Aylwin, along with Kyla, Chase, Winter, and Ken, were working on their event work. When suddenly, the door of the office slammed open and in walked Aria Romano in all her glory. She stood in front of the group with a cheeky grin on her face. All the eyes were trained on her, except for Aylwin, who was buried in his work. Fingers furiously typing the keys.

"Guys, I've got news for you all." Aria began, gaining everyone's curious glances except his.

"The Deans have organized an after-event-party for all the student council members and the performers. Sounds amazing, right? " She grinned, watching the smiling faces of others.

"That's great! We do need a break from all this. " Kyla responded, sighing.

Aria's eyes were fixated on Aylwin, who didn't seem to even acknowledge her words. Knowing she had to do it herself, she spoke up, "Umm... Aylwin?"

Aylwin's gaze lifted from the screen, meeting Aria's lively eyes. He hummed back, before directing his attention back to his work.

"Will you be my date for the party night?" It felt like time had frozen. All four pairs of eyes were stuck on one figure, who seemed to be frozen on a spot. His fingers, not moving anymore. His body tensed and stiffened.

Pin drop silence. Utter silence blanketed the entire room. Aria pressed the wrong button. Everyone awaited his response with bated breath.

Aylwin controlled himself, keeping his composer at bay, and he answered, "No. I'm not comin'."

For Aria, that "no" didn't only mean a blow to her heart, but also to Aria's Jupiter-sized ego and pride. She had finally had her chance, and under no circumstances was she going to just let it go.

Thus, she stated back, "C'mon, Aylwin. Don't be such a party popper. It's just a date, after all. I'm not asking you to be my boyfriend or go spend the night with me. What-so-ever!"

'Is she serious?' Aylwin thought, slightly irked by her childish shit.

"I've got to check on Fresher." He gave a curt reply with all the calmness he could congregate.

"Argh, Aylwin! She hasn't awoken yet and may be she'll take some time more. Who knows? For how long are you gonna grieve for her? What if she doesn't wake up? What if she dies...? " Aylwin cut her off, in a deadly tone, "Aria Romano, I'd suggest you watch your words." She flinched at his rough tone, which was laden with underlying warning.

He clenched and unclenched his fist several times in an attempt to calm down because he was really not ready to lose his shit, especially in front of them.

Aria Romano had really crossed her limits. She stepped into the boundaries where his sanity reigned. She shouldn't have sputtered those words.

"Aria, are you serious right now? Do you fucking realize what the heck you're uttering? " Chase snapped, with fury lacing his tone.

Aylwin was glad Chase interrupted, otherwise he, himself, didn't know what he would end up saying. Not wanting to stay in her presence anymore, he stood up, packed his laptop bag and began making his way towards the door to escape from everything.

"Chase, send me the last schedule when you're done."

"Sure thing, bro!"

Before he could open the door, he turned around and said, "Whatever went down between these four walls, should die here. No one should utter them to Fresher. Am I clear? " He received a couple of nods except from Aria, who seemed frozen on a spot with a fuming face and fisted hands.

"I asked, am I clear, Aria?" He emphasized on his words, his calmness and composer on bay.

"Fine!" She snapped back, with a hint of anger and something he couldn't pinpoint. With that, he walked away with his thoughts wild floating everywhere.

Already, Aylwin was going through a lot. He practically became like a robot. His classes, Uni event responsibility, then rushing to the hospital at least four times a day, then again, and not to forget, his own fucked up life. He would only visit his place to freshen up and nothing else. Days would fly by at work. Nights would fly by with his own thoughts, sometimes by staring at Fresher's face and talking to her, or most of the time studying. That was the whole week's routine.

He had loads of shits on his plate, and even God knew he had no strength left to deal with Aria's bullshits!

Tiredness. Exhaustion. Mental torture. Agony. Helplessness. There was a shortage of words to even explain his dire situation.

For it was the lament for her.

How ironic shall it sound!

As the hell of suffering broke on him.

Turning his glistening drops into ashes of wails.

Ethel excused himself and went to make a call. The ring went around thrice before he picked it up.

"Ethel?" Aylwin's voice came through the other line of the phone.

Aylwin sat in the student council office, polishing off the Uni magazine. All of the others were on campus, diligently beautifying the stage and getting ready for the very next day's grand event.

"Aylwin. She's up. Soph has regained consciousness. " It took Aylwin a while to register what he had said. The words felt surreal to him. At that moment, everything felt surreal to him. Those weren't just mere words for Aylwin. It was as though sumptuous droplets of nectar stirred his dead, howling soul and resurrected him.

He remained silent, not knowing what to say or how to react. Aylwin had never been the one to react to things. He stopped reacting long ago. But for the first time since those years, he wanted to react, to say, to shout, to scream, to express his dying, buried feelings, yet it was all just futile.

Calmness swept over him, pitilessly reminding him who he was, and alas, stillness reigned supreme. He wasn't immune. The word would be "numb." Yes, he was just numb.

The lack of a response wasn't something Ethel was expecting from him. Despite the fact that he knew it would be the most difficult task in the world to elicit an emotion from Aylwin Eldred.

