It was complete darkness.
Fang Li floated in the void, her mind drifting without thought or direction. Time felt meaningless. There was no sound, no sensation—only the distant, rhythmic beeping that gradually broke through the silence, pulling her back. Slowly, she began to stir, her eyelids fluttering as a blinding light pierced through the fog.
Her body felt heavy, disconnected from her mind. The harsh scent of disinfectant filled her nose, and the coolness of the air settled over her. She blinked again, squinting at the sterile white ceiling above her. 'Where am I?'
Her hand moved instinctively to her abdomen, but there was nothing. The feeling that had once reassured her—that small, growing life—was gone. The absence hit her like a tidal wave, and panic rose in her chest. 'The baby…'
