The stretcher was carried in through the ambulance door. The male nurses hurried into the hospital, placing the body on it. Sophronia was soundly sleeping on the stretcher. Her heartbeat started to slow and her breathing became labored. Vivid crimson had adorned the beauty. Blood oozed from the gashes, which were bloated and swelled. Her friends had gathered around her. To say they were devastated would be an understatement. They were still digesting what had transpired in those few hours. Everyone looked awful, especially Ivy who couldn't stop crying.

"Everyone side please."

"Dr., the patient's condition is very critical. She's lost a lot of blood."

"Shift her into the ICU right away."

The hospital was in chaos. Everyone was rushing as a new patient was admitted. The nurses rushed to set up the ICU as the doctors discussed the patient's condition. She was moved to the intensive care unit (ICU) as quickly as possible. Her situation was dire. Everyone was consoling one another, or more precisely, themselves. It felt like a dream, or like a hallucination or worst nightmare. They waited for what seemed like ages outside the room, hoping to hear even a sliver of good news.

"Where's she?" The voice was strained, broken, and hoarse. Ivy was the one who recognized it and dashed over to him, tackling him in an embrace that they both needed. Ethel was not only Sophronia's brother, but also Ivy, who became his little sister in a couple of months.

"Ethel... she was with us... She was fine... I don't know... how it happened? I shouldn't let her go..." Ethel stroked her head as she sobbed and sniffled. His own tears were battling to escape, but he held them back; just for his sister's sake.

"She'll be fine... My sister is very strong... right?" He pulled apart, brushing away her tears as more replaced them in a flash. Ivy couldn't stop herself. Seeing her sister-like-bestie in such a state was heart wrenching.

"You sounded so frantic on the phone. How did you know about this?"

"When I heard her scream, I was on the phone. She assumed she had hung up, but she hadn't. Then I dialed you." They sat in silence while she explained the situation to him. The hospital wasn't particularly crowded. Aylwin, Chase, Ivy, and Sapphire including Ethel. Austin, Mysie, and Ryder were with Azura, who was admitted to the same hospital. The rest of them had gone, and they would return for the following shift.

Yes, Sophronia was hit by Azura's car. Azura had suffered a concussion and was undergoing care. For everyone, it was just an accident, but only a certain chocolate-brown-eyed nerd knew that it was a meticulously planned .

When the door finally opened, they were greeted by a flurry of nurses and a doctor in a white coat. Everyone encircled him, their desperate eyes pleading with him to assure them she was alright. Out of danger... breathing and more importantly... alive.

"Dr. Slade, how's my sister?"

"Is she alright?"

"Is she awake?"

"Calm down, I'll answer your questions."

The doctor sighed, "We're very sorry to say..." As soon as those words left his mouth, Ivy shouted on top her lungs, "She's alright, right? Tell me, she's alright! Nothing's gonna happen to her. Tell me!" Sapphire consoled her, both of them stood there with tears-stricken face.

"Ma'am, let me complete. So, as I was saying her conditions are very critical, and I need to talk to you in private."

Dr. Slade let out a sigh as he pondered the girl's predicament. In her instance, there was no time to think. Everything had to be done shortly, or she would not be able to make it. And they needed to be aware of it. The uncertainty and discomfort in his eyes enraged Aylwin. With each passing second, he grew more agitated.

"Let's go." Ethel said and was going to walk away when a certain person changed his mind. Aylwin stood there, taking it all in. He hadn't spoken anything at all, only watched. From the outside, anyone would think he was ignorant, but only he knew what he was up against on the inside. Ethel had heard of him. Everything about him and his sister. He realized how correct his sister was in her appraisal of him. The guy was tough as the Great Wall of China. He watched him, and his actions. Aylwin's eyes didn't waver from the ICU door for a bit.

"Come." Ethel's one word was enough for Aylwin to understand the message.

"What's her position?" Ethel asked in private, summoning every ounce of strength he could muster, only to be met with the most poignant news.

"Fortunately, there is no fracture. There are a few little cracks here and there, but nothing major. However, the most serious damages are..."

"What it is, Dr.?"

"Due to the direct impact of the hit, there is a blood clot in her internal hind part of the brain. We've had CT scans done, and they reveal that a couple bones are broken. Not fully damaged. Her nerves near the end of the spinal canal are somewhat damaged. We don't know what to say after reviewing her previous medical history, which revealed that she is anemic." Both men were completely shattered. Their world seemed to have been ripped apart.

"What's the chances?" Ethel posed the one and only question he had never ever wanted to ask in his life. In his entire life, he had never felt so powerless or useless.

"Nothing can be said. The operation is going to be a critical one, and in which we may lose her... forever. The chances of saving her are just 5%. " One more statement. The dread of being crushed hit once more. It was like a slow death. Each second felt like slow but brutal stabs of death.

