"Ah, eavesdropping? Wow, Aylwin, you never cease to amaze me... " Austin's tone was oozing with disdain and contempt, and he made it rather explicit to him. Azura remained stoic, perhaps because she didn't want to get embroiled in their predicament, or perhaps because she didn't want to wind up digging her own grave. Aylwin was a walking detector for her, knowing more about her than she did. It was so blatant in her eyes, a flawless, sturdy crackling. Nothing was more important to her than for them to just shut up. She vividly remembered how the previous time they ran into each other, things didn't go very well. And the story was a lot more convoluted and ambiguous back then. She didn't want the mayhem to unfold again. She didn't want to do it all over again. She only desired to have both of her close ones by her side. Her best friend. And her.... king?

Aylwin didn't react. He remained unresponsive. Austin's remarks made absolutely no difference to Aylwin. Perhaps it was because it wasn't the first time those words had invaded his thoughts. Regardless of whether he deserved it or not. That, however, was not the root of his concern. That was never the case. Or perhaps it was... but it happened in the past, a long time ago, and he remembered it as if it had been yesterday.

He was immune to his words. He was very well cognizant that Austin had every reason to despise him, to push him, to hit him, and heck, even to kill him. It wasn't, nevertheless, about the old days. And Aylwin knew better than to dig up the graves, which would only bring back memories of devastation and unveil the atrocious scars of the past.

Furthermore, at the moment, it was about Sophronia, his fresher. Just about her. And he was there for her. His rage boiled up inside him. All of the swelling emotions seemed like a tornado threatening to sweep everything away. The calmness he carried with him was like the sheer, eerie, deafening calmness of the coast before the kiss of a deadly storm. Well, for starters, Aylwin himself was a ticking time bomb. Nonetheless, it was never Aylwin's style to act on his nerves. And the mere concept of doing so was the farthest thing from his mind.

"Are you here just to gawk at my face or....?" As though Aylwin's mere existence was more nightmarish than the concentration camps, Austin inquired.

"I'm not here to argue with you, Austin." All of Aylwin's emotions were held at bay when he spoke. Calm and composed.

"Wow, that's wonderful to hear. Feelings are mutual, Aylwin. Well then, if you're done then, you may leave. " He turned away from him. He was seething with resentment and aggravation.

"You know what, Austin? I'm fucking fed up with this whole thing. I'm sick of it all. When I said, 'I'm not here to argue with you,' I fucking meant every single word. "

"You don't teach..." Austin attempted to cut him off, and that was the deathblow to Aylwin's forbearance. He'd had enough of him. He would have sincerely listened to it if it had been about him, but he was just there for the sake of his Fresher.

"Shut up! Just shut the fuck up! " Aylwin roared at him, effectively silencing him. Azura flinched instinctively. She knew that Austin had incensed him. Dread clung to every fiber of her body. Aylwin closed his eyes for a second, calming slightly.

"What makes you think you're the only one here who's been hurt and ruined? That you're the only one whose everything is at stake? That you're the only one who has lost everything? No, Austin, NO. You're not the only one! You certainly aren't! " Aylwin sighed, his demeanor returning to calm and collected, albeit there was still a tinge of rage in it.

"Oh, really? So, who's the one then? Tell me. You? And ah, why won't you be? Right? " Austin yelled back with sarcasm, on cloud nine.

"You're only making things much more difficult for both of us." Aylwin retorted, trying to persuade Austin to understand, but he was far from understanding anything.

"Oh really? How difficult? Just like you made it more difficult for me? Just like you made my life a living hell? Just like that awful night when you took away the ones that meant the most to me!? " He yelled back, his voice quivering at the last lines. He raked his fingers through his hair, his eyes on the brink of unveiling everything. He felt utterly crushed, shattered into shards of suffering. To make matters worse, and to add toppings to his misery, Sophronia pushed him out of her life. At least that's what he claimed.

Azura sighed, convinced that the chaos was going nowhere. Austin's negligence was just digging up graves that had been buried decades ago. It would be a white lie to imply she wasn't expecting all that bullshit. What else could she do, though? Involving herself in their already tangled mess would only serve to expose her own mishaps. As a result, she opted to stay passive for the sake of all.

