The ambulance sped through the night, its siren tearing through the silence of the empty road. Inside, the air felt too tight, too heavy, as if it could not contain the battle happening within.
Vivian lay motionless on the stretcher. Her skin had lost its warmth, her body weak, yet still holding on. The monitor beside her flickered wildly, the uneven rhythm echoing the fear in the room.
"Her pulse is dropping again," one of the paramedics said, struggling to stay calm as his hands moved quickly.
"Increase the oxygen," the doctor ordered, his voice firm but tense. "We cannot lose her."
Sebastian stood at the far end, gripping the metal rail so tightly his knuckles turned white. He had faced betrayal, power struggles, and even death—but nothing had ever made him feel this helpless.
"Do something," he said, his voice low but filled with pressure. "You said you could stabilize her."
