Ken froze, a cold chill running down his spine. His face turned deathly pale as his mind raced through a thousand terrifying possibilities. The strength he had managed to regain over the last two days seemed to evaporate in an instant.
"My mum?" he whispered, his voice cracking. "Is... is she... is she dead?"
"No," Lucien replied, his tone grave but steady. "But there has been a rapid decline in her health. You need to see her now. We don't have time to waste, Ken."
Ken's hands began to shake violently. He looked at Lucien, a mixture of betrayal and agony flashing in his eyes. "Why did you hide it from me?" he asked, his voice low at first, before rising into a frantic scream as he leaped out of the bed. "Why did you hide it from me, Lucien?!"
