Mia sat at the edge of the hospital bed, her fingers trembling slightly as she held onto her mother's hand, careful as though too much pressure might break what little strength remained in her.
It felt wrong in a way she couldn't fully explain. Too light, too still, almost as though life itself had quietly slipped out of Selene Vale, leaving behind only a fragile shell that no longer responded.
Her throat tightened.
"She should be getting better," Mia murmured, her voice hoarse as her thumb brushed over her mother's knuckles in slow, restless circles. "She's supposed to fight… she always does."
But Selene didn't move.
The faint rise and fall beneath the thin hospital blanket was barely there, so subtle that Mia found herself watching it too closely, as though she might miss it if she blinked.