The sound of a loud bang boomed all across the room. He'd had enough. Aylwin couldn't just stand there and listen to whatever bullshit the doctor spewed. He couldn't keep his cool any longer. It felt like dying without actually dying, and to be honest, it was a lot more excruciating and miserable.

"It's bullshit. She'll be all right. She has to, and you'll ensure that she does. " Ethel was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to react. Nothing else mattered to him at the time but his sister.

"I understand your restlessness, but there's nothing we can do about it. We can't predict whether she'll regain her memories or not even if the operation is a success. We can't say whether or not she'll be able to sense things. She may go into a coma or, in the worst-case scenario, be rendered paralyzed. As a doctor, I am obligated to inform you of every aspect of her condition. Now it's up to you to make a decision. Just keep in mind that she is short on time."

The doctor then excused himself and walked away, leaving both men in a state of turmoil and dejection. Aylwin dashed off, shunning everyone and refusing to meet or confront anyone. He wanted some time to himself. Sometime... to take in everything. It was just too fast... as if in a flash... Everything was out of his control. It was starting to take its toll on him. He needed to get his shits together, not for himself, but for his fresher.

Emotions and Aylwin Eldred were two very different concepts. He was never a person of emotion. And emotions were never his thing. Emotions were a source of weakness for him, something he had buried deep within him a long time ago. But nevertheless, to his dismay, a certain hazel-eyed girl was fortunate in rekindling those emotions.

He'd always been smart enough to keep himself confined within the boundaries of attachments. His poker face wasn't an easy thing to do. It took a great deal of patience and a shitload of control. The sheer complications and challenges in his life had left him with no option but to sell himself to a whole new face, his façade.

There are tons of layers beneath each of them.

None ready to be exposed.

For some lies are better not to be dug.

It's all about... matter of healing.

He was adamant about not showing his vulnerability or tears. Tears? Tears and Aylwin didn't go together. Throughout his life, he had been like an icy mountain encrusted in snow, devoid of greenery and sunlight. He reveled in the darkness. Sophronia was like a ray of sunshine to him that managed to thaw his cold-bastard of a heart.

But only if he realized she wasn't the sun, but rather a moon. A moon who needed the light to shine herself. The moon, who never wanted the gloomy clouds to hide her, or snatch away or rob her of her shine. Aylwin, slowly but gloriously, became the sun for her.

His presence changed her. And hers changed him.

Only if they knew, their story was so pure that even its reflection in the crystal-clear water could indeed be captured. It was pure bliss, oozing with innocence. The burst of rawness was breathtakingly beautiful. It was beyond the lines of desire, lust, or want. It was like whispers of silence, and voices of heart. Like a soul torturing another soul to unite. Like every breath, yearning for comfort. To put it more flawlessly, it was like land uniting with the sky.

For the first time in those years, he felt scared and helpless, afraid of losing the only one who meant his life to him. He had never experienced any such feelings before. Each and every emotion was a foreign feeling to him.

He was fighting his inner turmoil to retain all the sentiments that were surging inside him under control, like a brewing storm that was wrecking his calmness. He had no idea what was going on between them, or perhaps he did, and he knew it better than anybody else. It was all raw, pure, and unforgettable in either way. Crappy lovey-dovey shits weren't his style. He never believed in that crap.

He was suffering from the inside each time he witnessed his fresher in such a state. The tough exterior was crumbling, silently but brutally, melting away. He couldn't watch her condition. It was daunting. She was his healer, yet the situation seemed ironic at the moment. Because he knew it by heart. For those who had the power to heal, they had the greatest power to shatter you to pieces.

It was the fall of an Empire,

Where emotions met the ashes...

For she was the queen,

Who reigned on the King....

"What's your decision, Mr. Jasper?" Dr. Blade questioned Sophronia's father, Emmett, who remained stoic throughout the discussion. Sophronia's mother, Alice, sat beside him, unable to suppress the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. Ethel stood devastated alongside his parents, unable to react.

"We're willing to take a chance." Emmett answered, his heart heavy and his thoughts blank. It was difficult, far more difficult than he had anticipated. Every second of seeing his daughter in such a situation was killing him. He felt so helpless since there was nothing, he could do to alleviate her suffering.

"Very well. Within an hour, we'll begin surgery. Please sign all of the necessary documents." They all started the procedure as Soph's body was moved to the operation theatre. Her dad's tears, which had been forcibly held back, were finally flowing freely. The couple embraced each other as they grieved silently for their child's suffering. Ethel's misery knew no bounds. Seeing his parents and sister's condition, he felt like it should have been him. Why always her? Why always his sister? Wasn't her past enough for her? Wasn't that misery and pain enough that she had to suffer these new scars? Did she really need these fresh scars? Why did it have to be her? Why not he? She had finally started living her life, forgetting her past and pain. So why all of sudden?

For her healing was yet to be done...

But she was afraid,

As the real-brutal stabs were yet to come.