Nevertheless, he went on to speak further, sensing the statue of silence wasn't going to say anything any time soon.

He explained to him from the beginning what the doctor had told him. He further added, "She's been taken for further tests and all. Till then, you can come and meet her, ya know. "

'She's up. You can come and meet her. ' The words echoed in Aylwin's mind. It was like a hallucination, a sweet hallucination, which he never wanted to end. He leaned further on the comfy chair, his head resting on the headset. Closing his eyes, he exhaled shakily as the next words tumbled down his lips messily.

"Not yet." With that, the line went dead.

Ethel seriously didn't expect such an answer. He thought after hearing the news, Aylwin would come huffing and puffing directly to the hospital, but it was a 180-degree change. Aylwin Eldred was really beyond his expectations.

Aylwin stayed in that position for a while, recalling their exchange. She was fine. His Fresher had finally regained consciousness. After all those days, she was out of danger. He couldn't be any happier. A strange kind of hollowness that had built a hole in his chest felt like it was slowly being filled with relief, peace, and glee.

A part of him wanted nothing more than to run to the hospital, leaving everything behind just to see Fresher. But the other part halted his feet. Frozen on his spot, his feet were chained by his own inner turmoil. He was just not ready to see her, meet her, talk to her, or anything.

How ironic! Just a day back, he was pleading with her to wake up and open her eyes. He was yearning to lose himself in her hazel brown eyes, which harbored so many dark secrets. Just a day ago, he wanted nothing more than to hear her voice, her giggles, laughs, and everything. But then, he just couldn't bring himself to face her yet. Not after that certain incident, where he almost lost her.. forever.

It was just another day for Aylwin, but for the past few days, nothing felt "just another" to him. It felt like each day mattered. Any day, Fresher might open her eyes. Perhaps the day had come. That was the thought with which Aylwin began his day. A same-day routine. And that day was not something different, only if he knew how devastating it was going to unfold itself within a few hours.

It had been a week since Sophronia slipped into a coma. A complete week since Aylwin had even eaten anything properly. A complete week since Aylwin had heaved a sigh of relief or given himself a break of a few minutes. He had worked and worked since then. Consuming himself in work just to forget about the reality around him. That's it!

It was the weekend, not that it bothered Aylwin or made any difference in his hectic lifestyle. He was walking through the corridor of the hospital when suddenly he crashed into someone, or rather, someone deliberately crashed into him. Either way, he stabilized himself, muttering, "Easy there."

He watched the person whose face was covered by the hood of his or her dress. The person hastily walked away from there, mumbling a quick apology. All that scene aroused a seed of suspicion in Aylwin's mind. His gaze fell on the brown-colored, thick card-like sheet lying on the clean marble floor. Thinking, it must be of that anonymous person, he picked it up, examining a little until his eyes fell on the scribbled cursive letters.

The whole thing creeped him out. Without much thought, he opened the card. As soon as the jotted words in scarlet hues fell into his vision, his breath hitched.

'Seems like the cold prince has finally fallen for someone. Watch out, my darling... It's just the start. There's a lot coming your way. Oh, how I'd love to see the great Aylwin Eldred broken and miserable.

Your not-so-well-wisher,

A'

Aylwin re-read the words, trying to figure out what the hell it meant. And as soon as he registered, he ran towards Sophronia's room, pushing everyone on the way. Just as he had arrived, the scene that unfolded in front of him froze his senses. He saw an unconscious Sophronia with an oxygen mask and beeping machines being taken on a stretcher. The nurses were yelling to get the emergency room ready while Dr. Slade was talking to Mr. Jasper. He saw the shocked state of Mrs. Jasper and the sorrowful state of Ethel, who was trying to calm down his mother. Ethel's gaze fell on the aghast man standing frozen with eyes fixated on his sister. His eyes were brimming with unshed tears as he saw Ivy and Sapphire rushing towards Aylwin's numb state.

"Senior Aylwin?" Ivy spoke out with hesitancy. Aylwin blinked his eyes before flickering his gaze towards her. He saw the two girls gazing at him with empathy, worry, and fear.

"What happened to her? Where are they taking her? " He asked with all the little left calmness he could conjure. His eyes flickered in revolt, but he suppressed them with a shaky exhale.

Saphy narrated to him the entire situation while he listened intently. "Doctors are saying that there is some complication with her brain. Her blood pressure has increased, and she's having strokes. So, she is shifted to the emergency room. "

Aylwin staggered a little. His eyes never left the double doors behind which Sophronia was being treated. Loud yells near him jolted him out of his reverie.

"Mom! Mom! Wake up! Oh, shit! Nurse? " As Alice fainted from the shock, Ethel's voice boomed across the place. Soon, a nurse came to her aid, carrying her to a room. Emmett and the girls went with her, leaving Ethel and Aylwin still on the spot.

'What the hell just happened?' That's all Aylwin could think of. After everything, he wasn't sure how to react or respond.

