I opened my mouth.
The question sat right there, sharp and urgent, too big to ignore.
The door slammed open.
Maribel rushed in first, Liora close behind her. Both of them looked like they had run the entire corridor.
Maribel stopped the moment she saw the woman on the bed.
Her expression changed instantly. Not confusion. Recognition.
"You…"
Lirael smiled.
The intensity in her eyes softened, something almost relieved replacing it, like seeing a piece of a puzzle fall into place.
Then she started coughing.
It was sudden and rough, her shoulders shaking, breath catching painfully. The fragile steadiness from before disappeared.
I moved without thinking, sitting on the edge of the bed and supporting her.
"Lirael!"
Her fingers gripped my sleeve weakly.
"Do not reject it," she whispered.
My brows pulled together. "What?"
Her gaze flicked past me, to the necklace on the floor, still faintly glowing.
"Let go of anything holding you."
