The silence stretched, taut as a wire. Then, with a final, measured exhale, he spoke, each syllable cutting through the quiet like a blade:
"He's… dead."
After Derek spoke, Raya's voice trembled despite her effort to remain composed.
"You said he's improving… why is he suddenly dead?"
Derek ran a hand through his hair and let out a long, frustrated sigh. "I… I don't know." His voice lacked conviction, the weight of uncertainty clinging to each word.
Diana, who had known Luca for a long time, stepped forward, her brows furrowed. "Derek, stop joking around. This isn't funny. This is human life."
Derek's lips curved, not quite into a smile, more like a hesitant twitch, a shadow of mischief that didn't quite land. His words fell lightly, almost too lightly, "Can't someone just play a little?"...a fragile attempt at levity, a paper-thin shield against the weight pressing the air around them.
