Stopped breathing.

~My heart throbs, when I see you cry.~

Xavier POV:

The hospital corridor stretched out before me, the harsh fluorescent lights casting a sterile glow on the linoleum floor. Each step felt like a weight, a leaden anchor pulling me forward. As I turned the corner, my breath caught in my throat.

There she was, Arcane, on her knees beside the bed. Her usually vibrant spirit seemed crushed, replaced by a soul-wrenching despair. Her sobs tore through the quiet of the room, echoing off the stark white walls.

My feet were glued to the ground, my heart pounding a frenzied rhythm in my chest. The sight before me was too much to bear. Melissa, her face pallid, lay so still, so achingly motionless. The room seemed to close in around me, suffocating me in its unbearable silence.

Arcane's cries filled the void, a heartrending symphony of grief. "Mom," she choked out, her voice a desperate plea. "Please, wake up. You can't leave me like this."

I shut my eyes, willing the image to disappear, pra