Elira’s POV

The frantic buzzing of my secure line tore through the silent haze. It was Matteo. His voice, though ragged with exhaustion, carried a note of unbelievable relief.

"Elira, you won't believe it! We found him. The Grandfather. We found the location from Nico's encrypted comms."

A dizzying wave of adrenaline washed over me, chasing away whatever weak feeling was previously weighing me down. "Is he alive?"

"He's been rescued, but there was a bloodbath. They fought like devils to hold onto him. He's stable, but barely. He's in a deep coma, Elira. Half-dead. The doctors don't know if he'll wake up."

The news was a cruel, devastating paradox....