Page 47 of Fallen Empire

She didn’t say anything. But her lids cracked open just enough to see the shimmer of her eyes underneath.

My heart nearly gave out.

She didn’t look at us, not fully—but her eyes drifted. Slowly. From me… to him… back again.

“She sees us,” I said, voice barely there. “Jax… she sees us.”

I didn’t know if she could really register what was happening. If she could feel our hands or hear our words or if it was all just reflex.

But I didn’t care.

Because Savannah Sinclair had opened her eyes.

And after everything she’d survived… that was enough.

My hands were shaking.

I didn’t even realize I’d started crying until the tears blurred my vision, the image of Savannah blinking up at us now filtered through saltwater and disbelief.

“Ben!” I shouted, twisting toward the door. “Get someone—now!”

He was already halfway through it, boots pounding against the tile like thunder in the quiet corridor. I heard him yell for the nurse, for the doctor, foranyone—his voice all sharp edges and barely contained panic.

I turned back to her.

“Vannah, I’m right here, okay?” I whispered, brushing my hand gently across her forearm. “You’re safe. You made it. Just stay with us, please.”

Jaxson leaned in closer, but didn’t say a word. His hand never left her shoulder, even though I could see in his eyes that he was terrified of hurting her more. His jaw locked. His entire body tense. But beneath all of that… was relief. Hope.

The kind we hadn’t let ourselves feel in days.

Then came the rush—nurses, machines, beeping, questions I couldn’t focus on. Someone checked her pupils. Another adjusted the IV. I backed up, but not too far. Just enough to give them space. Just enough to stay in her line of sight.

“Talk to her,” one of the nurses said. “Keep her grounded if she can hear you.”

“I never stopped talking,” I whispered through a breathless laugh, even as more tears slipped free. “Not once.”

I stepped closer again, just beside Jaxson. She blinked. Slower this time. Eyes locking on mine like she recognized the sound of my voice more than the words themselves.

“I love you,” I whispered. “And if you doanythingreckless again, I swear to God I’ll kill you myself.”

Her lip twitched. Barely.

The door swung open again.

This time, it wasn’t another nurse.

Dr. Alvarez walked through, calm and composed. His white coat flared slightly as he stepped inside, clipboard tucked under one arm, his eyes scanning the machines before landing on Savannah.

“She’s awake?” he asked, eyes flicking between me and Jaxson.

“She blinked. A few times,” I answered quickly, too fast. “She looked at both of us. She knows we’re here.”

He nodded once, already moving to her side. “Good. That’s good. Savannah,” he said, shifting so she could see him without needing to move. His voice dropped into a calm, steady rhythm, measured and gentle, like a lighthouse beam through fog. “If you can hear me, I want you to blink once for yes. Twice for no. Can you do that for me?”

We waited.

I held my breath like it would help her think clearer.