While Soma lay in bed beside her little brother Theo, Spearhead had just finished telling their story. Maricella stood in stunned silence. She never imagined that her cheerful friend—the one whose smile rarely faded—had gone through something so painful. Tears began streaming down her cheeks as guilt tightened in her chest.

  “Oh, Soma… how could you laugh like that after everything you've been through?” she whispered, voice trembling. “You’re so strong… I wish I had even half of your strength. I’m so sorry… if I brought up something you wanted to forget. I really am.”

  Eyes brimming with tears, she walked slowly into the room. There, she found Soma still unconscious, lying quietly under the blankets, Theo sitting faithfully by her side. He held her hand tightly, whispering quiet prayers for her recovery.

  Maricella sat beside him, gently reassuring him that his sister would get better. Then she looked at Soma—at her pale, still face—and the sadness in her eyes didn't go unnoticed. Theo turned to her and, with his small arms, pulled her into a soft hug, trying to comfort her in the only way he knew how.

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  His tiny face was a mixture of both hope and pain, holding onto a small, shaky smile just to keep going. Maricella hugged him tightly in return, and somehow, that warmth helped him drift off to sleep. But even in his dreams, Theo couldn’t stop thinking about his sister, who, deep in unconsciousness, kept questioning the strange feeling that surged through her during the fight with Maricella.

  What was that emotion? And why did it feel so familiar—just like when the assassin attacked?

  Three days passed.

  Soma didn’t wake up. Maricella grew more and more anxious with each passing hour, though Spearhead and Theo remained calm. After all, Soma had been unconscious for a long time the first time it happened too.

  And thank God—on the morning of the fourth day, just like before, she opened her eyes at breakfast time.

  Maricella burst into the room and wrapped her in a hug. But something was different.

  Soma didn’t respond.

  She just sat there, blank and still.

  Her presence was muted. Her eyes were distant. Her energy... completely off. And slowly, the others began to realize something was wrong.

  Especially with how she looked at Maricella.

  As if she was trying to avoid her. Like she didn’t want to talk.

  Like something had changed.