Midnight.

Scene: Hospital Room – Midnight

The room was dimly lit by the soft glow of the streetlight outside the window. Machines beeped in a steady rhythm beside my bed, and the sterile scent of antiseptic lingered in the air. I couldn't sleep. Not after what Amelia had said. Not after the blood, the pain, the betrayal. Liam was asleep on the couch across the room, curled uncomfortably in a blanket, his chest rising and falling in peaceful rhythm. Chloe, Peter, and Edward had gone home late in the evening, promising to return tomorrow.

Then… I heard a sound.

Soft footsteps. Slow and hesitant. I turned my head, wincing at the sharp pain that came with the movement.

And there he was.

Nathan.

His eyes were shadowed with guilt, face pale, lips trembling. He stood by the door for a second, like he was debating whether to run or come closer. Then he stepped inside.

"Emma," he whispered, his voice cracking.

I didn't answer.

He came to my bedside slowly. "I had to see you," he said, choking. "I—I know I'm not supposed to. But I had to."

I stared at him, blankly. The boy who once felt like a savior, a helper. And now… a traitor wrapped in mystery.

"Why?" I finally asked, my voice hoarse. "Why did you do all this? You knew. You knew what would happen. You knew about the stone. About Amelia. You knew everything. And you let it happen."

He looked like he was about to collapse. "I tried," he said, his fingers gripping the metal of my bedside. "I tried to stop it. I swear, Emma. I didn't know she'd hurt you like this. I didn't know she'd be able to come back this strong. I thought I had more time."

"More time?" I scoffed, trying to sit up. Pain flared through my chest and I winced, tears spilling. "You had years, Nathan. And when I asked you… when I trusted you… you said nothing. NOTHING."

He was crying now. Silent tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I didn't want this to happen," he said. "I thought I could protect you, guide you through it slowly. But once Amelia started gaining power, once she found out the ritual was happening… she changed everything. I—I got scared."

"You think I wasn't scared?" I snapped, voice shaking. "You think lying in that forest, bleeding out, bones shattering, eyes on fire, begging for mercy, wasn't terrifying? You let me walk into that alone. You LET me."

"I didn't mean to hurt you," he whispered. "You were my friend. I—Emma, I cared. I still do."

"Then why didn't you come?" I shouted softly, careful not to wake Liam. "Why didn't you warn me? Why didn't you even visit after it all?"

He broke then. Fell to his knees beside the bed.

"Because I couldn't look at what I did," he whispered, shaking. "I couldn't face it. I couldn't face you."

I watched him, anger crumbling into devastation. Because for one horrifying second, I believed him. I believed he cared. But I also knew… none of this would've happened if he hadn't lied.

"You helped me," I whispered, heart breaking. "But you also destroyed me. And I don't know which version of you to believe."

He looked up at me, eyes red. "I don't know either."

And then he left.

Just like that. The door shut behind him like a breath I didn't realize I was holding. And I lay there, silent tears trailing down my cheeks. Confused. Broken. Torn.

Was he the villain? Or the boy who tried to save me too late?

I didn't know.

And that terrified me more than anything else.

The morning sun spilled into the hospital room in soft golden rays, brushing against the sterile white walls like a fragile whisper of hope. The faint beeping of the monitor was the only thing that accompanied my silent crying. I had barely slept. My cheeks were stained with dried tears, and the weight in my chest felt heavier than the IV drip slowly pushing fluids into my veins.

The ache wasn't just physical anymore. It had crept into my soul. I couldn't stop hearing Nathan's broken voice from last night—"I tried to stop it. You were my friend."

But… wasn't he also the reason I was here?

I didn't know what to believe. I didn't know who to trust anymore. My own body betrayed me, my magic failed me, and now… even my heart was collapsing under the chaos of it all.

I stared at the ceiling, empty and worn, until I heard the softest creak of the hospital door opening.

It was Liam.

Messy hair, hoodie half-zipped, sleepy eyes that instantly sharpened the second they met mine. He noticed my swollen eyes, the red marks on my face, the way my fingers trembled slightly over the blanket.

