Petal's Pov

The room felt strange—too quiet, too cold, too heavy. Rosie lay on the mat with her breaths dragging in and out like each one hurt more than the last. Her skin had lost its glow, her lips pale, her pulse barely there. The healers stood back, their faces tight. Even they knew this wasn't something herbs or chants could fix.

I sat beside her, brushing her messy hair from her forehead. Her skin felt cold, not the cold of a fever night….. but the cold of someone slipping ...