Mariana’s Pov

“I killed my mother,” he stutters, his voice barely audible, yet it feels like a scream in the quiet room.  

My breath seizes for a fleeting moment, the air between us turning cold. I blink, my breath catching as the words settle like lead in my chest. "You. . .what?" I whisper, unsure if I’ve heard him right.  

His head drops, his hands falling from mine as he steps back, his shoulders slumping under the invisible burden he carries.  

"I killed her," he repeats, ...