"Shut it! Do not utter a single word. Do. Not. Utter. A. Single. Word." Aylwin accentuated each and every word with an implicit warning and perilous menace. That was the final strike that evoked the wretched soul, lamenting in desolation and anguish. He could feel the stitches unraveling and shredding sadistically into tatters.

"If you think it was my fucking fault, then very well. I accept it... Yes, it was my fault. Yes, I was to blame. But then what happened to Fresher today is your and Azura's fault for what happened to Fresher today. As simple as that. " Aylwin said calmly, gesturing to Austin, who was dumbfounded, and Azura, who was gob smacked.

"It was an accident. I haven't... "

"Shh... I'm not done yet," Aylwin hushed Austin.

He settled comfortably on a nearby sofa, crossing one leg over the other. "It was an accident? Really? Do you hear yourself, Austin? " The demeanor of the man was as calm as a meditating monk. Austin shot him a nasty glare, realizing he'd heard it all. He hated to admit it, but the words of the guy in front of him, who seemed to be nonchalant about everything and anything, held traces of a sliver of truth. Acknowledging the fact tormented him. He was wracked with remorse for what he had done. Finally, the fact that Aylwin had him infuriated him and made things worse.

"I had nothing to do with her accident. Heck! Someone had already pushed her by the time I showed up. So, don't you dare blame me, Aylwin! " Austin rambled on and on about the incident.

Azura drew her eyes fiercely shut as she comprehended Aylwin's intention. He had no trouble turning the tables. He got what he wanted. Austin had always been the abrasive one, having a low tolerance for rage and a lack of tolerance for patience. Aylwin, on the other hand, was a maestro of tranquility. An art of calmness. As a wave of ambivalence swept over her, she began to feel uneasy.

"I'm not here to blame you. Nor do I intend to do so. I'm just here to clarify that whatever unfolded between us had to be between us. " Aylwin leaned in close, his elbows resting on his knees, as he cautiously scrutinized the duo. "Do. Not. I repeat: do not drag her into this. Keep her out of this. She doesn't need to know about my screw-ups. " He got to his feet and straightened up. "And, one more thing: if any of you, by chance, reveal to her it wasn't an accident, believe me when I say the consequences won't be very enticing. And I can personally vouch for you. "

Austin was enraged. Who the heck did he think he was? He couldn't just instruct him on what to do. "Why Aylwin? Worried that once she learns the truth, she'll abandon you? Huh? "

'Wrong move, Austin. Wrong move.' Azura shook her head, pondering. She was somewhat peeved by him as well. Why was he so hell-bent on getting on his nerves? Why couldn't he just leave him alone? Knowing he'd wind up hurting himself? She had the burning urge to strangle him to death.

"Don't vent your broken heart tales to me, Austin."

Azura bet him on it before Austin could strike back. "What if she recalls being pushed? So, what will you say? "

Aylwin had a feeling the question would pop up sooner or later. Instead, he dodged the question, "Looks like we've got some chit-chat to do, isn't Azura?"

Shit! Azura figured it would come sooner or later. But she just didn't know it'd be so damn soon. She kept her emotions in check and offered a firm nod. The mere notion of the six-foot avalanche in the form of Aylwin had her thoughts doing a somersault.

"Very well, then. I came to check on you... Anyway, you seem to be in decent condition. " He was about to open the door when the voice of the raven-haired girl halted him.

"You know better what to do." With that, he walked out of the room, leaving the duo in their own pool of thoughts, his own thoughts rushing in a tumultuous torrent.

"Wake up, girl! Just wake the fuck up! Please don't do this to us... not anymore.... " Ivy sobbed as she let out agonizing cries. Each day, it was excruciating to see her sister-cum-best friend, lying in a hospital bed. She was completely taken aback by how incredibly quickly a month had flown by. It felt as if—'Wasn't her accident the day before? ' But alas, it had been a month ago. Yet she wasn't awake.

The hours ticked away. Time passed by. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into a month. What remained relatively unchanged and static was Sophronia's condition, which was progressing rather slowly. She was still in a coma, much to everyone's horror and sorrow.

