Silas had barely set foot in the hospital when frantic footsteps and shocked gasps erupted around him.
"Someone jumped!" A woman's scream pierced the air.
A crowd was already forming in the distance, necks craned upward.
His heart hammered against his ribs as icy fingers of dread crept up his spine.
For reasons he couldn't explain, he needed to see Elara—now.
He burst into her hospital room only to find emptiness where her familiar silhouette should be.
His fingers flew across his phone screen, dialing her number—once, twice—but met only the hollow beep of an unanswered call.
As he spun toward the nurses' station, movement caught his eye—Lila stood frozen, her usual composure cracking at the edges.
"Lila!" He grabbed her shoulders. "Where's Elara?"
Lila trembled like a leaf in a s
