𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐑𝐀
Zayne's voice caught in his throat. The stoic, unshakeable leader of the Scions suddenly looked entirely fragile. A thick, suffocating wave of emotion rolled over him, choking off his words completely. His jaw clenched, his throat bobbing violently as he refused to let a tear fall in front of me.
Unable to continue, he closed his eyes and blindly extended his arm, thrusting the brightly illustrated children's book toward his side.
Cyrus reached out, his pale fingers steady but tense as he took the book from Zayne's trembling grip. He adjusted his posture, clearing his throat to mask the thick silence that had enveloped the room. When Cyrus spoke, his cadence was sharper, cutting through the haze of the medical bay, yet weighted with the exact same devastating guilt.
Cyrus looked down at the glossy page, his eyes tracking the final lines of the chapter.
