The lights in Chamber 12 of Astrae Hospital were dimmed low, casting a warm amber glow over the quiet room.
Outside the high-tech glass panels, the luminous skyline of Neo-Luminara shimmered like a constellation of artificial stars against the dark night sky. Inside, time seemed to slow down.
Billy lay still in the hospital bed, his chest wrapped in a bio-synthetic brace that hummed softly with regenerative nanites. Fading bruises marred his face, a testament to the pain he had endured.
Across from him, Kaia rested in her own bed, an IV line gently threading into her wrist. Her usually sharp eyes were unfocused, lost in a fog of distant memories.
Silence enveloped them for a while, broken only by the occasional beep of medical monitors and the steady rhythm of their breathing.
Billy turned his head slightly, grimacing at the movement. "Hey," he said, his voice raspy yet warm. "You okay?"
