The room was draped in heavy shadows, the only light emanating from a smartphone screen. Chloe sat on the edge of the bed, tears silently tracing paths down her cheeks as she stared at a photograph. In the image, a young man was looking away, a sleek BMW reflecting the sun in the background. In the foreground, Chloe was smiling brightly, her fingers formed into a playful "V" sign.
She let out a long, shuddering sigh. "Those days were so beautiful," she thought, her chest aching with a hollow longing. Now, those few fleeting days of happiness were all she had left to keep the darkness at bay.
The door creaked open. A boy, no older than fifteen, stepped into the room. He saw the glow of the screen and the slumped posture of his sister. He placed a hand over his heart, took a steadying breath, and closed the door softly behind him.
