Through Hidden Eyes

Ontario, Canada.

Souline's pov:

"She's dead," the secretary said again. I stood there, paralyzed, unable to see or breathe. Was Velma really gone? How? When did it happen? My gaze locked on the secretary's eyes. Her expression was unreadable, her posture rigid. I licked my lips, my voice trembling. "Velma? Dead? How?" I asked.

With a heavy sigh, the secretary explained that the cancer had spread to her brain, leaving her beyond saving. She went on to say that the day before Velma passed, she had been in pain and struggled to breathe. She died peacefully in her sleep, surrounded by nurses, and was buried a week later in a cementary.

Before I could say anything, the secretary motioned for me to follow her. She led me to her desk, unlocking a drawer and pulling out a pink-wrapped box. "This is what Velma left before she passed," she said, handing it to me.