#Chapter 105: The Silence

Darren The fire in the hearth had burned down to embers, leaving the room bathed in a soft, flickering glow. But I barely noticed the darkness, nor did I notice the sudden cold or the sound of the servant coming in to get the fire going again.. All I noticed was her. Days had passed, but Aria still hadn’t woken up. I sat in the same chair by her bedside, unmoving except for the slow, restless tapping of my fingers against the armrest. The sound filled the silence, keeping time with the racing thoughts inside my head. Lucas had stopped by earlier. He brought one of his picture books, sitting at the edge of the bed with his legs dangling off the side, reading out loud like she might hear him and open her eyes. But she didn’t. Eventually, Wendy took him away again, murmuring something I didn’t catch as she left. I barely lifted my head. “You need to rest, Darren,” my grandmother said again later, standing in the doorway like a shadow. Her vo