Elyra sat by the window, watching the rain streak down the glass like silent tears. The world outside felt distant, blurred by the storm, as if it, too, was mourning something inevitable.

She clutched the blanket around her frail body, her breath coming in shallow, labored gasps. Each second felt heavier, her chest burning as though something inside her was unraveling, thread by thread.

She was running out of time.

And yet, she still wasn’t sure if she wanted to fight for the little she had left.

Her fingers grazed the tiny bottles of medication by her bedside. Pills that did nothing but delay the inevitable. She used to take them religiously, believing that maybe—just maybe—if she tried hard enough, she could hold on a little longer.

Now, she wasn’t sure why she bothered.

A soft knock at the door broke her thoughts.

"Elyra?" Caleb’s voice was hesitant.

She didn't answer, but he stepped inside anyway. His eyes darted to her hunched figure by the window, his jaw tightening as he took in the sight of her.

"You didn't eat dinner," he said quietly.

Elyra let out a breathless laugh. "Didn’t feel like it."

Caleb moved closer, setting a tray of food on the nightstand. "You have to eat."

She turned to face him, and for the first time, he truly saw her. Not just the sick girl wasting away before him—but the years of silent suffering etched into every fragile movement, every tired sigh, every forced smile.

"You can’t keep doing this," he muttered.

Elyra tilted her head. "Doing what?"

"Pretending like you’re fine," he snapped, his voice cracking. "Like you don’t care. Like none of this matters."

She blinked at him, then let out a small, weary smile. "Because if I start caring, Caleb… it’ll hurt too much."

The silence that followed was unbearable.

Caleb sank down onto the floor, his fingers tightening around his sleeves.

"I hate this," he admitted. "I hate seeing you like this. I hate that I never noticed before. I hate that I—" He stopped himself, shaking his head. "I should’ve been there for you."

Elyra sighed, reaching out with trembling fingers to touch his arm. "It’s not your fault."

His head snapped up, anger flashing in his tear-filled eyes. "It is! I—" He swallowed hard. "I treated you like you didn’t matter. I let them treat you like you didn’t matter. And now, when I finally care, it’s too late, isn’t it?"

Elyra looked at him for a long moment before whispering, "I have ten days left."

The words shattered something inside him.

Ten days.

Ten days to make up for years of pain.

Ten days before she was gone.

Caleb let out a shaky breath, his head dropping into his hands. He felt like screaming, like tearing apart the universe just to buy her more time. But he knew—deep down, no matter how much he begged, no matter how much he wished—nothing could change this.

Elyra’s smile was sad as she brushed her fingers against his knuckles. "Caleb," she murmured.

He looked up, his vision blurred with unshed tears.

"Don’t waste these ten days being angry," she whispered. "Just… be with me."

He nodded, even though it felt like the hardest thing he’d ever done.

And as the rain continued to fall outside, they sat there together, in the quiet devastation of a night that neither of them wanted to end. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To Be Continued...