Celia's brow furrowed as she stepped closer, concern etching deep lines across her delicate features.
She folded her arms across her chest, tilting her head slightly as she regarded the figure before her.
"You shouldn't be sitting up so soon," she murmured, her voice laced with gentle reprimand, though the worry beneath it was unmistakable.
She moved with quiet urgency, placing a firm yet careful hand on their shoulder as if urging them back down.
"You've barely had time to regain your strength. Pushing yourself like this will only make things worse."
"I'm good, I promise," he insisted, determination flickering in his eyes like a stubborn flame.
He shifted slightly, wincing despite himself. "Just help me sit up."
The truth was that as they were talking, he had started to feel better already.
At first, every movement had felt sluggish, his limbs weighed down by exhaustion, but now, a quiet strength was returning to him.
