I dropped to my knees, hands pressed desperately against my stomach, but the burning ache didn't ease.
The world had narrowed to pain, blood, and the suffocating, undeniable truth: they had all betrayed me.
Aaron crouched beside me, fumbling, helpless, every movement frantic, shaking with fear. "Alyssa… look at me. Please… breathe," he pleaded. His hands were warm on mine, but I could feel the tremor in every touch.
I shook my head violently. "No… I can't… I can't anymore!"
The room blurred around me—his mother moaning faintly on the floor, But Aaron's voice cut through the chaos.
"We're leaving. Now," he said sharply, lifting me as best he could. His grip was firm, urgent, carrying both panic and determination.
I tried to resist, my body trembling violently, but he wouldn't let go. "Aaron… I can't…"
