White lights. Cold air. Beeping machines.
I blinked against the brightness, my throat raw, my limbs heavy. My chest rose slowly, like it hadn't breathed on its own in years.
"Wh…where…?" My voice cracked like dry leaves.
Then I saw him. Rylan.
Older. Softer. His hair a little longer, his face more tired, but his eyes… they were the same.
His eyes widened. He froze.
Then he shouted. "NURSE! SHE'S AWAKE! AVA—You're awake!"
My heart pounded. Awake from what?
I turned my head slowly, trying to piece together what was happening. My body felt foreign. My skin thinner. My memories—scattered.
"Wha—how long?" I asked, trying to sit up.
Rylan hesitated, his hand trembling as he helped me up.
"…Ten years."
The words echoed in my ears like thunder. Ten years?
I sucked in a breath. "What—what happened? Damien—where's Damien?"
His face fell for the first time.
My heart dropped. "Rylan?"
He looked away. "He's… he left. The day you fell. His father took him to Canada."
My throat tightened. "He left?"
"You fainted after the fight," Rylan said gently. "It was serious, Ava. The doctors said you might not wake up. Damien wanted to stay but… his father didn't give him a choice."
I closed my eyes.
Damien. His voice. His warmth. The kiss. The fight.
The pain. The words. "You're just like the rest."
Tears slipped down my cheeks before I could stop them.
I had woken up… but the pain was exactly where I had left it.
---
Canada – Damien's POV
Damien jerked upright in bed, drenched in sweat. His heart was racing.
Something was wrong. Or maybe… something had changed.
He pulled out the worn-out sketchbook from under his bed, flipping to the last page — Ava's face. He hadn't drawn anything since that night. Since she'd fallen.
Since he had broken her.
"Why do I feel like… she's back?" he whispered.
---
Back at the Hospital – Ezra and Chloe
Chloe rushed into the hallway, almost colliding into Ezra.
"She's awake," she panted. "Ezra. She's—she's really awake."
Ezra's eyes widened. "No way…"
She grabbed his hand without thinking, laughing through tears. "She's back."
Ezra couldn't help but smile — and somewhere deep inside him, he realized it wasn't just Ava he was worried about anymore.
It was Chloe.
---