Chapter 247
KATYA POV
The door closed behind Roo with a sound so soft it barely registered. And yet it felt like the room exhaled.
The pressure shifted—not gone, not even lighter—but different. Like a storm moving just far enough away that the thunder wasn’t directly overhead anymore.
My knees buckled. "Katya," she said urgently, her arms wrapping around on the bed, strong despite their age. "Look at . Look at , child."
I couldn’t. My vision was swimming too much, the edges dark and pulsing. My heart was still racing, slamming against my ribs like it was trying to escape my body.
"I—I can’t—" My voice ca out thin and broken. "I can’t breathe."
"Yes, you can," Nonna said firmly, not unkind, but leaving no room for argunt. She cupped my face, forcing my gaze up until her eyes filled my vision. Dark. Steady. Real. "You are breathing. You’re just scared."
My chest hitched again, a sharp gasp cutting off halfway. My fingers curled into her sleeves like I was the one drowning now.
"Breathe with ," she said. "Not fast. Not hard. Just follow my voice."
I shook my head weakly. Everything felt too loud. Too bright. The sll of blood was still everywhere, thick and tallic, clinging to the back of my throat.
"I can’t stop shaking," I whispered.
"That’s all right," Nonna said imdiately. "Let it happen. Don’t fight it."
She pressed one hand flat against my back, right between my shoulder blades, firm and grounding. The other stayed on my cheek, warm and solid.
"In through your nose," she instructed quietly. "Slow." I tried. The breath caught halfway, jagged and wrong.
Nonna didn’t scold . She didn’t rush .
"Again," she said calmly. "I’m here." This ti, the air made it in. Just barely. It burned, but it stayed.
"Good," she murmured. "Now out. Slowly. Like you’re fogging a mirror."
My lips trembled as I exhaled. The breath ca out uneven, but it ca out.
"That’s it," she said. "Again." We did it over and over. In. Out. In. Out.
The world didn’t snap back into place—but it stopped spinning quite so violently. The roaring in my ears dulled to sothing distant.
My hands were still shaking, but I could feel them again.
That was when my eyes drifted—slowly, unwillingly—to the bed beside .
Lila.
She was still there. Curled on her side, her back to . Her body trembled in small, uneven shudders, nothing like the violent convulsions from before. Smaller. Weaker. Like whatever strength she had left was draining away bit by bit.
"Lila..." My voice ca out hoarse, barely louder than a breath. "It’s... it’s alright. He’s gone." She didn’t respond. Her shoulders hitched faintly, a shallow breath pulling in and out like it hurt to do even that much. She still wasn’t facing . Her hair was tangled against the pillow, dark and damp with sweat.
A sharp wave of fear rolled through . "Lila?" I said again, louder this ti. Nothing.
I pushed myself off the bed, my knees trembling as I crawled closer to her. The sheets beneath her were dark.
My stomach dropped as I realized how far the blood had spread, soaking into Nonna’s bed, staining the fabric in uneven patches.
"That’s... that’s too much," I whispered, panic creeping back into my chest. "Nonna—there’s too much blood."
I reached out before I could stop myself, placing my hands on Lila’s shoulder, shaking her gently at first. "Lila. Hey. Look at ."
She didn’t turn. I shook her again, a little harder this ti. "Lila, please." Her body shifted weakly. Her head rolled just enough for to see her face in profile.
Her eyes were barely open.
Not unfocused—just... tired. So painfully tired. Her lashes fluttered, her gaze slipping past like she couldn’t quite see what was in front of her.
"Oh God," I breathed.
"Nonna," I called, my voice rising. "Nonna, she’s not waking up properly."
Nonna was at my side in an instant, her sharp intake of breath cutting through the air as she took in the sight of the bed.
"She’s losing too much blood," Nonna said, panic finally breaking through her composure. Lila made a weak sound, sothing caught between a breath and a whimper. I grabbed her hand instinctively. It felt cold. Too cold.
"Stay with ," I whispered frantically, squeezing her fingers. "Please. Just stay awake."
Nonna was already moving. "I’m getting the doctor," she said, her voice tight and urgent. "Don’t let her sleep. Don’t let her close her eyes."
Then she was gone, her wheelchair hurried and uneven as she rushed out of the room. The door shut, leaving alone with Lila.
My heart slamd against my ribs. I brushed her hair back gently, trying not to look at the blood soaking into the sheets beneath her head.
My hands felt clumsy, useless. I didn’t know what I was doing. How do I stop her from bleeding when it’s her tongue that was cut off
"Lila," I said again, closer now. "Open your eyes. Just a little more." Her lashes fluttered weakly.
"That’s it," I encouraged desperately. "Good. Good. Just look at ."
Her lips moved, but no sound ca out. Panic clawed at my chest. But not long after, fast footsteps rushed down the hall.
The door burst open. Nonna ca in first, breathless, her chair moving faster than I’d ever seen it move.
Doctor Isabella followed right behind her, dark hair pulled back tightly, a dical bag slung over her shoulder.
"Here," Nonna said sharply. "She’s here." Relief hit so hard my vision swam.
"She won’t wake up properly," I blurted out, words tumbling over each other as I tightened my hold on Lila. "She’s bleeding too much. I tried—I tried to keep her awake but...but..."
"Katya," the doctor said firmly, already kneeling beside the bed. "I need you to move back now."
I hesitated, my arms instinctively tightening around Lila. "But..."
"Now," she repeated, not unkind but unyielding. Her hand pressed gently but decisively against my shoulder, guiding aside.
**
Bonus 3
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