The lawyer seemed not to notice the choked tremor in Virelle’s voice. His tone was calm, steady.

“Hello, Madam. Could you describe your situation?”

“The grounds for the divorce, as well as your expectations.”

Virelle paused for a moment, then told him everything.

“Mrs. Ashen, I am very sorry for what you've been through."

His voice measured.

"If you truly wish to leave, I can assist you with the division of assets.”

“Although I cannot make your husband walk away with nothing, I can ensure you receive fair...”

Virelle cut him off.

“Mr. Wolfe, I don’t need any assets. I just want the divorce to be finalized as quickly as possible, and the freedom to leave at any time.”

Virelle clenched her hands unconsciously.

Her grandfather was about to undergo surgery, and the doctor had repeatedly warned that he must not be subjected to any shock.

And on top of that, she still needed the two hundred thousand dollars from Grayson, the very price for all the sacrifice she had made, and the humiliation she had endured.

She could not leave immediately.

But she needed to be ready to leave as soon as the surgery was successful and his condition was completely stable.

"I understand."

The lawyer did not ask further, just calmly replied.

"Please prepare the necessary documents, and I'll handle the rest."

Finally, Virelle could breathe a sigh of relief.

...

The next morning, Virelle woke up as usual. After getting dressed and putting on light makeup, she picked up her bag, preparing to head to the hospital to visit her grandfather.

As she stepped into the living room, the space was unusually quiet.

Jaxon had likely already been taken to school by Grayson. In the living room, only Grayson and Selene remained, seated at the table having breakfast. At that moment, Selene was leaning close, feeding Grayson a bite of salad with intimacy.

“Grayson, eat this one.”

Virelle glanced at them, then looked away as if she hadn’t seen anything. Grayson, however, seemed uneasy. He quickly pulled back from Selene, stood up abruptly, and cleared his throat to mask his embarrassment.

“Virelle, are you heading to the hospital?”

“I’ll take you. I promised last night I’d go with you to visit your grandfather.”

Every time he did something wrong or hurt her, Grayson would always act this gently afterward. Virelle shot him a brief glance before nodding.

After all, her grandfather truly liked Grayson.

“Wait a moment, I’ll grab my coat, and we can go together.”

Seeing her agree, Grayson let out a breath of relief and quickly reached for his jacket.

“Wait, Grayson...”

Selene’s voice cut in at just the right moment, soft and sweet.

“Can I come along?”

“I was thinking of stopping by the mall nearby, it’s on the way.”

Without waiting for his answer, she cheerfully cleared the table and stepped to his side.

“Virelle, you don’t mind, right?”

Selene blinked, putting on an innocent and harmless expression, while Grayson looked at Virelle as if gauging her reaction.

“Up to you.”

Virelle no longer wanted to argue. She gave a lazy shrug and turned away. She had no interest in wasting words or emotions on someone as shameless as Selene anymore.

When they reached the garage, Grayson, as usual, gently opened the front passenger door for Virelle. But before she could react, Selene swiftly slipped into the seat, acting coy.

“Virelle, I get carsick. Can I sit in the front?”

“You’re so generous, you wouldn’t get mad, right?”

Selene blinked, looking at Virelle sweetly.

“Besides, I’m used to sitting next to Grayson anyway.”

At the sight of Selene’s fake smile, Virelle felt her stomach churn with nausea. She didn’t bother responding, simply opening the backseat door herself and sitting down calmly.

Seeing how “understanding” Virelle was, a trace of satisfaction flashed in Grayson’s eyes.

The car started moving.

Selene casually picked up a bag of snacks from inside the car and opened it. The smell of food quickly spread through the space.

Watching Grayson’s indifferent expression, Virelle couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh.

Grayson had always hated it when she ate in his car. There was once when she had worked overtime until she was trembling from hunger, her blood sugar dropping. She had tried to open a small snack in the car just to ease it.

Yet Grayson had slammed on the brakes in anger, snatching the snack from her hand and throwing it out the window.

“Virelle, I’ve told you before. Eating in the car smells disgusting and makes me sick."

"Don’t ever do that again.”

At that moment, Virelle even felt guilty for making him mad.

Up until now, when Selene did the same thing, he indulged her. There wasn’t even a trace of displeasure on his face.

Love and the absence of it were, in truth, painfully easy to see.

It was only that, all this time, Virelle had been blinded by love.

