Chapter 206: Not Forgotten
Easter~
The cold wouldn’t leave me. Even as I sat huddled on the blood-soaked ground of the ruined estate, holding my daughter tightly in my arms, the warmth never returned fully. It clung to me, this chill, like it had fused itself to my skin and burrowed into my bones.
Everything was quiet now. Too quiet.
The kind of quiet that makes you feel like you’re the last thing left breathing.
Rose stirred softly in my arms, her tiny fingers brushing my cheek. She blinked up at me with sleep-drenched eyes, her little brow furrowing in confusion.
"Mommy...?" Her voice was raspy, barely louder than a breath. "What’s that smell?"
I froze.
I could smell it too—blood and smoke and something else. Something worse. A metallic rot that made my stomach churn. I turned her face into my neck and pulled her close. "Don’t look, baby. Don’t open your eyes, okay? Just... just stay with me. Mommy’s here."
"But... what happened? Where’s Alex?" she whimpered.
I didn’t know how to answer her. How do you explain something you don’t understand? How do you shield a child from a nightmare that has no shape, no logic?
I pressed my hand gently over her eyes. "Please, Rose. Don’t open them. Just keep them closed. Just listen to Mommy’s voice."