Chapter 44: Echoes of the Heart
Days had begun to blur for Shanaya.
The mornings were the worst. A wave of nausea greeted her before she could even get out of bed. Her limbs felt heavy, her appetite vanished, and a dull ache throbbed behind her eyes. She moved through her uncle’s house like a ghost — soulless, empty, lost.
Her aunt grew more worried with each passing day. “You’re not eating, you’re pale, and you’ve been getting sick every morning, Shanaya,” she said gently one afternoon as she placed a hand on her niece’s forehead. “You need to see a doctor.”
Shanaya shook her head slowly, eyes dull. “I’m just tired,” she whispered. “Tired of everything.”
But deep inside, she knew it wasn’t just exhaustion. Something was happening to her body — something she couldn’t bring herself to