“Grayson, have a bite. This snack is really good...”

Selene leaned closer, holding the snack right to his lips. The gesture was so familiar, as if she had done it countless times before.

Grayson smiled indulgently, tilting his head as he opened his mouth and ate the snack.

At that exact moment.

A container truck hurtled toward them from the opposite direction, heading straight for them.

The piercing blare of its horn tore through the air, sending Grayson into a panic as he jerked the steering wheel.

“Ah!”

Selene screamed as her body lost balance, the world spinning around her.

Bang.

The car slammed violently into the roadside barrier, the front of the vehicle beginning to smoke almost immediately.

Everything descended into chaos.

“Selene, watch out!”

With all his strength, Grayson lunged forward and pulled Selene tightly into his arms, shielding her just before she crashed into the window. In the next instant, the glass shattered.

As for Virelle, seated in the back, the force of the collision hurled her body hard against the car door. Her head struck the window with a dull, heavy thud, and blood quickly began to flow as the glass shattered.

Fragments of glass flew everywhere, slicing into her skin and leaving her dazed, her reactions delayed.

The world around her gradually blurred.

“Selene, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Struggling, Virelle forced her head up, only to see Grayson cry out in alarm as he held Selene tightly, frantically checking her for injuries.

His voice was filled with concern, as if she were the most precious person in the world.

Selene, as though frightened out of her wits, clung to Grayson, sobbing softly that she was fine.

A self-mocking laugh escaped Virelle's lips.

An accident had just happened, and at the very line between life and death, yet the person her husband protected and cared for had never been her.

He did not spare her even a single glance, while frantically shielding and soothing his mistress.

How ironic.

If he had only turned his head, even just once, he might have seen her collapsing in a pool of blood.

Her heart pounded violently, as if it might burst through her chest.

She tried to lift her hand, tried to call his name for help, but no sound came out.

Her body felt as if it had been drained of all strength, and Virelle slowly slid downward.

It will be alright. She will be fine.

She won't die.

Virelle tried to comfort herself.

Her vision gradually blurred until, at last, Virelle’s world sank into darkness.

Perhaps… this was for the best.

At least now, Virelle no longer loved him.

And, she would no longer hurt because of him.

Virelle woke in an unfamiliar space, the sharp, suffocating scent of antiseptic so thick it made it hard for her to breathe. The cold, sterile air of the hospital room raised goosebumps across her skin, and the moment she stirred, faint whispers reached her ears.

“This girl in the ward is really pitiful. She’s severely injured, with a concussion and heavy blood loss, yet there’s no one here to take care of her.”

“Even the driver of that container truck she nearly collided with was the one kind enough to bring her to the hospital and pay for her emergency treatment.”

That voice suddenly lowered, laced with regret.

“I wonder what relationship she has with the two people sitting in the driver's and passenger seats of that BMW."

"They were in the same car during the accident, weren’t they? How could they just abandon her like that, without caring whether she lived or died?”

A soft shushing sound followed, then another female voice deliberately hushed.

“Don’t say things like that. If someone overhears, it won’t be good.”

The faint clatter of medical instruments echoed as the voice dropped even further.

“I think the girl in the passenger seat is the driver’s wife. He looked so panicked, after all.”

“She only got a small scratch from shattered glass, just a little bleeding, but he made such a huge fuss in the hospital."

"He even exaggerated things and demanded the best doctor treat her, as if her condition were serious.”

Clicking her tongue again, she added.

“And that girl... I suppose she’s just an acquaintance, not someone close.”

“After all, when she was brought in by the ambulance, the stretcher was already soaked in blood... and that man didn’t even spare her a single glance...”

Only when the room fell completely silent, and the footsteps faded into the distance, did Virelle slowly open her eyes. The harsh light shone straight into them, blurring her vision for a moment.

A faint sob escaped from the corner of her lips.

She lifted her hand, staring at the crisscrossing cuts left by shattered glass, then reached up to touch her head, wrapped thickly in bandages.

A dry, hollow laugh slipped out.

Grayson truly disgusted her more with each passing moment.

A man rotten to the very core.

Her heart, which she thought had long since hardened, still throbbed with pain. As if something inside had just shattered into countless pieces, beyond any hope of repair.

No matter what, they had shared years of life together. Yet he hadn’t cared in the slightest whether she lived or died.

All he cared about was the minor scratch on his mistress.

All these years, had she been living with a man, or with a monster?

