Alexander gasped sharply, his chest rising and falling as he shot upright. Sweat clung to his forehead, dripping down his temples as if he had just emerged from fire. His hands gripped the edge of the sheets tightly, knuckles pale.
His eyes wide, red, and glassy stared ahead blankly, as though caught between this world and another. His breathing was shallow at first, quick and desperate, like someone drowning in air. He blinked once. Then again.
The room around him was dim, the pale blue light of the hospital monitor casting soft glows across the walls. The silence rang in his ears like a haunting hum.
And yet, all he could see was her.
Lilith.
The image of her walking away, dressed in dark robes, refusing to look back was burned into his mind like a cruel brand. The way her lips curved for someone else… the way her eyes shone not with anger, but peace without him.
"No…" he muttered under his breath, his voice raspy, like he hadn't used it in ages.
