"Sebastian…"
The sound of her voice did not just fill the room—it stopped it. Everything froze at once. The doctors, the nurses, Elara, Mr. and Mrs. Ravenscroft—every single person went still as though time itself had paused around that fragile word. Even the steady rhythm of the machines faded into the background, overpowered by something softer yet stronger, something that pulled every breath in the room toward her.
Sebastian did not move immediately. His hand tightened slowly around hers, as though he feared that reacting too quickly would shatter the moment or reveal it to be something less than real. His eyes remained locked on her face, searching, waiting, holding onto that sound like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. When he finally leaned closer, it was careful, almost hesitant, as if he was stepping into something sacred.
