Nothing.
No sound.
No light.
No memory.
For a moment—
Mira didn't exist.
Then—
A breath.
Sharp.
Painful.
Air rushed into her lungs like fire.
Her body jerked violently.
A gasp tore through her chest.
And suddenly—
She was back.
Not in fragments.
Not in illusions.
But in a body.
Her body.
Her eyes snapped open.
Bright light flooded her vision.
Too harsh.
Too real.
She blinked rapidly.
Shapes blurred.
Then slowly—
Focused.
A ceiling.
White.
Plain.
Still.
No flicker.
No glitch.
Her chest rose and fell unevenly.
Each breath heavy.
Real.
A sound reached her.
Faint at first—
Then clearer.
Beeping.
Irregular.
Then stabilizing.
Mira turned her head slightly.
Machines beside her.
Wires attached to her arms.
A monitor flashing rapidly—
Now adjusting.
Her heart rate climbing.
Matching how she felt.
Her fingers twitched.
Slow.
Weak.
But responsive.
Her throat burned.
Dry.
She tried to speak—
But only a broken sound came out.
Still—
It was hers.
A sudden movement beside her.
A chair scraping the floor.
"Mira…?"
Her heart skipped.
That voice—
She turned her head further.
Slowly.
Painfully.
And saw her.
Her mother.
Eyes wide.
Filled with disbelief—
And tears.
"Mira… can you hear me?"
This time—
The voice didn't echo.
Didn't distort.
It stayed.
Mira stared at her.
Trying to process.
Trying to accept.
This was real.
Not constructed.
Not controlled.
Real.
Her lips parted slightly.
"M… maa…"
The word came out weak.
Broken.
But complete.
Her mother's hand flew to her mouth.
A sob escaped her.
"She's awake—!"
Her voice trembled.
Loud now.
Real.
Footsteps rushed in.
Fast.
Urgent.
Doctors.
Nurses.
Voices overlapping.
"She's responding."
"Check vitals."
"Stay with me, Mira."
Hands moved around her.
Adjusting.
Checking.
But Mira—
Was barely focused on them.
Because something felt… different.
Something missing.
Her chest tightened.
Her eyes scanned the room.
Searching.
Not for machines.
Not for reality.
For him.
Her breath hitched.
He wasn't there.
Of course he wasn't.
A part of her already knew that.
But knowing—
Didn't make it easier.
Her fingers curled slightly.
Empty.
The place where he used to stand—
Now just space.
Her heart ached.
Deep.
Real pain.
Not illusion.
Not distraction.
Loss.
A single tear slid down her temple.
No one noticed.
Or maybe—
They thought it was from waking up.
But it wasn't.
It was goodbye.
Mira closed her eyes for a moment.
Not to escape.
But to hold onto something.
A memory.
A feeling.
A presence that once felt more real than anything.
"Does this feel fake to you?"
His voice echoed softly in her mind.
She let out a shaky breath.
"No…"
She whispered internally.
"It never did."
Her eyes opened again.
This time—
Stronger.
Grounded.
Because even though he was gone—
What she felt—
Was real.
And that—
Would stay.
The monitor beside her beeped steadily now.
Perfectly aligned with her heartbeat.
Not controlled.
Not programmed.
Just… alive.
And for the first time—
Mira didn't question it.
She accepted it.
Fully.
But somewhere—
Deep within her mind—
A faint voice remained.
Not loud.
Not controlling.
Just… present.
Waiting.