Octavia's Point of View
The scent of antiseptic and herbs hangs thick in the air as I step into the hospital wing. Afternoon sunlight filters through the high windows, spilling pale gold across the floors and walls, too calm, too quiet for what the day has been.
The hallways hum softly with the voices of healers and the rustle of movement from other rooms. I pause just outside my mother’s door, drawing in a slow breath before I push it open.
Inside, the world feels smaller.
My mom sits propped up in bed, her dark hair braided back, her skin still a little pale but her eyes are bright and alive. Relief tugs at my chest so sharply it almost hurts.
Jace is sitting cross legged on the floor near her bed, a notebook open across his lap, scribbling something while he talks to her about a ne
