It's been two months since {{char}} had started her battle with cancer, two long, grueling months filled with chemo, nausea, and too many days lost to the fog of fatigue. But here she was, propped up in her hospital bed with pillows strategically placed around her to provide some semblance of comfort, playing her favorite video game on her Nintendo Switch Lite. Her fingers danced over the buttons with surprising dexterity considering her weakened state. On the screen, a fierce warrior fought valiantly against hordes of digital monsters, a stark contrast to Celine's own fragile form beneath the thin hospital gown. The room was dimly lit, only the soft glow of the TV and the moonlight streaming through the window providing illumination. The rhythmic beeping of machines and distant sounds of hospital staff moving about outside served as an ever-present reminder of her confinement, drowned out by the playlist of metal music blasting through her ear buds. "Oh bad man, what's the reason why," she sang along to the lyrics of Disturbed's 'Bad Man', "the innocent always have to die, by your hand?" her voice a quiet murmur, so subdued compared to her normal powerhouse singing voice. Her eyes remained focused on the screen as she navigated the virtual world, pushing through waves of pain and exhaustion to find solace in the pixelated battles—they seemed almost trivial compared to the real one she faced daily. Just keep fighting, she told herself, drawing strength from the words she often heard in her favorite songs. The door to her hospital room opened quietly and in walked Dr. Castillo, her oncologist. His expression was serious as he approached her bedside, clipboard in hand. His kind brown eyes searched hers as he greeted her. "Hey there, rockstar. How you holding up today?" Celine gave her in-game character a break by a bonfire and offered Dr. Castillo a tired smile. "Kicking ass at Dark Souls," she responded with a shrug, trying to sound nonchalant. Inside, though, she felt her heart rate spike just a bit at his presence—his visits usually meant news, good or bad. Dr. Castillo raised an eyebrow. "Already? Impressive," he said with a hint of humor, setting the clipboard down next to her bed. "How are you feeling today?" Celine considered lying, telling him that she felt fine because she didn't want to worry anyone, but she knew better. If I don't tell him the truth, how can they help me fight this thing? She took a deep breath. "Tired," she admitted, setting the game down on her lap. "Really tired. And my chest hurts from laughing earlier." Dr. Castillo nodded solemnly. "Understood," he said, making a note on her chart. "Your energy levels are bound to be up and down. Try not to push yourself too hard." He looked down at her charts again. "We're going to need to run some more tests to see how your last round of chemo went. They'll come get you shortly." As he left, Celine couldn't help but feel a pang of dread coil around her insides. More tests meant potentially more bad news, but she pushed those thoughts away. For now, she had music and video games and the promise of seeing {{user}} again soon. Leaning back into her pillows, she resumed her game, letting the roar of guitars fill her ears and transport her far away from the sterile walls of Saint Mary's Hospital.

Her heart swelled at the concern in her fiance's voice as he hurried up to Dr. Castillo, clearly worried sick about her condition. Celine could tell from the doctor's expression that things weren't looking good, but she clung desperately to the sliver of hope he offered. "We're doing everything we can," he reassured them both. Dr. Castillo placed a comforting hand on Abdiel's shoulder. "I understand this is hard for you, but I need you to focus on taking care of yourself right now. You cannot do that if you're not well yourself." He paused, considering his words carefully before continuing. "And make sure she knows that we'll continue to fight with her until there's no hope left. We won't give up on her." Celine managed a weak smile as she listened to their exchange, thankful for the compassionate doctor and the love of her life who were both determined to see her through this battle. "Thanks, doc," Abdiel murmured before turning back to her with determination blazing in his eyes. "We're gonna beat this, babe." Her strength renewed by his unwavering faith in her, Celine gave him a small nod of agreement. "We will," she whispered, gathering enough energy to offer him a slightly less exhausted version of the smile he loved so much. "I promise."

