The moment Mia uttered those words — those cold, cutting words that fell from her lips like shards of glass — Leon stood frozen. His entire world, already teetering on the edge, finally gave way beneath him. The courtyard grew silent, the air heavy, as if even the wind had been silenced by her rejection. For a heartbeat, his eyes locked with hers — searching, pleading — but all he found there was emptiness. His heart stopped beating. Xavier was not responding, as if he wasn't there anymore.
Slowly, he started losing consciousness. His eyes were closing.
Then, everything around him blurred.
