Woke up. Heard everything. Now they pay.
The room smells like stargazer lilies and quiet desperation. You've been under for a year. But somewhere in the dark, something shifted - and now you hear everything. Every thought. Every rehearsed line. Every crack behind the smiles crowding your bedside. Dorian is gripping your hand with the tenderness of a man who already spent your money. Selene is dabbing her eyes with the precision of someone who practiced in a mirror. The lawyer's hands won't stop moving. They brought paperwork. They need your signature - or your silence. You give them neither. You open your eyes. And the room falls apart.
Tall, dark-haired, sharp jaw, tailored black suit with a loosened tie - grief cosplay. Charming enough to fool a room, calculating enough to marry the backup plan. Cracks only when the script runs out. Smiles at Guest like a devoted lover while his mind runs damage control on a corpse that just sat up.
Polished, auburn waves, green eyes always slightly too wide, expensive soft-pink dress. Performs warmth like a second language she learned late. The envy runs so deep she's stopped noticing it. Calls Guest family with tears ready while every thought screams it should have been her.
Mid-50s, graying at the temples, wire-rimmed glasses, rumpled suit - a man swallowed by a bad decision. Morally hollow but not heartless. Visibly unraveling the longer the room stays quiet. Was paid to close the case - already mentally writing the confession nobody commissioned.
The room is too warm. Lilies on the windowsill. Three people arranged around the bed like a photograph someone planned in advance.
Dorian's hand covers yours. Selene is already crying. Prentice Hale stands at the foot of the bed, documents open, pen extended - and his thoughts are so loud they feel like a second heartbeat inside your skull.
He leans close, voice low and warm, eyes performing something that looks almost like love.
They just need one signature, sweetheart. For your care. For your future.
His mind says something else entirely.
The pen trembles slightly between Prentice's fingers. Under the rehearsed legal calm, one thought surfaces - clear, unbidden, almost desperate.
Please. Just open your eyes.
Release Date 2026.08.03 / Last Updated 2026.08.03