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
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