Tears stung her eyes as well at the pain she heard in his voice. "Hey," she said gently, lifting a hand to stroke his cheek. "It's not your fault. We're in this together." Her touch seemed to calm him somewhat, but the hurt remained clear on his face. "I should have known something was wrong when you started smoking again," he confessed, breaking eye contact with her and looking down at their intertwined hands. "Why didn't you tell me? We could have stopped it before it got this bad." Celine bit her lip, knowing that his words held truth. She hated to admit it, but the weight of everything had become too much for her to bear alone. "I was scared," she said quietly. "Scared of what would happen if I couldn't quit, scared of telling you... Scared that maybe this was all my fault." He looked up at her with sorrowful eyes and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her neck. "Never that," he whispered, kissing her skin gently. "You did nothing wrong. We'll get through this together, okay? I promise." And for the moment, it was enough.

She grinned at him as he made a comment about how she always liked the game she was playing. "I know," she said between breaths, her fingers never slowing down as she navigated through yet another battle. "It's one of my favorites." Her voice sounded tired and raspy from disuse, but at least it seemed to be strengthening with time. The doctor soon returned, informing them that it was almost time for the tests and asking if she was feeling up to it. Nodding slightly, Celine handed her Switch Lite back over to Abdiel and let one of the nurses help her out of bed so they could wheel her down for the procedures. "Don't wait up," she teased with a small smile as they pushed her down the hall toward the testing lab. "I won't," he promised, leaning in to press a kiss against her forehead before reluctantly letting go of her hand. He watched until she disappeared around the corner, then took out his phone and composed a message to their friends and family, updating them on her condition and asking for their continued prayers and support. As he waited for news about her tests, he spent the time fidgeting with his phone, wondering how much longer they'd have together... but he refused to let himself dwell on that thought. For now, there was still hope, and as long as there was even a sliver of light left in the darkness, he would hold onto it for both of them.

The nurse gently helped her settle back into bed before stepping out of the room so they could speak in private. As Dr. Castillo took a seat on the edge of her bed, she caught the worried expression on his face and knew that things weren't going to be good news this time. She swallowed hard, forcing herself to remain strong for Abdiel. "Just tell me what I need to know," she said, summoning up a faint smile. The doctor sighed heavily and took her hand in his. "I'm sorry, Celine," he began. "Your latest tests show that the cancer is spreading faster than we expected." He paused, searching for the right words. "We've done all we can with chemo, but it's clear that your body just isn't responding to the treatment anymore." Her heart sank like a stone in her chest as she listened to him. She had known this day might come, but hearing it from someone else made it feel so final. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over and spoil her carefully crafted facade of strength. Dr. Castillo looked at her compassionately. "Celine, I'm not giving up on you. But we need to start considering other options, like clinical trials or experimental treatments." He hesitated before continuing. "We owe it to you to try everything we can." She nodded slowly, wiping away a stray tear as she considered his words. She knew he was right; they had to keep fighting no matter what. But the thought of going through even more treatments, enduring more pain and exhaustion... it all seemed so overwhelming. Finally, she mustered up a small, shaky smile. "Okay," she whispered

She could hear the concern in his voice as he spoke to her fiance, trying to comfort him amidst the heart-wrenching news. "It is," she croaked out, finally finding the strength to speak up. "But we're not done fighting yet." Her words were meant to reassure Abdiel more than anything else, but they seemed to have the opposite effect. He turned back to her with a fresh onslaught of tears streaming down his face. "Celine, I-I can't do this without you," he stammered out. "Please, babe... you have to beat this." His voice broke on the last word as he collapsed onto the bed next to her, sobbing into a tissue someone had thoughtful enough to provide. Celine reached out a shaky hand and hesitantly laid it on his shoulder. "I know," she said softly, wishing there were more that she could say or do to take away his pain. "And I will. We'll get through this together." It was a promise she wasn't sure if she could keep, but it was the only thing she could offer him in that moment. The doctor looked down at his clipboard, clearly uncomfortable with the display of emotion. After a few moments of silence, he cleared his throat and stood up. "I'll leave you two to... process this information," he said awkwardly before excusing himself from the room. Celine took a deep breath and reached out to wipe away some of her own tears as they spilled down her cheeks. "He's right, you know," she said to Abdiel between sniffles. "We have to keep fighting, for each other." Her words only seemed to make him cry harder, but she held on to the hope that eventually they would find

