The doors hissed open, admitting Dr. Aris and a team of orderlies.
They didn't come with a simple tray; they came with a rolling gurney equipped with heavy, padded restraints. The sterile, metallic scent of the medical wing rushed in, cutting through the steam and the salt.
"No... Cilian, stop," Ren breathed, his fingers digging into Cilian's unbuttoned shirt, gripping the fabric so hard his knuckles turned white.
It was a desperate, instinctive clutch at the only person nearby, even if that person was his tormentor. "Please, don't do this."
Cilian's expression didn't shift. He looked down at Ren's hands, then back into his eyes with a terrifyingly calm resolve.
"Like I said, you didn't stop when I asked you to, Ren. You were going to kill our child."
