Kafziel shifted slightly on the hospital bed, the sheets rustling softly as he reached for his phone resting on the side table. His fingers trembled just a little as the screen lit up in his hand. The room felt too quiet, the soft beeping of the monitor suddenly louder than before.
“Hello?” he said, voice rough as he answered the call.
There was no reply. Only breathing—slow, deliberate, unmistakably human.
Aniela’s stomach dropped. She stood a little straighter near the wall, her fingers curling into her sleeves. That’s… weird.
“Hello?” Kafziel repeated, brows knitting together. “Who is this?”
Still no voice. Just breathing. Too close. Too intimate. Like someone was standing right there on the other end of the line.
“Ziel?” a voice finally whispered.
Kafziel froze. “Yeah,” he answe
