Alina’s POV

The first rays of sunlight slipped through the hospital blinds, painting the white walls with soft gold. The sterile scent still lingered in the air — antiseptic, clean, cold — but for the first time in days, it didn’t suffocate me.

I sat at the edge of the bed, my hand gently wrapped around Ares’s. His skin was warmer now. His pulse steady, strong. Every tiny beat under my palm felt like a promise — that he was still here, still fighting, still mine in a way words ...