LOGINAUTHOR’S POV. Aurora didn’t hesitate the moment she stepped fully into the room, the door clicking softly behind her as the world outside seemed to fall away, leaving only the steady hum of machines and the fragile boy lying on the hospital bed, and for a second, she just stood there, staring at him, her chest rising and falling unevenly as the weight of everything settled deeper into her bones. That was her son, her child. Seven years. Seven years stolen. Her steps were slow at first, almost uncertain, like she was afraid that if she moved too fast, this would all disappear like a cruel illusion, but then something inside her snapped into place, something fierce and unyielding, and she closed the distance between them quickly, reaching for him. Her fingers wrapped around Jaxon’s small hand, her grip tightening instinctively, like she needed to feel him, to confirm he was real, and the moment her skin touched his, something broke inside her. She sank into the chair beside his
AUTHOR’S POV. Aurora’s eyelids fluttered open slowly, her vision blurred at first, the bright overhead lights stinging her eyes as consciousness returned in fragments, her body feeling heavier than usual, like something had drained every ounce of strength from her, and for a few seconds, she simply lay there, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, trying to piece together where she was and how she got there. There was a faint, rhythmic beeping somewhere to her left, steady and clinical, and then she felt it—the warmth. A hand wrapped around hers, it felt firm and careful, almost…afraid. Her gaze shifted, her head turning slightly on the pillow, and that was when she saw him. Xavier. He was seated beside her bed, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his hand holding hers like he was afraid she would disappear if he let go, and the moment their eyes met, something in his expression shifted—relief, exhaustion, guilt—all crashing into one. Aurora frowned faintly, her brow
AUTHOR’S POV. The lab had grown quieter, but not calmer. Aurora sat in the chair as Mira carefully prepared the syringe, the faint clinking of glass and metal sounding louder than usual in the tense silence. Daniel stood by the monitor, already setting up the system to receive her sample, while Thomas hovered near him, arms crossed, his eyes flicking between Aurora and the screen. Rhea and Samuel remained by the analysis table, going over previous results, and Evelyn stood slightly apart, watching Aurora with an unreadable expression. Aurora didn’t say anything, she simply extended her arm.“Let’s do it,” she said quietly. Mira nodded, her voice softer than usual.“This might sting a little.” Aurora gave a small, almost distracted nod.“It’s fine.” The needle slid into her vein smoothly, and Mira drew the blood with steady hands, placing it into labeled vials. Daniel immediately stepped forward to take them, moving with urgency but also precision, as if one wrong move could co
AUTHOR’S POV. The cafeteria table had gone completely silent after Aurora’s words. “I found it. I know how we can get the antidote.” Every single member of her team—Mira, Daniel, Thomas, Rhea, Evelyn, and Samuel—was now staring at her, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten as hope surged through them all at once. They were waiting. Waiting for her to explain. Aurora could feel the weight of their expectations pressing down on her, but she did not rush her words. She took a slow breath, steadying her thoughts before speaking again. “I’m not sure,” she admitted honestly, her voice calm but firm, “but it is most likely the antidote.” Mira leaned forward slightly.“What do you mean, ‘most likely’?” Aurora’s eyes sharpened. “The antidote is not a chemical substance,” she said slowly, making sure every word landed, “but a DNA.” The table went quiet again. Thomas blinked.“What are you saying?” Rhea shook her head slightly, confusion evident on her face. “What are you trying to
AUTHOR’S POV. The lab had not known rest since the moment the sample arrived. Every available station was occupied, every piece of equipment in use, and every member of the research team moving with a kind of tense urgency that made the air feel heavy. Conversations overlapped, footsteps echoed, machines hummed, and through it all, one thing remained constant—pressure. Jaxon was running out of time. Aurora stood at the center of it all, her sleeves rolled up slightly, her gloves already stained from multiple rounds of testing. Her eyes were fixed on the monitor in front of her, scanning through lines of data that had begun to blur together from sheer repetition. Around her, her team worked just as intensely. “Run the analysis again,” Aurora said without looking up. “Focus on isolating the secondary compound this time.” One of the researchers nodded quickly. “On it.” Cole stood at the adjacent station, leaning slightly over a tray of samples as he adjusted the settings on the
AUTHOR’S. POV. Lilith stared at her phone for a few seconds after the call with Xavier ended. The corner of her lips slowly curled upward, forming a cold, amused smile. Across the room, a man’s voice suddenly broke the silence. “Who was that?” Lilith did not look surprised by the question. She leaned back slightly on the couch, crossing one leg over the other as she casually placed the phone on the glass table beside her. “That was Xavier.” The man sitting in the dimly lit room tilted his head slightly. “What does he want?” Lilith laughed softly, though there was nothing warm about the sound. “The antidote to the poison.” For a brief moment the room fell quiet.Then the man let out a low chuckle. “I can’t believe that he actually thinks you were in love with him.” Lilith rolled her eyes and leaned back against the couch cushions. “If only he knew that the only reason I came into his life in the first place was to gain access to his company documents,” she said with open
Aurora blinked.The shift was different this time. No sudden drag into the past. No replay of memories she had half-forgotten. No hidden betrayal waiting for her in the shadows.This was the present.And she knew it instantly.The scent of lilies and roses lingered heavy in the air, mingling with t
Aurora found herself standing outside Elara’s school.At first, confusion clouded her mind. She didn’t remember this day. She thought that perhaps for once, Fate had made a mistake, pulled her into the wrong memory. But no… Fate never made mistakes. It was deliberate. There was something here, some
The moment the front door closed behind Xavier, Lilith lingered in the living room, her lips curling into the kind of smile she would never allow anyone…least of all Xavier, to see. The tears had dried too quickly on her face, wiped away like smudges of paint from a stage performance. She wasn’t br
The hum of chatter filled the ice cream parlor, blending with the cheerful clink of spoons against glass cups. Aurora sat across from Elara at a small round table, the pastel walls and playful décor of the shop doing little to ease the heaviness in her chest.She stirred her melting scoop absentmin







