The silence was so heavy it pressed into her ears, making her feel like she was underwater, drowning without struggle.
Memories crashed back violently, each one sharp and painful.
The argument.
Her screams as she hurled vases, photo frames, and glass figurines at Shen Xiao's tall, unmoving frame.
The way her palms bled from gripping broken glass, the red smearing against white marble like cursed ink.
The last thing she remembered was his cold, expressionless eyes as he reached out to her, before darkness swallowed her whole.
Her chest convulsed with silent sobs as she clutched the silk sheets desperately, her fingers curling until her knuckles turned white.
"Why… why can't I leave…?"
She felt like a dying bird trapped in a gilded cage, its wings twisted and broken beyond repair, forced to watch the sky from behind golden bars.
