Alex held Elizabeth tightly as her body trembled against his — Everything seemed to have come to a halt. The warmth was already fading from her skin, replaced by a chilling stillness that tore through him like a blade. Her breaths grew shallow, weaker with every passing second.
"No… Stay with me," he whispered, sounding desperate. Blood smeared her lips as she tried to speak, but no sound came.
His heart pounded in his chest, wild and uncontrollable while the world around him seemed to blur. None of it made sense. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not to her.
"Elizabeth!" His voice cracked as he shook her gently, as if that alone could keep her alive. "You can't die. You're stronger than this, you can't just—"
But her eyes, once filled with fire and defiance, were dimming. Her fingers curled weakly into his shirt as if she didn't want to let go.
"I…" Her voice was barely a breath. "I'm… sorry…"
And then—nothing.
Her hand slipped away.