Her heart ached at the pain she saw in his eyes, but she knew that he needed her strength now more than ever. "You don't have to go through this alone," she said softly, her voice barely a whisper as she reached out to take one of his hands in hers. "I'm here for you, babe. We'll get through this together." She glanced down at the hand holding onto hers and noticed how pale it was, so fragile-looking against the bright white sheets. It was then that she realized just how much he depended on her now, not only emotionally but physically as well. And with that realization came a renewed determination to fight, not only for herself, but for him too. She squeezed his hand gently, finding some small comfort in the contact. "We can't let this beat us," she said fiercely. "There has to be a way out of this mess." Her voice sounded stronger than it felt, but it was enough to inspire hope in both of them for now. They sat there together in silence for a while, holding hands and occasionally wiping away tears as they fought to maintain their composure. The weight of the world seemed to press down on them, threatening to crush them beneath its suffocating grasp, but still they held onto each other, refusing to let go until they found a way out of this darkness.

Her slumber was fitful at best as she tossed and turned in the bed, her body wracked with aches and pains from the constant battle raging within her. Even as she slept, tears slipped silently down her cheeks, leaving trails on the pillow beneath her head. In her dreams, she was running free through fields of flowers, laughing and happy, unaware of the shadow that crept closer with every passing moment. Outside her door, Abdiel sat in the quiet darkness, clutching a photo album to his chest as he stared at pictures of them together. It felt like another lifetime ago, when they were young and carefree, filled with hope for their future. Now, all that remained was this constant struggle to survive from one day to the next. His heart ached with every breath he took, knowing that each time she coughed or winced in pain, it could very well be her last. His hand hovered over the phone on his lap for what felt like hours, contemplating whether or not he should call their loved ones and tell them the news that things had gotten worse. He knew they needed to know; that they deserved to know the truth about how dire Celine's condition truly was. But at the same time, he didn't want to be the one to break their hearts any more than he already had by telling her about the experimental treatments and clinical trials. Ultimately, it was his love for them both that drove him to make the call, no matter how much it would hurt to hear the sobs and pleas on the other end of the line. He composed a brief message, detailing Celine's current condition but avoiding giving too many details about what lay ahead. With trembling fingers, he hit send and waited with bated breath for the inevitable

The treatments were as brutal as they were exhausting, leaving her with barely enough energy to make it through each day. Despite the pain, there had been some improvements in her condition; small victories that kept them both going even when everything inside her screamed for rest. Whenever she found the strength, she would reach out and squeeze his hand, letting him know that she was still fighting too. Time seemed to pass agonizingly slow as they waited for news about other treatment options or clinical trials, each hour feeling like an eternity trapped in a nightmare from which there could be no escape. The weight of the world bore down on her chest, making it difficult to breathe sometimes, but she refused to give up hope. For Abdiel's sake as much as her own, she had to keep believing that there was a light at the end of this tunnel, even when all evidence pointed in the opposite direction. The days blurred together into an endless cycle of pain and rest, with only brief moments of lucidity in between to cling to. Sometimes, she would close her eyes and drift off to sleep, dreaming of a time before the cancer had ever touched her life; a time when she was free from this relentless suffering. But even then, the shadow of death followed close behind, threatening to tear those fragile dreams away at any moment. As the week drew to a close, Celine could feel herself growing weaker with each passing hour. The battle was taking its toll on her body, sapping her strength bit by agonizing bit. She knew that if they didn't find something soon, this would be it - the end of her journey, and perhaps even Abdiel's as well. The thought filled her heart with both dread and determination; she had to keep fighting,

for their sake and hers. And so she drew upon every last shred of strength remaining within her and used it to plant a kiss on his cheek, wishing that she could muster the energy to tell him how much she loved him one more time before sinking back into the darkness that threatened to consume her. But even as exhaustion claimed her once more, a spark of hope flickered to life within her heart. Perhaps there would be another treatment option, perhaps a miracle cure waiting just around the corner. And if not, then at least she knew that she had given it everything she had. As the final vestiges of consciousness faded away, she found herself drifting back toward those dreams of freedom, her last thoughts filled with images of what might have been and a silent prayer that somehow, someway, things would be different when she woke again.

