A U T H O R

"I-sh-a.”

Ranvijay's voice was scarcely more than a whisper, but it was enough to halt her in her tracks. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she turned sharply to face him, her gaze tracing the lines of his weakened form.

Her heart clenched when she noticed his fingers tighten around hers, his grasp frail yet desperate. The rhythmic beeping of the monitor quickened, mirroring his ragged breaths. Something inside her twisted painfully as his eyes fluttered open, their depths filled with an emotion she couldn’t name. A single tear escaped tracing a path down his right cheek while he struggled for air, his gaze locked onto hers and the sight of it left her breathless.

Without a second thought, she cupped his face, her fingers trembling as tears streamed down her cheeks. "R-Rann… Rann, nothing will happen to you. I’m here. Please, stay with me—for me, for us. Ple-ase," she pleaded, her voice breaking with each word. "I’m sorry, Rann… plea-se." A sob tore through her, raw and desperate, as she clung to him.

His gaze, filled with something between longing and agony, locked onto her face, his chest rising and falling in uneven, labored breaths. Panic surged through the room as his father sprang into action, calling for the doctors. Within moments, they rushed in, their presence a blur against the chaos unfolding around her.