...

In the days that followed, Virelle spent her time alone in the hospital.

Not a single phone call. Not a single visitor.

Only long stretches of silence, filled with nothing but her own loneliness.

She didn’t dare go see her grandfather, didn’t dare let him know she was injured. So she could only lie, telling him she was on a vacation with Grayson, just to keep him at ease.

During that time, however, she focused on far more important matters.

She put up for sale every piece of jewelry and every designer outfit Grayson had once given her.

She also contacted agents to sell the old apartment she had bought when she first brought her grandfather to this city for treatment.

She searched for the best hospital in Solvang, the place she planned to move to with her grandfather after leaving Grayson, was also where the two of them had lived together ever since she was a child. And also, arranged a room for her grandfather to recuperate there after his surgery was successful.

Finally, she reached out to an old friend, asking for help finding a job in Solvang. Even if it was only as a cashier or a sales assistant, she needed a new job to support herself.

On her last day at the hospital, when the divorce papers arrived, Virelle calmly completed the discharge procedures herself and took a taxi home.

The house remained as luxurious and magnificent as ever.

Only she had changed.

The moment the door opened, angry shouts and the sharp crash of something shattering rang out.

“What the hell did you cook? It tastes awful!”

“Is this dog food? You idiot!”

A plate of food was hurled straight at the maid. She dodged in panic, but the plate shattered against the floor, shards and food scattering everywhere.

Jaxon stood in the middle of the living room, his face flushed with anger.

“Jaxon, don’t be so rude.”

Grayson’s lazy voice drifted from the sofa, yet he didn’t even bother to get up. He simply lay there, idly stroking Selene’s soft hair, their bodies pressed close together in an intimate posture, as if they were husband and wife.

No one truly cared about disciplining Jaxon.

Virelle silently watched the scene for a few seconds. Then she let out a quiet breath and slowly walked toward him.

“Jaxon, we should use polite words."

"I’ve told you that before, haven’t I?”

She stopped in front of him and crouched down, coaxing gently.

“And even if the food doesn’t taste good, you shouldn’t throw it like this. That’s wrong.”

Jaxon glanced at her, a flicker of annoyance crossing his eyes.

“Shut up. I’m not wrong.”

His eyes were red as he glared at her fiercely.

“What right do you have to lecture me? Daddy already said, you’re just a stupid housewife.”

The air tightened in an instant, his words slicing into Virelle’s heart like a blade.

The gentle smile on her lips froze, her chest constricting painfully. Though he wasn’t her biological child, she had always loved Jaxon with everything she had.

Even after learning he was the child of Grayson and Selene, she had never let that truth turn into resentment toward him.

And yet... this was what she received in return?

Jaxon suddenly bent down, grabbed a plate of roasted chicken from the table, and hurled it at her with all his strength.

“Idiot! Get out of this house! Then Daddy, Mommy, and I can be happy together!”

“Get out of here, idiot!”

“I hate you.”

Bang.

A dull, heavy impact echoed as the plate struck Virelle’s head. Sauce and pieces of chicken splattered across her, while a shard of broken porcelain sliced a long cut across her forehead.

Blood trickled down along her temple.

Her gaze turned cold.

She didn’t wipe it away. She only slowly clenched her fingers.

Inside her mind, fragments of memories shattered one by one, the sweet smile Jaxon once gave her, the way he had cried in panic when she was hurt, the soft, tender “Mommy” he had called her for the very first time...

All of it seemed to be crushed into dust, turning distant, as though it had never existed.

Perhaps from the very beginning, she should never have wasted her gentleness and kindness on people who were never worthy of it.

Smack.

The sound rang out, sharp and decisive, as Virelle struck Jaxon across the backside.

“Jaxon, who gave you the right to behave so rudely? It seems everything I’ve taught you all this time has been thrown away!”

“Apologize to the maid. And apologize to me.”

Her voice was cold, devoid of emotion.

Jaxon froze, staring at her with wide, stunned eyes for several seconds.

The next second, he burst into loud, uncontrollable sobs.

His eyes reddened as he struggled wildly, trying to break free, but to no avail.

“Virelle, are you crazy? Why would you suddenly hit Jaxon like that?”

Selene rushed forward, pulling Jaxon tightly into her arms as she lashed out at Virelle.

“Mommy... Virelle hit me... it hurts...”

Jaxon buried his face in Selene’s chest, crying helplessly, which only fueled her anger further as she glared at Virelle.

