenger seat, his body completely drained, an echo of exhaustion that painted him pale and lifeless. He hadn't slept a wink, his mind a chaotic storm of thoughts. Just the day before, James had rushed to inform Laya about Mira and the developments surrounding her condition.
As they arrived at the mansion, a suffocating quiet enveloped the place, a stillness that seemed to amplify the weight they all carried. Laya was waiting at the front door, her face a mix of hope and worry. As soon as she spotted them, she rushed forward, clutching little Mehul in her arms.
"Brother... Finn... how is Mira?" Laya's voice trembled with concern. Mehul, sensing his father's presence, instinctively reached his tiny hands out, yearning to be held.
But Leon, lost in an abyss of despair, felt like a ghost. He moved like a zombie, each step heavy with unspoken grief, and as he passed Laya and Mehul, he could barely muster a reaction. He walked straight to his room, retreating into solitude, leaving a painful silence behind.
"It's okay, Laya," Finn finally spoke up, sensing the weight of the moment. "She is out of danger... but hasn't woken up yet..." The words hung in the air, filled with both relief and sorrow. Mehul, noticing his father slipping away, felt a pang of heartbreak. "Bu.. bu.. bu..." He raised his arms desperately, his little voice trembling with hope, but Leon remained unresponsive, caught in a whirlwind of thoughts that drowned out the world around him.
"Finn... Leon... he..." Laya stammered, her efforts to comfort the child merging with her own anguish. "Oh... Mumu, come to uncle," Finn said softly, attempting to coax a smile from the little boy, wanting to shield him from the sadness that hung like a dark cloud. "He is fine... I guess..." But even Finn could feel the ache in his heart, knowing that fine was far from how Leon truly was.
As Leon entered his room, each step felt heavier, the weight of hopelessness pulling him down. His vision blurred, the walls closing in on him as he stumbled. In that moment of despair, he collapsed to the ground—a broken man grappling with fear and sorrow.