Azura, on the other hand, was discharged after a week of monitoring. Thankfully, she did not suffer any concussions or other injuries.

Sapphire, Ivy, Mysie, and Diana had all visited Sophronia with flowers and lovely cards to read to her in the hopes of speeding up her recovery.

The girls laughed and cracked jokes, expecting even the tiniest movement, but there was none, much to their dismay. That got Ivy restless and emotional. They all left her room to console a crying Ivy, who was wailing for her best friend.

Later that day, Ethel came with his parents while the girls went back to campus. He had to stay that night alone in the hospital itself because Aylwin and everyone else were busy with the upcoming great event of Uni, which was scheduled for the very day after tomorrow night. Otherwise, it was just the two of them staying there with Sophronia. There were nights when he had to stay with his parents, and during those times, Aylwin was always there, sacrificing himself for his Fresher.

Ethel admired the guy with the uttermost respect. The way he had handled his own responsibilities at Uni, along with Sophronia, without letting anything affect each other, was truly admirable. He was really something. He was like a working machine. Day duty at Uni. And night duty... Heck! 24/7 duty at the hospital. Ethel was very disturbed by his way of living. He hadn't seen the guy even once asleep. All the time, his eyes were wide awake, like an owl. To say he and his family were grateful to Aylwin and Sophronia's friends would be a true understatement. They were all always there for her. Sticking with her like a true and faithful friend. Most of her university mates, also professors, visited her with bouquets. Just like that, a whole month had passed away in a blur. And the wait was all for her eyes to open.

"Ah, Mr. Jasper?" A voice jolted him out of his trance. He looked at Dr. Slade, making his way towards him. His parents stood up with hopeful eyes, listening for any sign of improvement in their daughter's condition.

"How is she doing, Dr.?" Emmett asked, fear laced in his voice. Eyes glistening with unshed tears, trailed by a ray of blazing hope.

Dr. Slade smiled warmly at them, stating, "No need to worry, Mr. Jasper. She's doing better. Her condition has somewhat improved. And the good news is that there has been slight movement in her body. Not very observable, yet the recovery is progressing. "

Those words were like blessings showering down from heaven itself. As if it had put life into the once wilting flowers. The smiles that bloomed on each face were priceless.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Thank you so much. You've got no idea how grateful we are to you. All your efforts have paid off well. Thanks a lot. " Alice and Emmett thanked the doctor with teary eyes. There wasn't a single day in which their eyes didn't suffer. All the nights of crying had made Alice's eyes puffy and red.

Emmett became sleep deprived for several nights. How could he sleep when his daughter, his little bundle of joy, was battling for her life? Emmett recalled the day when Alice had a major breakdown. He remembered each and every moment of that unfortunate day.

It had been one complete week since Sophronia had slipped into a coma. Her condition was static, with improvement next to none. Everyone went back to their places to rest for the night. Calling it off for that day. Exhaustion became every day free visitor for everyone. Ethel and Aylwin were the ones that stayed back with Sophronia just like every night. Alice and Emmett also went back to Ethel's condo after getting practically scolded by him.

The ticking of the clock resonated throughout the room. It was dead silent. Emmett and Alice rested on the bed together, their eyes wide open, both lost in their own thoughts.

'Midnight. Beginning of a new day. ' Alice's thoughts were all over the place. She couldn't just warp her mind after what had happened that day.

That day in the hospital, the nurses began to summon doctors suddenly, saying they had an emergency. It frightened her. The way doctors ran into her daughter's room and came after briefly instructing to shift Sophronia into the emergency chamber; it all haunted Alice. She felt that the ground beneath her had opened up and that the sky above her had hit her harshly. She was lost, too lost to soak in whatever was happening. She saw her daughter being shifted to the emergency chamber and the glassy iron door shutting in front of her face, blocking out the view of her daughter, who was lying still with no movements at all. Her chest wasn't heaving or falling, nor was the heartbeat monitor beeping normally. It made noises, noises that made Alice want to rip out her ears just so she could avoid listening to those mocking beeping sounds.

