Ruby
Pain. That was all I felt.
A deep, searing fire coursed through my veins as my blood had turned to molten lava. My body refused to move, my mind drifting between consciousness and darkness.
I could hear voices. Distant. Faint.
"She's burning up!" Someone was shouting. "The poison is spreading too fast!"
Poison.
That word sent a cold chill through me despite the unbearable heat.
I tried to open my eyes, but my lashes felt heavy, glued together by exhaustion and the unseen force trying to pull me under.
A familiar presence hovered near me, his warmth piercing through the haze.
Manson.
Even in the darkness, I could feel him. His touch was strong yet trembling. His voice, usually commanding, was now hoarse with desperation.
"Ruby, stay with me," he growled. "You can't leave me.
