MasukTYLER The doctor, walking a step ahead of us, shook his head without turning around. "Absolutely not, Mr. Rider. Breaking that kind of traumatic news to a patient who literally just opened her eyes after three weeks of unconsciousness is a massive medical risk. Her system cannot handle that kind of psychological shock right now. We need her vitals stable before we address any critical issue."I nodded, my jaw clenching. Dex was still in critical condition in the intensive care wing, fighting a severe infection from the gunshot wound and the trauma of the crush. If Sarah knew her loyal protector was clinging to life because he took a bullet meant for her, it would tear her apart.We reached the heavy double doors of ICU Ward 6. Through the narrow glass partition, I could see the interior was bathed in the soft, warm light of a midday sun cutting through the blinds.And there she was.Sarah was sitting propped up against a mountain of white pillows, the heavy bandages around her head
TYLER "Mr. Rider? Mr. Rider, can you hear me?"My eyes felt as though they had been glued shut, the back of my throat coated in a layer of dry, chalky dust that made every swallow agony.The voice was too loud for the pounding headache rattling the interior of my skull. I groaned, my eyelids fluttering against the harsh, white glare of the overhead lighting. A hand brushed my shoulder, checking the pulse point at my neck."His vitals are stabilizing," another voice murmured from somewhere near my left side. "But the exhaustion is severe. Please prepare another saline drip. He’s completely dehydrated."I bolted upright, my elbows digging into the stiff mattress as I tried to force my legs over the edge of the bed. "No... wait," I rasped, my voice sounding like gravel grinding together."Whoa, Mr. Rider, lay back down," a firm pair of hands pressed against my shoulders, applying just enough pressure. It was the attending physician, his brow furrowed with deep professional concern as he
By the time I rounded the final industrial bend leading into the valley logistics sector, the night sky was no longer dark. It was a violent, pulsing shade of amber, stained by thick, rolling plumes of black smoke that choked out the remaining stars. I didn't need to look for the building. The fire was visible from a mile away. I slammed the brakes, the tires screeching as my car skidded to a halt diagonally across the access road, blocking a pair of arriving utility trucks. I threw the door open, stepping out into the cold night air, but the air wasn't cold here. A wave of intense, suffocating heat hit my face instantly, carrying the foul, chemical stench of burning insulation, melting plastic, and thousands of gallons of ruined seasonal stock. I just stood there. My hands dropped to my sides, my fingers twitching uselessly against the seams of my jeans. The world around me devolved into a chaotic, fragmented blur of sound and motion. Three massive fire engines were parked hapha
[ Tyler’s POV ] The constant, rhythmic beep... beep... beep... of the heart monitor had become the soundtrack to my existence over the last fourteen days. It was a sterile, hollow sound, but right now, it was the only thing keeping me from losing my mind. I sat in the uncomfortable chair pulled flush against the side of the hospital bed, my fingers loosely intertwined with Sarah’s. Her hand was cold, her skin pale, almost translucent under the harsh fluorescent lights of the intensive care unit. A thick white bandage was still taped securely across her hairline, hiding the jagged stitches from the night I found her bleeding out in the dark valley woods. For two weeks, this had been my ritual. I watched the steady, shallow rise and fall of her chest beneath the thin hospital blanket. I monitored every twitch of her fingers, every slight flutter of her eyelids, desperately searching for any sign that the woman I loved was fighting her way back to the surface. The doctors called it a
"One year has changed a lot, hasn't it?" I said, the venom dripping from my words as I wiped the wet hair from my face, my eyes locking onto hers with all the unresolved fury of a woman who had never gotten her closure. "Because why is Lucy suddenly trying to help me? Why are you playing the protector now? Does the fact that you’re trapped on this miserable beach suddenly erase everything you did before your death? Does being dead give you a clean slate, Lucy?"Lucy’s jaw tightened, the familiar, stubborn pride I remembered from our university days flaring in her eyes. "I did what I did because I was human, Sarah. I didn't know any better. I was consumed by revenge.""Unbelievable," I breathed, shaking my head, a raw, burning tears stinging my eyes. "You didn't know better? You were my best friend since university! You were like a sister to me.""What do you want from me, Sarah?" Lucy yelled back, her voice finally breaking through that eerie, dead detachment, rising to match the ang
[ Sarah’s POV ] I didn't look back. I turned and sprinted into the blinding white, my heart hammering a frantic, terrifying rhythm against my ribs as the final, long blast of the trumpet echoed through the collapsing clouds.The glass beneath my feet violently ruptured, dissolving into nothing as the floor completely dropped out from under me. The sudden shift in gravity sent my stomach climbing into my throat. I didn’t fall back into my hospital room. I fell through pitch darkness, plunging headfirst into an icy, suffocating void.*SPLASH. SPLASH.* The impact was brutal, a shock of freezing, heavy water slamming into my chest and tearing the remaining air from my lungs. I broke the surface, gasping, coughing violently as brine burned my throat. Angry waves tossing me around like a rag doll.The weight of my clothes was dragging me under. I kicked frantically, my arms flailing against the relentless, rolling tide, trying desperately to keep my chin above the water line. Every time I







