The first headache hit on a Tuesday morning, sharp and sudden behind his eyes. Draven rubbed his temples, closing his eyes for a moment, and told himself it was just dehydration. But the headaches kept coming. Sharp, throbbing pain that blurred his vision for minutes at a time. Once, he stood in the hallway and realized he couldn't remember why he’d walked there. The blankness lasted only a few seconds, but it terrified him. He told no one, not even Belle. He just drank more coffee, worked longer hours, and pretended everything was fine."You’re up at four in the morning again," Belle said gently one night, finding him at his desk, rubbing his forehead. "Draven, look at me. Your eyes are tired. You’ve been running on fumes for weeks.""I’m fine," he said, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Just finishing the quarterly reports. Once this quarter is over, I’ll slow down, I promise.""You said that last month. And the month before that." She stepped closer, her voice sof
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