"Emma?" he said, gently closing the door behind him, voice lower than usual.

I didn't answer.

He walked toward me, quiet, almost unsure of how to step. Then he saw the tears brimming again in my eyes. He sat down on the edge of my bed, careful, slow, like he didn't want to scare me further. His hand reached out and softly landed on mine.

"Hey… what happened?"

That was it. Just those three words. They broke me.

I couldn't hold it anymore. A sob ripped through my chest as I flung myself into his arms, burying my face in the crook of his shoulder. He froze for half a second—then his arms wrapped around me tightly. Not gently. Desperately. Like he'd been waiting to hold me for so long, but was too afraid I'd shatter in his arms.

"I'm tired," I whispered, voice trembling like glass.

Liam held me tighter. "I know."

"I don't want this anymore. The pain. The magic. The fights. I just want to be normal. I just want peace. I just…" My voice cracked. "I don't know how much more I can take."

His hand slowly moved up to my back, fingers tracing soft circles between my shoulder blades. "Emma… you don't have to carry it alone."

My arms wrapped tighter around his neck, and my forehead pressed into his skin. "But I feel like I do. Everyone expects me to fix it. Be strong. Even when I'm bleeding from the inside. No one sees that I'm breaking."

"I see you." His voice was firm, almost pained. "Every piece of you. Even the broken ones."

I didn't respond. I couldn't. I was sobbing too hard now, gasping for breath between hiccuped cries. Liam just stayed still, arms never loosening, face tucked into my hair. One hand found my waist, pulling me into his lap more securely, like he wanted to protect me from every single piece of the world that had ever dared to hurt me.

"You don't have to say anything," he whispered. "Just let it out. I'm here."

And I did. I let everything go. My pain, my fears, my exhaustion, my confusion about Nathan, about the magic, about everything. I let it melt into Liam's hoodie and into his arms that didn't once let go.

I didn't notice when the door slowly creaked open.

Edward stood in the doorway.

He froze when he saw us. My arms around Liam's neck. Liam's hand resting protectively on my waist. The silent, emotional intimacy that didn't need words to scream this is something more.

His eyes widened slightly, brows pulling together. Not judgmental. Just… confused.

He stepped back instinctively—only to see Peter walking toward the room down the hallway.

Panic flickered in Edward's chest. He stepped outside quickly, shutting the door behind him and catching Peter by the arm.

"Wait—wait, Peter," he said, faking a smile. "Emma's asleep. Let her rest a bit."

Peter frowned. "She's not answering the group. I just wanted to check on her."

"She's okay, bro," Edward said a little too quickly. "Liam's in there with her. You can go later."

Peter blinked. "Liam's inside?"

"Yeah, yeah," Edward rubbed the back of his neck. "She was having a moment. You know Liam… he's like a big brother sometimes."

Peter gave a small nod, but something in his eyes tightened. A small twitch of his jaw. He looked at the door, then at Edward.

"I'll just peek in."

Before Edward could stop him, Peter opened the door.

And he saw it.

Emma, curled into Liam's chest, his hand protectively wrapped around her waist, her face hidden against him as if that was the only place she felt safe.

Peter didn't say a word.

But the silence hit louder than a scream.

His face—stone cold. His eyes—confused, sad, unreadable. He looked like someone who had just heard the crack of his own heart but wasn't sure if it was real.

He backed away slowly, the door still slightly open.

Liam turned slightly when he heard the creak, and saw the flicker of Peter's retreating figure.

He sighed.

"Shit."

"I didn't mean to… I…" I looked up suddenly, realizing what had happened. "Peter—did he—"

"He saw," Liam said softly.

My heart sank.

I looked back at Liam, eyes wide, trembling. "I didn't mean to hurt him. I didn't—"

Liam cupped my face, brushing my tear with his thumb. "I know. You didn't do anything wrong."

But deep down, I felt the fault. The ache of it. Of being so completely, devastatingly broken… that even love started to tangle.