"Where's bro? Have anyone of you seen bro?" Chase inquired as soon as he walked into Azura's room. Azura was talking to Mysie and others while lying in her bed. They all stopped, their gaze drawn to Chase, who seemed to be a lost child.

"No, I haven't. He'd left with Ethel and hadn't returned yet." Ivy replied, her gaze lingering on the amber-eyed guy, who seemed to be in a state of dilemma. Chase's face turned pale as he realized that it might be the only place, he could find him.

"Is there something serious?"

"Is Soph ok?"

"What happened?"

"Did the doctor say something?"

Questions were hurled at him one after the other. Azura simply lay there, listening to what everyone had to say. After a long period of contemplation, he exhaled heavily and uttered the words that left everyone in a pool of tears.

"Dr. has said even if the surgery is successful, there's a 95% chance she'll lapse into a coma or lose her memories for the rest of her life."

After revealing the tragic and sad news to them, he raced to find the only person who was dying every second. Aylwin might not admit it, but Chase knew enough about him to be able to tell when he was fine and when he wasn't. The loft looked exactly the same as it had the last time he visited. He used the spare keys he'd managed to keep hidden from him. He knew it would be valuable at some point, but he had no clue how hard it would be.

Silence welcomed him with dread as soon as he stepped into the beautiful dark place. It felt as if even the walls, the floor, and the ceilings seemed to be mourning in their master's melancholy. He hurried inside without delay, approaching the soundproof room where Aylwin would be punishing himself. The door creaked open, revealing the person Chase was on the lookout for like a lunatic. In the dim, dreary room, three voices reverberated.

First, there came the sound of a punching bag being mercilessly pummeled without remorse or sympathy.

Second, Aylwin's labored breathing, which only got ragged as he kept punching the bag, not even acknowledging the intruder who stood in his doorway.

Third, the vivid crimson droplets that streamed out of his bruised knuckles. Tip-Tap-Tip-Tap! They slid slowly and deliberately, but cautiously, savoring their sweet freedom. The pool of blood was the least of his concerns, and he went on to embellish his hands, fingers, and everything else in the same scarlet red.

Chase marched up to him and shoved him away, his own rage getting the best of him. Aylwin didn't resist him or say anything; instead, he lifted himself up off the floor and slumped against the wall. The blood continued to gush forth, giving new color to his faded life and room.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND??? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU THINKING?? HURTING YOURSELF??" Chase yelled at him, but it was as if he was scolding a statue who didn't give a crap in the slightest. He sighed, his body jerking back from the exertion. He rushed away in search of a first-aid kit, then returned after a while. He sat next to him, tending to his bruises, while Aylwin sat silently with his eyes closed the entire time.

"It wasn't your fault. No one's fault it was! Stop blaming yourself for everything. Just stop it! I'd been looking for you for hours..." He paused a little.

"She is transferred to the operation room. Her surgery will be in half an hour." Aylwin's thoughts were blank. His mind was a muddled mess. He couldn't think straight.

"What are the complications?" He inquired for the very first time. His voice was very calm, yet there was an undercurrent of dread in his words. Chase had no idea that it was so damn hard to say those words, but he had to. He closed his eyes and summoned the fortitude to spill forth the heart-wrenching truth.

"There's a 95% chance she'll lapse into a coma or worse, lose her memory... forever."

"Leave me alone." Aylwin emphasized. That was something he needed for himself, his thoughts, and, above everything else, his heart. He couldn't recall the last time his heart had constricted so much for anyone. Perhaps because it was just years and years ago. Feelings that had once been submerged beyond his reach were resurfacing once again. He was aware of the past results, but he refused to be the same Aylwin again. He wanted to take chances and risks he hadn't ever taken before. But for the first time, he wanted it. For him, for his Fresher... and for them...

"I can't leave you. You've to come with me..."

"For a few minutes," Aylwin cut him off. Chase was torn between the situation. He was at a loss for what to do. Aylwin was like a brother to him, or perhaps he was the only one close to him. Nothing was more devastating to him than seeing his brother in such a miserable state. He was conscious of his condition and only left him for a few minutes. But with a promise, "Promise me you won't hurt yourself... please..." It was a plea, a heartfelt plea laced with care and worry. Aylwin nodded firmly.

Just then, something happened, something so surreal, something Aylwin would never have thought of. The eyes, which had always been devoid of emotion and had the beauty of a magnificent empty ocean, suddenly became somewhat moist. It seemed as though the dead-dry ocean was coming back to life. The strings of his heart snapped in half, and the wail of his soul resonated throughout the body. A very strange stinging sensation in the eyes, which was something Aylwin wasn't used to, overwhelmed him. The once-clear walls suddenly turned blurry, and the once-Poker Face Aylwin felt like... just Aylwin.

It was a tale of wails.

A forbidden crave, and a twist of destiny...

For she was bleeding profusely, he bled silently.

For she was on her deathbed, but it was his death.

Indeed, it was her deathbed, but his DEATH....