Ciel's POV
The intruder alert tore through the garden, and my heart felt like it had been ripped from my chest. I bolted through the castle halls, every step fueled by panic, dread coiling tighter around my ribs.
At the stairwell, time froze. Guards had formed a wall, shouting, but I pushed past them, ignoring their calls. Then I saw her.
Serena.
She lay sprawled on the cold stone floor, blood pooling around her. Sharp, merciless pain tore through me, and my chest felt as if it had shattered into a thousand fragments. My stomach twisted violently, nausea clawing at me.
I dropped to my knees beside her, lifting her fragile body into my arms alone. My hands trembled violently beneath her weight, nails digging into her clothing, as if holding her closer could somehow keep the world from collapsing.
"No… please… my love… hold on!" I gasped, panic choking me. "Stay with me… don't leave!"
