Chapter : Reflections of Me

His voice shattered something inside me.

“Mom?”

The word drifted through the cold air, softer than a whisper, but louder than any scream.

I stood frozen at the entrance to the med bay, one hand still gripping the doorframe as if I needed it to hold myself upright.

The boy sat on the bed, his tiny body swallowed by a plain white hospital gown. Pale skin. Familiar curls. Same curious amber eyes. But it wasn’t just his appearance that rattled me—it was the way he looked at me. Like he knew me.

“Do you… know who I am?” I asked carefully, stepping forward.

His head...