Chapter 53: Tumour
Callian sat by her bed, his fingers lightly held hers, his eyes filled with thoughts he wouldn't dare voice aloud.
As he looked at her, some deep memories came back.
His brain drifted back to a moment long ago—when he was just a boy, clutching his mother's hand as they visited Eira's mother.
The scene played in his mind, so vivid and so warm.
Eira's mother had been gentle, always speaking in a soft but strong voice as she looked down at him.
He remembered her words as if she were standing beside him now.
"Callian," she had said, bending to his level with a warm smile, "one day, if I have a daughter, I'd want her to be with someone strong, someone who would protect her no matter what. Someone like you."
Young Callian had felt his cheeks warm, surprised by her sudden words.
"I'll protect her," he'd promised, feeling an odd sense of pride.
