Regret Came Too Late

Outside, the snow kept falling. In the distance, the landscape was nothing but rubble, and beyond that, an

endless stretch of bleak gray sky.

Ethan's fingers stayed locked with hers; the heat of his skin was a smoldering presence she couldn't ignore.

Grace didn't have it in her to be cruel-not when he asked so quietly to just be allowed this.

The minutes dragged painfully, and his fever only worsened.

Eventually, she couldn't sit still any longer. She reached for the bottle of water, ready to coax him into drinking

again.

His eyes fluttered open-glazed, foggy, as if he wasn't sure where he was.

"Mr. Bennett's gone, Mr. Henderson. Let's head back first. Even if there's no medicine, lying down will be better

than staying here," she reasoned.

Instead of responding, Ethan slowly dragged his tie, his movements sluggish from the fever.

Grace quickly pressed her hand against his chest to stop him and re-fastened the tie.

Normally, he was all sharp lines and strict precision, never leaving a button undone.

Grace lowered her eyes, fingers deftly tying the knot. She decided she wouldn't wait for Tim anymore-she would

get Ethan back herself.

Just then, Ethan's scalding hand closed over hers.

"We're not going back," he rasped, his voice wrecked by the fever. "There are magnolias nearby... did you know?"

Grace had no clue where they were, only realizing more and more that he was completely out of it.

"Alright, magnolias. If you want to see them, I'll go pick sfor you," she said, playing along.

But his eyes lit up instantly, hope flashing through the fevered haze.

"What?" he said, surprised.

Grace blinked in disbelief-seriously? In this frozen wasteland?

"Mr. Henderson..."

She was about to gloss it over, but he suddenly dropped her hand, staring bleakly out the window.

"Go find it," he insisted.

Grace stared at his side profile-his damp hair clung to his forehead; even the corners of his eyes seemed misty,

his cheeks flushed a sickly red.

She drew in a slow breath, pushed open the car door, and said, "I'll look. But if | can't find any in ten minutes, I'm

coming back. You're too sick to be left alone."

With his eyes half-closed, he gave a faint, weary smile as he hummed a soft reply. The snow was falling fast now,

blanketing everything in white.

Each step Grace took crunched softly underfoot.

She walked toward the woods, but after a few paces, worry tugged her back.

She headed back to the car and tapped lightly on the window.

Ethan slowly rolled it down. His face was still flushed with the fever, and his hair whipped around from the cold

wind.

Grace had planned to fake it-wander a bit and grab something random to bring back.

But just one look at him shattered that plan.

In the heart of winter, he looked like sferal, red-draped spirit-fragile, powerful, and impossible to ignore.

He didn't even have to speak; somehow, he made her want to do anything for him.

Grace never thought she would ever feel pity for him. And yet, here she was.

She

4. Med her gaze quickly and

bet

a brisk instruction. "Close the window. Stay put. I'll go find it, You want magnolias, right? I'll get them."

Without waiting for a response, she marched into the snow.

Honestly, she had thought Ethan was delirious, making up things that didn't exist. However, after ten minutes of

wading through the. snow there it was-a flash of crimson nestled against the ruins of

a wall. yel

They were magnolias. They burned bright against the ghostly white of the world, shockingly alive.

Grace blinked in disbelief before stepping forward.

Her hand reached out. The instant she brushed the delicate bloom, a rush of fragmented memories tore through

her mind.

Inside the pitch-black cave, two children clung to each other for warmth.

Grace's fingers jolted with tremor. She instinctively glanced around, then moved toward a direction that felt

familiar.

After about 65 feet, she spotted a hollow in the ground.

She felt her heart lurch, hammering painfully in her chest.

It was like stepping straight into one of her dreams.

In that dream, she and a little boy had been trapped underground.

HIS

body had been ice-cold, so still et

like he was slipping away.

felt

The next day, desperate, she had cut into her own flesh, feeding him her blood to

keep him alive.

Grace stood at the edge of the pit, peering down into the darkness.

It was impossibly deep.

She had known for stnow that the little boy in her dream was Ed.

So, how on earth did Ethan know about this place?

She stayed there, frozen in place, her mind swirling into chaos.

It wasn't until the cold seeped through her shoes and her feet turned numb that

she jolted awake.

Ethan was still waiting for her in the car.

She snapped off a branch of magnolias and turned back toward the car.

Just then, a rush of voices filled her mind without warning.

"Don't die, okay? The magnolias here

are beautiful in winter (7 pike

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"Hey, can you hear me? Don't die! I'm

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Then cthe boy's voice again. "Will you really givethe magnolias?"

"Of course. They're a gift from nature.

When | pick them, they beaorie

Wi Ve Co

yQurs IR. You have to promise.