“Call emergency services immediately!” Judge Callister commanded, his face pale.
As paramedics lifted Marina onto a stretcher, Judge Callister noticed something around her neck. A pendant. Simple. Familiar. Familiar in a way that sent a cold shiver through him.
He knew that pendant. He had not seen it in more than three decades.
Marina awoke in a warm but sterile room at Saint Clarion Hospital. Machines beeped softly beside her. The fetal monitor flickered with signs that were not as stable as they should have been. Her body ached everywhere, but fear overwhelmed all physical pain.
Her phone buzzed constantly with messages. She read only one: a smear released by Cassian’s media team, claiming she had simply tripped and exaggerated the situation. The comments beneath were filled with cruel attacks. She set the phone aside as tears pricked her eyes.
Hours passed before the door finally opened. Judge Callister stepped inside, not with the air of a judge, but of someone deeply troubled. His posture held hesitation and yearning all at once.