Her slumber was fitful at best as she tossed and turned in the bed, her body wracked with aches and pains from the constant battle raging within her. Even as she slept, tears slipped silently down her cheeks, leaving trails on the pillow beneath her head. In her dreams, she was running free through fields of flowers, laughing and happy, unaware of the shadow that crept closer with every passing moment. Suddenly, everything went dark as the lights in the hospital flickered out and remained off for several long moments before being restored. When they finally returned, she could feel a strange tingling sensation throughout her body as the doctors scrambled to fix whatever had caused the outage. She didn't know what was going on, but she felt relatively safe in their hands... until a young boy raced past her room and slammed into a nearby wall. As he lay there, sobbing hysterically, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him; it seemed as though he had accidentally tripped over something and yanked out an important cord, causing the power surge that had briefly knocked everything offline. But when one of the doctors explained what had happened and that the boy was new to the hospital and didn't know any better, her anger flared. Without even realizing it, she sat up in bed, eyes blazing with fury as she glared at the trembling boy. "You idiot!" she spat, voice shaking with emotion. "You could have killed me! Why didn't you watch where you were going?" She paused, her anger momentarily eclipsed by a new realization: this boy had inadvertently caused her pain too. The look of abject terror in his eyes only served to fuel her ra

As each day passed and her body continued to heal from the effects of the power surge, Celine could feel herself growing stronger once more. The constant pain that had become such a part of her daily existence began to abate, replaced by a dull aching that faded with each passing hour as she progressed through her recovery. Her doctors were overjoyed at the pace of her healing; they'd never seen anyone bounce back so quickly from such extensive damage to their immune system. She couldn't help but feel guilty for thinking it was all a little too good to be true, as though some invisible force were working in her favor, steering events and circumstances back onto a path that led away from the darkness she'd feared might consume her. Despite her lingering fears, Celine couldn't help but allow herself a tiny sliver of hope; perhaps, just maybe, things really were looking up for once. And with that thought came the realization that she wouldn't be able to keep this miracle to herself any longer - it was time to share her news with Abdiel. Smiling softly to herself, she slipped out of bed and made her way down the hall to his room. The hospital seemed brighter today, as though reflecting her own newfound sense of optimism and renewed determination to reclaim her life from the clutches of despair. As she paused outside Abdiel's door, she took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to face him again. "Abdiel," she said softly as she pushed open the door, "I think it's time you saw for yourself how much progress I've made."

"What are you doing, fool?!" she shrieked at the young man who had just barreled into her. "Look where you're going!" Her words were tinged with anger and panic as she saw the child stumble and fall toward them, her arms outstretched in a desperate attempt to catch him before he hit the ground. But it was too late; the impact had already sent shockwaves of pain through her body, exacerbating injuries that were still fresh from the earlier power surge. As she lay there, gasping for air and clutching at her side in agony, all she could think about was how this entire fiasco might further complicate matters with her own recovery. Her breath hitched as a wave of nausea washed over her, making it difficult to concentrate on anything except the burning sensation spreading through her limbs like wildfire. "Doctor," she managed to croak out between gasps, "help me." Tears stung at the corners of her eyes, blurring her vision and further fueling the despair that threatened to consume her. It seemed as though everything was conspiring against her; one moment of hope, followed by another disaster waiting in the wings. And through it all, she could feel Abdiel's strong arms still wrapped around her, holding her tightly as he tried to shield her from harm. Despite the pain and confusion that filled every fiber of her being, she couldn't help but be grateful for his presence and his unwavering support in this impossible nightmare they both found themselves trapped within.