Alice was too shocked to even move from her place. She felt someone touching her, shaking her, and then embracing her tightly, but she couldn't take her eyes off the metallic door, behind which her daughter was fighting with the God of Darkness, Death, himself. She couldn't keep up with anything as soon her eyelids felt heavy, all the voices became just mere whispers, she felt light headed, and soon she succumbed to the darkness.

A painful sob left her lips, gaining the attention of Emmett, who was quick to come to her side. He embraced her, lightly stroking her back. Slowly, her sobs turned into full-blown wails of screams.

"Alice, you need to be strong. For us, darling. For our daughter. Please, love. Be strong. She'll be fine. She's our strong child. Nothing will happen to her. Have faith. " All those words went over her head as her mind had already traveled to another destination. A dreadful past that had shuddered her up until that point.

"Mama, please help me!!!" The little girl pouted, showing her cute puppy eyes to her mother. Her mother chuckled at her innocent trick. She placed the little girl on her lap, caging her between her arms. The little girl rested her head against her mother's chest, nestling deeper into the heavenly warmth.

"What happened, my lil bunny? Why the sudden help? "

The little girl huffed dramatically, making her mother laugh at her in amusement.

"I haven't decided on Cherry-Merry's birthday gift. Help me, mama. "

"Ah, that's it! No problem, my lovely bunny. We're going to the fair, right? Then, we'll get your cherry-merry a sweet gift from there. How does that sound? " Her mother warped her arms around her lovely daughter, tightly tickling her lightly as the girl giggled to the top of her lungs.

"That sounds wonderful, mama. You're great.... Umm... What's that word? Umm...!!!" She pondered for a while, scratching her hair, which made her mother chuckle at her antics.

"Yes!! Life saver! You're my life saver, mama. " Her mother's eyes glistened with a vastness of profound love and affection that she couldn't jot down.

Little did she know that those words were the last words of her bunny. Of her merry childhood. Little did she know that she would lose her to the evil roots of the world. Little did she know that her little bunny would be ripped away from her.

As the memories tackled her, she was losing herself. How ironic it was! The psychotherapist who helped others control their emotions couldn't even control her own. But she wasn't a psychotherapist at the time. She was just a mother. A mother who was grieving for her child. A mother who had already lost her child once and, under no circumstances, was willing to lose her again. If even the Almighty tried to separate her bunny from her, she would challenge him, gladly and fiercely, even if it cost her own death.

After all, there's no power beyond the power of the mother. There's no essence beyond the essence of the mother. There's no happiness beyond the happiness of being a mother. There's no big position in the universe beyond the position of a mother. A mother is such an ethereal beauty, and to save her child, she would gladly go to any extent.

"Emmett, she won't leave us... again, right? She won't leave her mama alone, right? She'll be fine, right? Tell me, Em, just answer me, god!!!" Alice yelled at the top of her lungs, but soon her voice died down to mere whispers as Emmett consoled her shattered wife.

That night, both the couple relied on each other, supporting, caring, and healing each other with hopes high in the sky.

Dark. Disturbing. Devastating. Dangerous. Damage. Screams. Mirrors. Illusion. Footsteps. Daggers. Blood. Nausea. Disgust. Dubious. Drained. Wrong. Evil. Devil.

"Save me!!"

"Help me!!"

"Death!"

Headlights. Beam of light. Car. Shrieks. Liquid. Scarlett. Hard. Rough. Dreadful. Agony.

"Ahhh!"

"No!"

Blank. Everything was blank. Her fingers made a slight twitch. Her lips managed to squeak out a barely audible whimper. Her body shifted slightly. Face tilting a little.

'What was happening? Ahhhh! ' A faraway thought popped up out of nowhere.

Pain. So much pain. It felt blank. Cracking. As though something was viciously clawing. Ripping her to shreds. Her flesh felt sweltering, as if it were about to melt away in an instant.

Exhaustion. As though she'd been smothered by a swarm of bucking broncos. As if she hadn't slept in weeks, if not months. Her eyelids felt as if they were glued together, yet there was no sensation of tranquility about them.

She didn't want to think about anything. She didn't want any pressure. It only exacerbated the agony further. It only made it a lot worse than she was already struggling with.