Chapter 71: Better To Die
Her body shivered silently as the hiccups persisted, soft sobs escaping her in uneven intervals. Mira sat in the passenger seat, her gaze fixed out the window, as though hoping to conceal the pain etched on her face. Zamian glanced over, unsure how to handle the tension building between them. She was trying so hard to hide her tears, but he saw through it all—he always did.
With a quiet sigh, he pressed a button on the car’s dashboard. A hidden compartment opened, revealing several bottles of water and soft drinks nestled in the cooler. He grabbed a bottle of water and closed the compartment before turning back to her.
"Mira..." he began slowly, his voice cautious, careful not to alarm her. It was as if he feared his words might shatter her fragile state. "Are you okay?"
There was a moment of silence as she hesitated to answer, her head still turned toward the window. Slowly, she turned to face him, her eyes swollen and red, streaks of tears running down her cheeks. Her lips quivered as she tried to form words, but they came out barely louder than a whisper.
"No... I’m not okay," she whispered, her voice weak and broken. "I’m not okay." She paused, lowering her gaze, almost as if ashamed to meet his eyes. "Do you think it’s better... to die?" Her voice was barely audible, as though she were speaking to herself more than to him.
Zamian froze, his entire body stiffening at her words. His pupils dilated as the meaning of her question hit him like a wave. Did she really just say that? His breath caught in his throat, and a mixture of disbelief swirled inside him. The word "die" had never sounded so wrong, so unsettling, coming from her.
"Mira..." he murmured, his voice soft but urgent. "Don’t say that." He quickly unscrewed the cap of the water bottle and handed it to her. "Here, drink this."
Mira accepted the bottle, her fingers trembling slightly as she brought it to her lips. She gulped down the water in silence, her eyes focused on the bottle as if it were the only thing anchoring her to reality. Zamian watched her, an unease settling deep in his chest. The thought of Mira, of all people, talking about death was like a dagger to his heart. He couldn’t understand what had pushed her to this point, but he knew that whatever it was, it terrified him.
For a brief moment, her eyes went distant, lost in some far-off place. Perhaps she truly believed that the world would be better without her, that her absence would be a blessing rather than a curse. The guilt of her past, the sins she thought she carried, weighed her down.