{Katelyn's POV}
Ring~ Ring~
'What the...?' My phone lit up with a number I didn't recognize. Normally, I'd let it rot, but something about it pulled at me.
"Hello?" I picked up and waited.
A masculine voice replied immediately, "Is this Miss Katelyn?"
"Yeah..." I was starting to feel strange. I didn't like that this person already knew me, but I had no clue who they were.
'I think I'll just hang u—'
"This is Eizkel's driver for today, Marcus. I thought since you two are so close, I should inform you as well."
"About what?"
"Mr. Eizkel is in the hospital right now—unconscious."
'H-Huh?' My mind couldn't believe what I was hearing. Still standing in the same cherry blossom array where Ophi had interrogated me, I grabbed the nearest tree to keep my balance.
'W-We were just talking a few hours ago!' I took deep breaths, trying to calm down, but it wasn't working.
"C-Can I ask what hospital?"
"Uh..." His uncertainty was painfully clear.
I could understand Marcus's dilemma, but it pissed me off that he'd called me—only to hesitate about telling me where Eiz was!
"Sorry, I just got a text from a coworker. It's in Alexandria City—Augustus Health United."
I winced. The party was in three hours, and it would take at least an hour to get to Eiz.
"Marcus, I'm coming over. If anything changes, please let me know." I knew I wasn't Eiz's family, so I wasn't exactly entitled to any details—but I hoped I wouldn't be left out if something else happened.
"Sure. I just got full approval from his mom."
"Phew~" I was super glad that Miss Seraphina and I had met—even if the circumstances were random.
The call disconnected, and I immediately texted Dad. He'd just have to deal with it—it's not like I'm skipping for no reason.
Ding~
[Dad: That's fine. I figured you didn't want to go anyway.]
[Me: …You're saying I could've just said no?]
[Dad: Yeah. What kind of father makes his child do something they don't want to do?]
'Bullshit. Last time, you made a fucking fuss.'
I stomped the pavement, the dull thud echoing through the quiet lot as frustration simmered in my chest. The phone screen dimmed in my hand—left on read, just like he deserved. I didn't have time to unravel that mess.
Thumbs flying, I shot off a quick text to Ophi, the soft click of the touchscreen barely registering through the rush in my ears. My bag thumped against my hip as I sprinted to the car.
Sliding into the driver's seat, I slammed the door shut, the hollow thunk cutting through the haze in my head. I jabbed the destination into the GPS, the plastic buttons cold beneath my fingers, and peeled out of the lot without any care for anyone else.
.
.
.
Within the latter half of the hour, I arrived at the hospital. As soon as I walked in, I rushed to the receptionist.
"I—I need to visit a patient." My breath was ragged; in hindsight, it probably would've been smarter to catch it first.
The unremarkably plain woman tapped something into her computer, then looked up at me.
"Last name?"
"His? Rhyse."
"Okay. Yours?"
"Noire."
She typed again, her eyes narrowing slightly as she gave me a suspicious look.
"You're not connected to his family, so…"
"Damn it, I'm basically his g-g-girlfriend! Just call Marcus-You know what. I'll do it." I felt embarrassed because it was clearly a lie. I just wanted to see him.
'Not that I'd mind us being together, hehe~'
The thought drifted in, uninvited and annoyingly smug. I felt warmth rise beneath my skin, settling in my cheeks like a quiet confession I wasn't ready to voice. My lips twitched before I caught myself, and I bit down gently on the inside of my cheek.
'Ugh, seriously? Get it together.'
I went through my call list and found Marcus's number. The phone rang for barely a second before Marcus immediately picked up.
"Miss Katelyn."
"Y-Yeah. I, uh, need help getting up there."
"You're here already?" His surprise leaked through the phone. He didn't need to know I'd sped over.
"Ahem. Anyway—fifth floor, room 505. Don't listen to that receptionist."
I did exactly that, leaving the horrible woman behind as I headed for the elevator. I stood there, arms crossed, impatiently watching the numbers crawl upward.
Ding~
The elevator chimed. I pushed my way through the slightly crowded cabin and rushed down the hall. Marcus was standing outside the room, scanning the area, and the second he noticed me storming his way, he flinched.
"What happened?" I got up close, grabbing him by the collar. We were nearly the same height, with me just an inch taller, so it wasn't exactly hard to get in his face. He looked wounded—like he thought this was unfair—but I didn't give a damn.
He sighed. "He had a run-in with an old friend, but for some reason, he had a severe panic attack. That's what the doctors are saying so far."
"They don't know???"
The words came out sharper than I intended, slicing through the sterile hallway air. My stomach twisted, a cold pit settling deep as if the ground beneath me had just shifted. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. How could they not know? What the hell kind of hospital was this?
"They were going off what I told them, and they've only run a few basic tests. They want to wait for him to wake up before continuing."
"W-What did this woman do?"
"Nothing."
The word slipped out of his mouth like it meant something. Like it was supposed to be enough. My brows pulled together before I even realized it, tension creeping up my spine. I could hear the faint hum of the lights above us, the quiet beep of some monitor down the hall—everything suddenly too loud.
'No way. There's no way nothing caused this.'
"That can't be the truth."
"She literally did nothing. When he passed out, she was just as stunned as I was."
"Does she know where he is?"
"No. Madam Seraphina didn't want Mr. Eizkel waking up and seeing her."
"Phew~" Even I don't know how I would've reacted if I saw her. It's probably for the best that this woman—whoever she is—isn't here.
Walking into the room, I spotted him right away—unconscious, lying still under the thin hospital blanket. A few wires ran from his chest to the monitor beside him, the screen flashing with quiet beeps and steady lines. Just the basic stuff. Nothing serious, or so they said. But my chest still felt tight, like I couldn't quite take a full breath. He looked too still. Too quiet. And no matter how normal the equipment looked, something in me wouldn't settle.
I grabbed a seat and pulled it closer to his right side, the legs scraping softly against the tiled floor. His hand rested open on the sheets, pale and still. I slipped my fingers into his, curling around the coolness of his skin, rubbing gentle circles with my thumb to warm him up.
Just being here helped ease the tightness in my chest, even if a part of me screamed that it wasn't enough. I would've preferred him sitting up, smirking at me like nothing happened.
My eyes stayed fixed on his face—peaceful, steady, untouched by pain. Nothing looked wrong. That small detail, the sheer normalcy of it, was the only thing keeping me from losing it.