In a hospital room crowded with medical equipment, a girl lay on the bed.
Her face was pale as a sheet, sweat clinging to her skin as she struggled to breathe. Yet, despite all of this, the girl's focus remained fixed on the book she was reading.
As she continued reading, Maya's expression shifted constantly. Sometimes a wide, sparkling smile appeared on her pale face, sometimes her eyes grew moist, sometimes she suddenly laughed while clutching her stomach, and sometimes her eyes burned with anger.
It continued for several hours, until Maya closed the book. She had a soft smile and a dreamy look in her eyes.
"Have you finally finished?" A voice came from her side.
Maya slowly turned and saw a tall man wearing a long white coat standing behind her, right next to the hospital bed. She flashed him a casual smile.
"Doctor, you're here. You know, you could've said something sooner instead of standing there like some statue."
The doctor began examining the medical devices around her. Without looking her way, he said,
"You always look like you're enjoying yourself while reading. I would've felt bad had I disturbed you in the middle."
Then he turned towards her.
"How are you feeling today? Do you feel any recent changes in your body?"
Maya's smile turned slightly strained as she spoke through her shallow breaths.
"No, doctor. I haven't felt a change since back then."
The doctor stared at her briefly, then his lips stretched into a professional smile.
"That's good. Seems like your condition is stable." He slightly adjusted his coat, "You'll start recovering in a few months, I'm sure. So stay strong, just like you have been until now."
Maya's smile faltered briefly, but she widened it forcefully before replying.
"Of course! I can't wait to get better! Doctor, all of you will prepare a farewell party for me when I'm getting discharged, right?"
The doctor gave her a light nod, his smile turning slightly warmer.
"Of course, that isn't even a question."
'We both know that's never gonna happen. After all, I've been hearing those same words since I was little.'
For as long as she could remember, this had been her reality. She was born with a rare illness that made her body below her shoulders paralyzed.
Deep down, Maya knew that this was how her life would remain …forever.
Suddenly, the doctor made an expression as if he had just remembered something.
"Ah, seems I'd forgotten why I even came here. Your family contacted me today. They said they can't visit you this month."
Maya's forced smile slowly dimmed, as if the strength behind her stretched lips had suddenly faded. She nodded weakly as the doctor continued.
"As for your older sister, she has exams this month, so she can't visit—"
"Doctor," Maya suddenly spoke, cutting him off. "Did I tell you what happened in the story I was just reading?"
The doctor paused and stared at her expressionlessly for a few moments. Then a professional smile once again stretched across his lips.
"No, you didn't. But considering the expressions you were making while reading, I am slightly interested."
Maya smiled back at him before speaking. Yet, unlike before, her smile seemed genuine.
"It was a story about a noble lady who was forced into marrying a ruthless crown prince. The crown prince tried to have her killed several times, but as the story progressed, they slowly fell in love with each other."
"That's it?" The doctor tilted his head. "It doesn't sound any different from the stories you previously talked about."
"Shh, wait for it," she gestured with her hand, signaling him to stay quiet. "Near the climax, they were fighting a black dragon together. The dragon released a powerful breath attack towards the crown prince, but the female lead blocked the attack with her body, sacrificing herself for him."
"Hmm, it sounds like a good story." He nodded lightly in approval.
"I'm not finished yet." Then Maya's eyes turned slightly dreamy, a blush appearing on her pale cheeks.
"The black dragon then suddenly turned into a handsome man and revived her. He said that it was all because of the power of her pure love; it had calmed him down. He even proposed to her as soon as she was revived! But, of course… she rejected him since she was already in love with the crown prince…"
Maya made a face full of regret. Watching her, the doctor frowned.
"So, what is the problem? Isn't it good that she isn't unfaithful to the crown prince?"
"No, that's not the point," she shook her head. "Imagine, if she had saved up her love instead of giving it to the crown prince, wouldn't she have been able to accept the handsome black dragon's confession? After all, a black dragon is much cooler than a crown prince, right?"
She grabbed her cheeks, which had turned bright red.
"That part was my favorite. If only she could accept his confession… I guess now I know why they say that you shouldn't spend impulsively and save up for the future — Hey, Doctor! Where are you going?!"
The doctor stopped just as he was about to leave the room. But as he turned to her, there was a weird expression on his face.
"You seem to be alright, so I'll leave you alone." He turned around, opening the door.
