Karina was sitting in the chill, antiseptic waiting room of a hospital around her, vague.

Hollow and uncased, like somebody had sucked the soul out of her body. Winter has always been the strong one, who stood by her, protected her, and now she was fighting for her life.

The guilt nipped at Karina's heart, a cold weight pulling her into a deeper pit of despair. No energy was even left for crying. She only had a blank stare at something she felt was trying to stare at something in her eyes that would not focus on anything.

Giselle sat beside her and, tapping on her shoulder, lightly pulled her out of those dark thoughts.

Karina blinked and slowly turned her head to look in the direction in which Officer Jung approached them. Giselle gave her that slight nod of encouragement, and Karina forced herself to stand up, as if her body weighed heavy, like quick sand.

Police Officer Jung crept slowly up to her. He could feel that she was fragile.

"Karina, may I ask you a few questions about what has happened to you?" he said softly and gently.

"I know it is difficult, but it is very important."

Karina just nodded weakly, remaining expressionless as if something had sucked out all emotion. The words Officer Jung asked drifted around in her head; nothing ever seemed to hit. She knew she needed to explain things, but explanations of the time loops and repeated trauma sounded impossible.

If she tells him everything, he'll think she's crazy. And then Sei Eo will walk free. For Winter and Mai's sake, that couldn't happen.

Karina could not concentrate on anything. She looked up at Officer Jung.

"We... we found Mai's body," she said, breaking into crying.

Barely breathing, she explained how Sei Eo attacked them, how the fight got more violent than they could ever think it'd be, and how things were more violent than they would ever think. For every word that came out of her mouth, Winter's situation gave her a reason to feel.

The more she tries to explain, the more impossible it gets to breathe. Panic might dry up her voice as she feverishly thinks of it. Sei Eo is strong. She has everything in her hands. Her family controls everything.

Will they even believe me?

Giselle reached in beside her, nudging her gently with her arm, allowing Karina to slowly work her way back into her seat. She rubbed gentle circles up and down Karina's back.

"Breathe, Karina. You don't have to do this alone," she whispered softly.

Thoughts start flooding Karina's mind. What if Sei Eo gets away with this? What if Winter never wakes up? She weeps, and the remainder she rubs from her face with shuddering hands.

Seeing her state, Officer Jung took a deep breath and spoke gently.

"Karina, you're telling the truth. We know."

Karina's head jerked up. Confusion covered her face. "What? How-?"

"We taped everything," Officer Jung said.

"When Sei Eo attacked Winter, she was able to dial us. Everything-Sei Eo's confession, the assault-it's all on tape. That's why we arrived so fast."

Karina sat staring at him, her mind trying to digest what he said. Winter had done that-called the police, even as she fought for her life. Karina's lips quivered and fresh tears welled up in her eyes. Winter had done all that could have been done on her side, whereas Karina felt helplessness.

Officer Jung continued, his voice soft but firm. "I had to ask, but you don't need to worry about Sei Eo. We'll take care of her. For now, focus on taking care of yourself and your friends. That's the most important thing."

Remorse and tears welled out from the eyes of Karina like an ocean wave that would sweep her away. She wailed uncontrollably, broken into pieces as she mourned for Winter inside. Giselle held Karina's hand as, with one last nod from Officer Jung who walked away from the hospital.

Karina cried all the harder still, the cry echoing off walls in the empty hall. She thought of but one thing: Winter. And how, even at the weakest of those moments, Winter had protected them all.

It stayed in a tensed building, but piercing shrieks of hysterical screaming jerked Karina and Giselle from their thoughts.

Karina opened red-rimmed, puffed-up-with-crying eyes to see an old woman enter the hospital screaming frantically, "Mai! Where's my Mai? Where is she?"

It was Mai's grandmother.

Ningning, who had already regained consciousness and was sitting nearby, stood abruptly, her heart racing as tears welled up in her eyes again, took a deep breath in a trembling voice "Grandma."

She rushed and flung her arms open embracing the old woman, speaking in a voice choked with tears,

"Grandma, it's me-Ningning," clasping towards the woman who always doused her with tenderness.

Desperation bordering on masochistic extremes has sculpted her frail body into sharp strength through desperation.

PGrabbing at Ningning's arms nervously, Mai's grandmother screamed at the top of her lungs, shattering her voice into jagged gasps: "Where is my granddaughter? Where is my Mai?"

"Why her, Ningning? Why my Mai?"

Ningning lips trembled hard as she strived for words; however, no word came out of her throat. The lump there was too big, too heavy for her to bear. She only shook her head, crying soundlessly.

"I-I'm so sorry," Ningning cried, unable to bear up under the weight of her conscience.

Mai's grandmother, her face etched with anguish, suddenly seemed to weaken. Her grip on Ningning loosened, and her legs wobbled. Ningning gasped in horror, her hands tightening around the old woman as she felt her body going limp. "Grandma! Grandma, please!"

Ningning frantically shouted while embracing the elderly as she cried out for people to help come this way.

"Someone, help!"

Giselle rushed over, seeing the commotion, her own heart pounding. She helped steady Mai's grandmother, calling for the doctors. "We need help over here!" she yelled, her voice urgent. A team of nurses and doctors hurried over, placing the elderly woman on a stretcher. Ningning stood frozen in place as they wheeled Mai's grandmother away, her tearful eyes following them down the corridor.

Ningning fell to the floor, wailing terribly and holding her hands over her face as she screeched for Mai.
Giselle tried to clamp hers back also; but she couldn't keep it there as she knelt beside the crying girl and slid an arm round her shoulders.

"Ningning. Ning, up," Giselle whispered, her voice steady, even strained. Ningning shook her head, too much pain and guilt.

"It's my fault. I should have known. I could have stopped her. Why didn't I see that? Why couldn't I save her?" she wailed, every word cracking her voice.

Giselle clamped her lips shut and stood in there inside, not letting her own desire to cry. She continued holding onto Ningning, steadying Ningning up as the two went to where Karina sits.

Giselle shifted to look at Karina for a moment. Her attention span was near vacant. There was definitely pain there, but Giselle knew they needed to keep going for each other.

"We can't break apart now," Giselle whispered silently to herself, more to herself than anyone else. She pulled Ningning over beside Karina.

She led Ningning over to Karina's side and sat down, holding both of her friends close, trying to be the support they all so desperately needed.