Special thanks to Serenity Jackson for the Golden Ticket :)
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"W-what... you're awake?" Lyra whispered, her voice breaking with raw emotion, her eyes locked onto him as if afraid he might disappear.
"Fortunately, I am," Sevastian replied with a gentle smile. "And before you ask, I feel good, truly. No pain, nothing at all."
As he spoke, his gaze swept over her, taking in the subtle but undeniable changes in her appearance. Her skin was paler than before, her usual radiance dimmed. The dress she wore was plain, lacking the vibrancy she once carried with such effortless grace. There was no sparkle in her eyes, no cheerfulness in her expression.
A pang of guilt pierced his heart. He had done this to her. His absence, his condition, it had caused her this suffering. And as much as he wanted to rejoice in his own awakening, he hated that it had come at the cost of her happiness.