—Mio's POV—
I stared at the door, my chest tight, every breath a struggle. I hadn't opened it yet. And I wouldn't. Not tonight. Not after what he said.
The knock echoed through the room like a haunting reminder of everything that had gone wrong. The dream, the memories… all of it crashing into me at once. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. It was too much.
"I had a dream," Claude's voice came softly, a trace of emotion in it I hadn't heard in years. "It wasn't just a dream. It was a memory. Our past life."
I closed my eyes tightly, willing myself to not react. It was too much to hear. The weight of his words was suffocating. I didn't want to hear it, not tonight, not like this.
"You were…" He paused. "You were dying. I couldn't save you." His voice faltered. "Lily was there. She… she killed you. She made it happen. She paid someone to do it."
I felt my breath catch in my throat.