"AYLWIN?" A harsh shake on his shoulder made him flinch. He looked at Ethel in surprise and bafflement.

"Huh?"

"Sorry, you spaced out." Ethel murmured, his own condition miserable and pitiful.

"What did the doctor say?"

"They don't know.... Like she was fine at the moment... Then, suddenly, they felt her pulse rate increase. She was having strokes. I don't know..... Like the reports from yesterday were so much better. The CT scans, MRI, EEG... Everything was perfect according to her condition, but today all of a sudden..." Ethel trailed off, rambling.

Aylwin was in a daze himself, to cut him off or calm him down. A certain bizarre encounter had churned his mind. He stormed into Sophronia's room, where she was in a coma. Her room was the same as it was the last day. The same white walls, a hospital bed in the center, with two chairs near the bed. A simple, cozy, middle-sized sofa is in the corner with a glass table in front, filled with different kinds of bouquets and cards. His eyes examined the room as if searching for something.

A single bouquet of red roses caught his attention. It was a simple, beautiful bouquet full of vibrant red roses; however, that didn't catch his eyes. It was the large black rose neatly propped in between the roses. His fingers stroked the roses, slightly reaching for the black one. He picked it out in a gentle manner, not wanting to hurt the other pairs. Just as he plucked out that one, a sheet of paper slipped out from under the petals.

'Who would tuck a piece of paper here?' He thought while opening it.

'My dear Little one,

How are you doing? Heard that you met with an accident, or if that's what you want to call it. Ah, my poor lil' one. That's what you get for disobeying me. How stupid you are! Your mistakes are going to put the life of that good-for-nothing lover of yours in grave danger. What a pity it would be to see the death of your love by your own hands! Let's cut to chase.

WE ARE SOON GOING TO MEET, LITTLE ONE.

SOON...'

His eyes roamed wildly over the scripted words. It was like a final blow to him and his mind. All the frustration of the whole week paid off then. He had reached the point of sanity. He just couldn't do it anymore. After all, he was also a human. A mere human. He had his limits too. He was exhausted from all the mess. Alas, he was failing. Failing at everything. Failing in keeping himself sane. Failing in keeping Sophronia safe.

If only he had never met her. If only he had never talked to her. If only he had never allowed her to grow on him. If only he had never given her any wrong signals. If only he had stopped her right then and there. If only he had minded his own business. If only he had never touched her. If only he had never kissed her. If only he had never called her Fresher. If only he had.... Argh! There were so many "if onlys!" So many....

Then, nothing would have happened. Then, Sophronia would have been safe and sound. Then, perhaps her life would have been much better off without him in the picture. Then, she would not be receiving such disgusting letters. Sure, she would have lived... A perfectly flawless life.

'But what about me? ' Aylwin asked himself, collapsing on the sofa.

Had he been better off without her? Could his life have been better without her?

Aylwin knew the answers very well. No, he would have been the same. A walking corpse he was! The wilted flower without the rays of sunshine. An icy cold mountain who flourished other rivers and farms, but was always alone and cold throughout its existence. A human with a working mind and a beating heart but a dead soul.

'It's all because of me.' He thought, standing up and storming out of the hospital. He even didn't bother to acknowledge the yelling gals and worried Ethel. He was too busy handling himself that he even forgot about his surroundings. He rode on his motorcycle and sped up mindlessly wherever it took him by.

***

It had been an hour since he was driving. He didn't know where he was going. He was too compelled by his mind and the inner battles he was having.

'Can I leave her now?' His thoughts were killing him alive. Could he really do that? Did he have so much strength? Was he really thinking that? Leaving her?

Aylwin Eldred was anything but a pitiful coward. He couldn't leave him knowing how much his life depended on that fragile, hazel-eyed girl. She became an essence of his poisonous life. She gave his life a new meaning. Each morning felt like a new morning just because of that brunette. Everything that never mattered to him started to matter to him once. It felt surreal, yet an amazing feeling he had not felt in ages.

Was he really ready to leave everything behind?

No! He wasn't!

Because Aylwin Eldred was one hella selfish bastard.

He increased the speed, taking a sharp turn into the next alley, almost putting himself in a death trap. Nevertheless, it was an everyday thing for him. He did so at each turn, not bothering that his mind was already spinning. His blurry vision didn't help things at all. Still, he kept ignoring the fact that one move and he'd lose his life any minute. Yet that didn't stop him in the least.

That was Aylwin Eldred. Risk was his profession. And danger? His passion. All his life, he had relied on risks to feel alive. However, that day, even all the risks and danger made no difference. The pain was still there. He didn't feel alive, but rather dead.

To simply put his dire situation, it'd be— when he could neither live nor die.

His head was throbbing with excruciating pain. Every fiber of his being begged him to cease. He ultimately surrendered. Finally, he just gave up. He came to a dead stop on his motorcycle, aggressively raking his fingers through his hair. He had no idea where he was, and it didn't even matter at the time. All that mattered was that he was far away from everything. He was on the brink of an emotional breakdown. He'd had enough of his life. He was going to give up right then and there. That's it.