Chapter Text
Chapter 1 -
Juliette/Ella
Something is wrong.
I woke up late—too late. As I scuffle through the sheets, I realise Aaron isn’t beside me.
Where is he?
I slowly sit up, wiping the sleep from my face. As I rise, a sudden jolt of pain shoots through my chest, my heart. What was that? Grasping my chest, I try to breathe, but it feels almost impossible.
I whimper. I’ve never felt pain like this, not even when Emmaline had a hold of me. I stay like this for a few minutes, until the pain finally fades and I manage to stand up. It must’ve been nothing..
I stroll over to the bathroom and undress, ugh I wish Aaron was here to shower with me. That man, that man saved my life. My partner, my saviour, my love.
I shriek as hot water streams down my skin, but slowly warm up to it and allow myself to drown in the water, my thoughts with it.
Aaron
I wonder if Ella is still asleep.
Carrying two trays of food from the cafe with me, I make my way back to our bedroom.
The door opens and I see the bed empty, and the sound of the shower in the bathroom.
At least she's up, she never sleeps this late.
I set the trays down and knock on the door, no response.
“Ella?” I ask, no response. “Ella..? Love? Are you okay?”
My heart jolts, no. response.
“I'm coming in.” Without hesitating, I opened the door.
I step into the bathroom, the air thick with steam and the scent of lavender.
There, on the cold tiles of the shower, lies my Ella, her form fragile and ethereal in the mist.
Water cascades around her like tears, pooling at her side. My heart clenches, a cold fist of panic tightening its grip, as I rush to her.
“ELLA! Ella please answer.. God- Ella please wake up!” My voice cracks and I feel a lump form in my throat.
Kneeling beside her, I can see the serene beauty of her face, marred by the stillness that shouldn't be there. The water, once soothing, now feels like a cruel reminder of what I might be losing.
The world narrows to the space we share in this moment, the echo of my breath, the thud of my heart, the sight of her motionless form. Despair wraps around me, suffocating, as I gently touch her, hoping for a sign, any sign, that she is still with me.
“Ella please.. I’m right here. I'm right here.. Just stay with me.. Please.”
I press my forehead on hers and pick her up as fast as i can.
My Ella.
Juliette/Ella
Drifting in and out of consciousness, I can feel the sterile coolness of the hospital sheets against my skin. Each time I wake, the room blurs into indistinct shapes and muted colours. Voices, distant and concerned, fade in and out like a tide.
“TELL ME SHE’S GOING TO BE OKAY. PLEASE.. PLEASE HELP HER.” I wake up to a familiar man's voice yelling in the background, falling in and out of consciousness.
Aaron.
I cant open my eyes, it takes too much strength to even breathe.
“We will try our best.” Another familiar voice, a girl's voice this time.
“Promise me.” Aaron says, begs even.
“We cannot promise, but we will try everything in our power to heal her.” She says, sadness lingering in her voice.
“Promise me! Promise me she’ll be okay. Promise me she will make it. I cannot, I will not live without her. You will fix her or I shall go with her.”
He can’t. He wouldn’t do that. He needs to live. But I can't stop him, I'm trapped in my own body with no way out.
There's a heaviness in my chest, a growing certainty that my time is slipping away. Not from the beeping monitors or the whispered conversations, but from the deep, instinctual quiet within me, I understand the truth. The fight is ebbing, and in the spaces between waking and dreaming, I know that I'm nearing the end.