RAGAN POV...
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"My child—my Ragna! What happened to him?!"
The moment Mother's voice broke through the chaos, I felt her presence rush toward me like a collapsing dam, and even through my half-closed eyes, blurred by blood and swelling, I could see her sprinting forward in sheer panic, the sight of my battered body pushing her straight to the edge of tears she could no longer hold back.
She tried to speak again, but no words came—everything she wanted to say drowned in sobs, and for the first time in her life, I could feel her hesitation, her confusion, torn between screaming at Aunt Gloria for letting this happen, lunging at the children who had done this to me, or calling Father with a voice already breaking apart.
Her eyes brimmed over as she knelt beside me, arms trembling as she gathered me up, pulling me tightly into her embrace, lifting me from the cold ground and laying me gently against her chest as though holding me too firmly might cause me to shatter.
