The room felt too small for the weight of everything hanging in the air.
Lena sat beside Lana’s bed, carefully brushing her fingers over her sister’s uninjured hand, as if the slightest pressure might shatter her. Up close, the bruises looked even worse—angrier, darker, cruelly precise. Each mark felt like a personal failure burning under Lena’s skin.
She swallowed hard.
“Lana…” Her voice trembled. “Can you tell me what happened?”
Lana shifted slightly, wincing before settling back against the pillows. She took a slow breath, gathering strength.
“I was leaving your apartment,” she said quietly. “I had just locked the door. I remember checking my phone—work emails, nothing important.” She paused, eyes unfocused, staring somewhere far away. “And then… it just happened.”
Lena leaned clo
