I hesitated... then lightly placed my hand against his sleeve.
Not because I needed guidance.
But because... for now, I didn’t mind it.
Together, we walked toward the door.
The hospital hallway felt like stepping into another universe.
For a moment, I didn’t move.
I simply stood there at the threshold, my hand still lightly resting against Ramiro’s sleeve, and stared.
The floor stretched out before me—polished to a mirror-like sheen that caught and reflected the overhead lights in long, shimmering streaks.
Every step someone took sent faint ripples of movement across that surface, like light dancing on water.
Nurses moved briskly from room to room in crisp uniforms, their shoes clicking softly against the floor in a rhythm that felt almost choreographed.
Their expressions were focused—some tired, some calm, all intent on their tasks.
At the far end of the corridor sat a reception desk—larger than I had imagined it from sound alone.
Everything was... alive.
Not just in motion, but in detail.
My chest tightened.
This was what I had been missing.
This entire world—structured, busy, ordinary—and yet it felt extraordinary to me. Overwhelming in a way I hadn’t prepared for.
“Take your time,” Ramiro said quietly beside me.
His voice grounded me just enough to move.
I stepped forward.
Each step felt deliberate, almost cautious.
My gaze drifted everywhere at once, unable to settle.
I didn’t realize I had slowed until Ramiro adjusted his pace to match mine.
He didn’t rush me.
By the time we reached the exit, my senses felt stretched thin, filled to the brim.
And then—
We stepped outside.
The worldhitme.
Light flooded everything—bright, golden, unapologetic.
I instinctively raised a hand to shield my eyes, blinking rapidly as the sudden intensity washed over me.
