章 98: A Step Ahead

The cold afternoon pressed against the window, the distant hum of machines and soft beeping creating a steady rhythm in the otherwise silent VIP hospital room. Xavier lay still on the bed, his chest rising and falling slowly, his eyes closed as if asleep. Alessia sat beside him, her hand gripping his tightly, trying to anchor herself to the reality that now weighed heavily on her heart.

It had only been hours since the doctor had delivered the news. The words echoed in her mind like a haunting refrain, a cold dread settling deep in her bones.

"I'm here," Alessia whispered softly, though she wasn't sure if he could hear her. She stroked his knuckles with her thumb, her gaze tracing the lines of his face, so familiar and yet so distant in the pale hospital light.