“Look at him, he’s been frightened like this.”

“How can you be so cruel as a mother?”

Her voice turned sharp with accusation, and Grayson quickly stepped in as well.

“Virelle, Jaxon is still a child, you can’t...”

Before he could finish, Virelle let out a laugh.

It was cold, laced with unmistakable mockery.

“Precisely because he is a child, I have to teach him properly, Grayson.”

She met his eyes directly, emphasizing each word.

“Otherwise, he’ll grow up to be an ill-mannered, uneducated child.”

“And you...”

Virelle shifted her gaze to Selene, her eyes sharp as a blade.

“What’s wrong with me disciplining my own child? What right do you have to interfere?”

Selene’s face paled slightly, her hand freezing midair. She parted her lips, about to respond, but before she could, Virelle continued.

“Besides, if I’m hitting my son, why are you reacting as if I’m hitting yours?”

Selene pressed her lips together, trembling.

“I... I...”

But no words came out.

The air in the room grew suffocating, thick with tension, while Jaxon’s piercing cries continued to echo.

Virelle only found it irritating.

Without another glance, she reached into her bag, took out a document, and handed it to Grayson.

“Right. This is the request form to upgrade my grandfather to a VIP ward. Sign it.”

Virelle’s cold demeanor left Grayson momentarily stunned.

“Virelle, do you really have to force me to sign this right now? Our son is still crying, can’t you comfort him first?”

The look in his eyes carried disappointment, as though he were staring at a heartless mother.

Virelle merely gave a faint, indifferent shrug.

“Isn’t Selene already comforting him?”

“Besides, you promised to move my grandfather to a VIP ward. Are you planning to go back on your word?”

“If you don’t have the ability to do it, then you shouldn’t have promised in the first place.”

Her sarcasm ignited Grayson’s temper. He snatched the document from her hand and signed it without even glancing at its contents.

Virelle watched him intently.

The moment she saw his signature fall onto the divorce agreement she had slipped beneath, her breath caught in her throat.

Her gaze trembled slightly, her lips parting.

It was over.

At last... it was truly over.

“Is that enough now? Go comfort our son. He’s crying himself hoarse.”

Grayson shoved the document back to her, frowning in irritation.

But Virelle remained indifferent.

“I told you, Selene is already comforting Jaxon.”

“If you want, go comfort him with her. After all, you are his father.”

“Stop pushing your responsibilities onto me all the time.”

With that, she turned and walked upstairs.

Behind her, Grayson stared after her in a daze.

There was something off about Virelle today.

As if she had completely become a different person.

…

After going upstairs, Virelle did not allow herself any idle time. She quickly sorted through and packed the items she had already sold, preparing to send them to their new owners.

As for the things that were outdated, no longer trendy, or difficult to sell, she tossed them all into another box. Naturally, she had no intention of taking along anything Grayson had given her once she left.

While carrying the boxes downstairs to arrange for express delivery, she unfortunately ran into Grayson.

“What is it, Virelle?”

Grayson frowned at the cluttered boxes in her arms. The moment he caught sight of the handbags, shoes, and clothes he had once bought for her inside them, his expression darkened with displeasure.

Virelle, however, was only momentarily stunned before quickly replying,

“Oh, just some old things.”

“I don’t use them anymore, so I’m planning to donate them to an orphanage, for people who actually need them.”

After saying that, Virelle no longer bothered to care about Grayson’s reaction. Brushing past him coldly, she walked straight ahead.

That evening.

Virelle had originally intended to continue handling the paperwork for selling the apartment, but Grayson forced her out of the house to attend his mother’s birthday party, Talia Mercer’s.

“We need to look like a happy family, Virelle.”

“Besides, if you don’t go, then don’t blame me for refusing to pay your grandfather’s fifty thousand dollars in hospital fees and medication costs this week.”

Grayson no longer bothered to pretend, openly threatening her instead. Virelle’s hands clenched tightly.

At that point, those expenses already amounted to nearly all the money she had managed to save and earn from selling her belongings. If Grayson refused to cover them, she would practically be left with nothing if she had to pay for everything herself.

In the end, it was only a party. She could just endure it as if she were deaf to everything around her. Gritting her teeth, Virelle finally agreed.

What she didn’t expect was that Selene would be going along as well.

When they arrived at the Rose residence, the lights blazed brilliantly, and the banquet hall was already crowded with guests.

