"I’m taking her to the hospital!" His voice was firm, his gaze never meeting Mira's as he carefully placed Vera in the backseat of the car and sped off.
Mira stood frozen, her thoughts swirling in a haze.
Buzz—
A faint, electrical hum buzzed in her ears, drowning out the world around her. Her head felt like it was being pierced by a thousand sharp needles, the pain overwhelming. The room seemed to tilt, and as the world spun, Mira crumpled to the ground, clutching her head in agony.
When she regained consciousness, the sterile scent of disinfectant filled her senses. She was lying in a hospital bed.
"You’re awake," a doctor’s voice whispered, soft with concern. "Do you understand? You have a tumor in your brain. If you don’t have surgery soon, the fainting episodes will worsen."
Silence lingered in the room as she processed the gravity of the doctor's words.
Mira nodded numbly.
As the doctor left, her phone buzzed with a new call—Elias' name flashing on the screen.
"Mira, I’m sorry," Elias' voice sounded guilty, full of regret. "I left you alone today. I’ll make it up to you, I promise, twice as much next year."
Next year?
Mira’s lips curved into a bitter smile. Do they even have a next year?