Jasmine was gone forever

★★★★★

Forty-eight hours after the operation, Damon slowly regained consciousness. The sterile scent of the hospital filled his nostrils as his eyes fluttered open. He stared at the ceiling, disoriented, his mind foggy. The room felt unfamiliar, and the quiet hum of machines by his bedside only deepened his confusion. Tubes and IV lines were attached to his hands, but it took him a moment to piece together the fragmented memories of what had happened.

Jasmine. The ship. Haedon.

Suddenly, everything came rushing back—the fight, the blood, Jasmine’s disappearance. Panic surged through him like a jolt of electricity. He ripped the needles from his arms with a growl of determination, flinging the tubes aside. The pain was intense, but he didn’t care. He had to get out of there, had to find Jasmine.

Stumbling off the bed, Damon’s legs buckled under his weight, but he forced himself to stand. He’d barely taken a step when the door burst open, and a nurse, wide-eyed with alarm, rushed in.