Still sulking at Virelle, Jaxon let out a cold snort and ignored her completely, walking straight toward a maid and ordering her to take him upstairs to play.

Virelle didn’t react. She simply placed the gift she had prepared on the table and was about to hand it to Talia. But the moment she parted her lips.

“Selene, it’s been so long since you last visited me. I’ve missed you so much.”

Talia walked past Virelle as if she didn’t exist and went straight to Selene, taking her hand with warmth and affection.

Under her enthusiastic welcome, Selene smiled sweetly.

“Aunt, I’ve missed you too.”

“I knew today was your birthday, so I prepared a gift for you.”

Talia’s face immediately lit up with delight. She picked up the gift box and opened it without hesitation.

Inside was a diamond necklace from a well-known domestic luxury brand.

“How beautiful, Selene. You always choose gifts so thoughtfully, exactly to my taste.”

“Unlike some people. Married into this family for years and still doesn’t know what I like. Every gift is wrong.”

“Truly an eyesore.”

Talia let out a cold snort.

“And such a dull personality. Never even come to visit me or keep me company.”

Virelle stood there, silently enduring the gazes, the scrutiny, and the criticism directed at her.

Talia had always been like this, openly showing her dislike.

The gift Virelle brought hadn’t even been opened, yet it had already been dismissed.

Virelle let out a cold laugh inwardly.

If it had been before, she would have been hurt, and would have tried every way to win Talia’s favor.

But now, she remained silent, offering no reaction at all, as if none of it had anything to do with her.

Grayson watched her calm, detached demeanor, his brows knitting slightly as an instinctive unease crept in.

Something about Virelle... felt off.

Yet before he could say anything, she had already turned and walked out.

…

The night breeze drifted through the garden, carrying a chill, while the golden light cast a solitary shadow of Virelle.

“Virelle, your shamelessness truly broadens my horizons.”

The sharp click of high heels echoed from behind, blending with a woman’s scathing voice.

Virelle turned around, her gaze meeting Selene’s eyes, filled with hostility and malice.

“Despised by your mother-in-law, rejected by your son, neglected by your husband, and you can still endure it.”

Selene let out a cold laugh as she stepped closer, her lips curling as she looked Virelle up and down.

“Why are you still clinging to this failed marriage? For money?”

She laughed mockingly, tilting her head to one side.

“Or is it because of that sickly grandfather of yours?”

Virelle did not respond. Her hand hanging at her side had already clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned pale.

Her fingers stiffened further, her ears ringing the moment Selene mentioned her grandfather, yet she still forced herself to endure it.

There was no need to get angry at someone so shameless.

Seeing Virelle remain silent, her face paling, the smile on Selene’s lips deepened. She covered her mouth as she giggled, even giving a taunting wink.

“Don’t blame me for being harsh, but that sickly grandfather of yours is already very weak. Even with treatment, he won’t live much longer.”

She shrugged, her tone light and careless.

“You might as well give up on treatment and let him die sooner, so he won’t be such a burden...”

Smack.

A sharp sound rang out, cutting off Selene’s words.

The air seemed to congeal.

Selene’s face snapped to the side, the burning sting on her cheek driving her into a frenzy.

“You...”

“Shut up.”

Virelle’s voice was ice-cold, her gaze sharp as a blade.

“A shameless person like you has no right to mention my grandfather.”

Selene glared at her, her eyes blazing with hatred. She stepped forward, eyes wide, yet in the next instant, something shifted.

The malice vanished, replaced by panic and frailty.

“Virelle, I’m sorry, I misspoke. Please don’t be angry with me...”

Her eyes reddened as she reached out, as if to take Virelle’s hand in apology, but Virelle had already stepped back coldly.

At that exact moment.

Smack.

A resounding slap landed across Virelle’s face, her ears ringing as though something had exploded inside her head. Her cheek burned as if scalded, the faint metallic taste of blood spreading across her mouth.

Virelle slowly lifted her head.

Grayson stood before her, his chest rising and falling with anger.

“Virelle, you’ve gone too far. How could you raise your hand against Selene?”

“Apologize to Selene. Now.”

Virelle looked at him, her expression shifting from stunned disbelief to quiet despair. She stood frozen for a few seconds before letting out a faint laugh.

“Apologize? Grayson, you haven’t even asked what happened, and you’ve already decided I’m at fault?”