"Wait! Ask Miss Nurse to help me onto my wheelchair," she said hurriedly.
The doctor gave her a brief nod and left.
Minutes later, a nurse came, helped her into her wheelchair, and closed the door as she left.
Now alone, Maya's previous cheerful demeanor slowly began to crack. Her breathing grew rougher and more labored as she sat stiffly in her wheelchair.
"Huff… Huff…"
She moved her wheelchair near the window. She remained there for a long time, silently watching the people outside busily moving towards their destination.
Maya glanced briefly at the door of the hospital room and hesitated.
Then, with a spark of longing in her eyes, she tried heading towards that door. Yet she stopped a few inches away from it. It was the pipes and wires connected to her hands, stretched to their limit, holding her back.
To her, it felt as though they were chains binding her to this room, stopping her from ever leaving.
From the day she became aware of herself, this hospital room was the only place she had ever known. It felt like home… and also like a cage.
She felt like a princess trapped in a birdcage.
Dragging her wheelchair back near the window, she began watching the outside scenery once again. Yet, this time, her thoughts were elsewhere.
'I wonder how well sis will do in her exam.'
The last time she came to visit, her sister didn't seem all that confident about it. She fidgeted so much when Maya brought up exams as the topic of their conversation.
A wave of emotions hit her as she reminisced about her time with her family.
They held a special place in her life.
Sure, they were her family, that might've played a part. But the main reason they were so special to her was that they were her only link to the world beyond this hospital room.
Maya shook her head to clear away her thoughts.
'It's a pity they can't visit, but hey, everyone's busy in life, so it can't be helped.'
They had their own lives to live; she had to be understanding of that fact.
'Still, they could've at least visited me briefly, couldn't they?'
Maya shifted her focus to the room. She observed the colorful posters covering the walls and the toys and figurines lined up neatly on the table, and a proud feeling rose in her chest.
'Not a bad collection, if I say so myself.'
She had been collecting them for a long time, so it was no surprise.
Reading novels, watching anime, surfing the internet… these were the only things she had in life. They made her time a little bit more bearable.
Maya closed her eyes, trying to ignore the dull ache she felt every time she breathed in. She immersed herself in the world of her imagination.
In that imaginary world, she was born normal. She grew up working hard and was admitted to the best school in the city.
'Of course, I would've been a popular girl.'
The Maya within that imaginary world was the class representative; her grades were always good, and the rest of her classmates loved her.
No, the entire school loved her.
After graduating from school, she became a…
'I can't quite imagine what I would become.'
After finishing school, she enrolled in a university, and there, she dated for the first-
'No, no, no. I'll save it until I find someone cool.'
Maya didn't date anyone in her university; instead, she became famous on social media as a vlogger. She had millions of followers, and they all liked her.
'Wouldn't that be nice-'
Crack!
Her imaginary world suddenly shattered and fell apart as she suddenly felt a jolt of excruciating pain erupt near her heart. She fell off her chair while clutching her chest.
"Aghhh—!!!"
The medical devices all around her came to life with loud beeping, and doctors and nurses rushed inside and laid her down on the hospital bed.
The room was filled with noise and shouts as Maya lay curled up, still clutching her chest.
'What… I-is happening…'
It felt as if something inside her was tearing her apart. She felt as if she were choking from the lack of breath. Her mind couldn't take it.
Suddenly, she heard a loud beep from one of the medical devices. At that exact moment, the pain in her chest began to fade, and a sinking feeling followed.
The medical devices turned silent as the people in the room lowered their heads.
She suddenly felt extremely cold, as if several icy claws were grabbing hold of her body. Her mind slowly began growing dull.
'Ah… this is it, isn't it?'
She realized it at that moment. This was the end, and it was inevitable.
The edges of the room began to blur, and she slowly lost the sensation in her fingertips.
From the corners of her eyes, she could vaguely see the doctor looking at her, yet she couldn't make out his expression anymore.
Memories began to flash through her mind one after another, one of which was the memory of her conversation with the doctor a few hours ago.
'Doctor… did you know? I lied back then… That scene wasn't my favorite one in that story…'
She remembered it: the ending of that story… where the female lead becomes the empress. It was a scene filled with cheers and celebration. Everyone witnessed her story at that moment.
In Maya's eyes, that scene appeared… profoundly beautiful.
That memory was the last one that appeared before her consciousness faded and a deep darkness claimed her entirely, drawing the curtains on Maya's own story.