“Do you even know what Selene said about my grandfather...”

Her voice was hoarse as she tried to explain, but Selene had already thrown herself weakly into Grayson’s arms. Tears streamed down her face, her body trembling as though she had suffered immense injustice.

“Grayson, don’t blame Virelle. It’s all my fault.”

“I was only asking about her grandfather’s health. I didn’t expect her to get angry.”

Selene choked out each word, her tears soaking into Grayson’s shirt, making his gaze grow even sharper.

“Virelle, you’ve gone too far.”

“What else is there to deny?”

“Apologize to Selene. Now.”

So it was like this again.

Every time Selene stirred up trouble, a few tears were enough to make everything Virelle’s fault.

Virelle was already tired of explaining.

Her heart turned cold as she lifted her gaze to the two people in front of her.

One always fragile, the other always protective, a scene so familiar it almost made her laugh.

“Apologize?”

Her voice came out dry, before curling into a mocking smile.

“Grayson, I told you before, Selene was the one who insulted me first.”

A trace of ridicule flickered in her eyes.

“Besides, I slapped Selene, and you slapped me back. That makes us even.”

“If you want me to apologize to Selene, that’s fine.”

“You apologize to me first.”

Her provocation completely ignited Grayson’s anger, driving him into a rage.

“Good. Very good, Virelle.”

He roared.

“Maids!”

The maids appeared immediately, her expression serious as she received his order. His voice remained icy.

“Lock Virelle in the storage room.”

“Without my permission, no one is allowed to let her out.”

In an instant, the blood in Virelle’s body seemed to freeze. Her face turned deathly pale, her breathing constricted as though being strangled.

Her lips trembled, turning faintly purple, her breath caught in her throat.

“Grayson, you can’t do this, I...”

Her voice turned hoarse, but the maids had already stepped forward. Their hands were like iron clamps, gripping her tightly, leaving no room for escape.

“Grayson, don’t...”

“Ah, I feel dizzy, Grayson.”

Selene suddenly cried out, her body going limp as she collapsed. Grayson immediately abandoned Virelle and turned to catch Selene.

Then, seeing Selene trembling and complaining of weakness, he hurriedly lifted her into his arms and rushed inside, without sparing Virelle even a single glance.

Virelle’s heart went still. She stood frozen like a statue, her eyes stinging.

The maids pushed and dragged her toward the storage room. She struggled, but couldn’t break free.

Tears blurred her vision, yet she forced herself to take a deep breath.

Virelle, don’t cry over that bastard anymore.

Bang.

The door slammed shut behind her, and darkness crashed down.

“Young mistress, young master said you should stay here and reflect on your mistakes.”

“When you realize your fault and admit it, we’ll let you out.”

In the darkness that seemed to swallow everything whole, Virelle heard the cold voices. She stood there blankly for a few seconds before her breathing began to falter, as if something were lodged in her chest, cutting off the air.

Her body gave out, and she slid weakly to the floor, gasping in panic.

Her heartbeat pounded heavily, so violently she felt as if her chest might shatter.

“H-help, someone...”

She shrank back, curling into herself, her voice as faint as a whisper of wind.

Memories surged like a rising tide.

A winter night, a pitch-dark room, her small figure curled on the floor.

No one came. No one saved her.

Only distant laughter from outside, mingling with her own panicked sobs.

Virelle hated the dark.

And even more than that, she hated the feeling of being abandoned.

“Help...”

Virelle slammed into something with a loud crash.

Fragments shattered across the floor, some slicing into her hand with a sharp sting. Blood was probably flowing, but she couldn’t even see it, only a bone-deep cold spreading through her body.

Something wet smeared across her palm, stinging enough to make her frown.

Her vision blurred. In her panic, Virelle forced herself to crawl forward, searching for a way out, yet she could no longer tell which direction she was moving in.

All around her, nothing but suffocating darkness.

“Help... is anyone there... please...”

Her ears rang as dizziness and nausea surged over her, leaving her body weaker with every passing second. Her voice trembled, hoarse and broken.

The sound echoed back at her, but there was no reply.

The darkness seemed to devour her inch by inch, like a monstrous thing closing in.

Her hands groped blindly, her nails scraping harshly against the floor, producing a grating sound. Pain spread through her body, and suddenly, her vision went black.

Her consciousness began to fade, the sounds around her drifting farther and farther away.

And then, everything was swallowed by complete darkness.