The president pocketed his phone and crouched beside a loose rung, his gloved fingers brushing the bolt that had been tampered with earlier. He could see the smear of fresh oil he had left there hours before, enough to loosen, but not enough to look obvious.

As the faint echo of Morgana's screams bled from the phone speaker, the man chuckled under his breath.

He dragged a hand through his hair, grin widening.

"My father owns this city. I run it. Its people, its justice, everything. No one can imprison me. No one can stop me."

He straightened, eyes cold as he looked down from the tower. Far below, Sid was still clinging to life, barely holding on. The man's grin darkened.

"Let's see you climb your way out of this one."

As Sid reached for the final beam, the weakened metal gave a long, shuddering creak.

Crk— kk—

The last platform gave way beneath him. He didn't even have time to scream. The world flipped. His body dropped through the open air, crashing through a loose tarp before slamming into the roof of the tower's maintenance truck below.

KRAAANG!

The metal caved in, absorbing part of the impact, but the force still knocked every breath from his lungs. The world tilted—flashes of pain, rain, and blood filling his sight. When everything finally stopped, Sid lay flat on his back, rain hitting his face as he stared up at the seven hundred meters of steel that had almost killed him.

His right knee was a ruin— swollen, twisted, and bleeding through what was left of his pants. Every breath was fire, his ribs screaming with each inhale. But against all odds, he was alive. Barely, but alive.

The livestream was still running. The camera, cracked and tilted sideways, showed Sid's trembling hand as the chat exploded with panic. The last message that stood out before Morgana killed the stream came from a single user name glowing in pink.

[Chat]: Sid… my sweetheart. Please hold on, my boy. I love you. Live, please.

Then everything went black.

Morgana threw the headset aside and ran.

"SID! SID!"

Her voice cracked through the rain as she sprinted across the slick ground, feet splashing through puddles. She almost slipped but caught herself, her legs trembling as she pushed harder. Her breath came in ragged bursts, panic tightening every sound that left her throat.

Big D was already there, pulling the mangled door open. Sid groaned faintly, blood running down his face and leg.

"Oh my God, Sid! Look at you!"

Morgana cried, grabbing his face gently with trembling hands.

"Don't you dare close your eyes! Do you hear me? Stay with me, dammit!"

Big D's voice cracked, panic showing for the first time.

"We gotta move him— now!"

He slid his arms under Sid's shoulders, careful but frantic.

"C'mon, Morgs! Help me lift!"

Together, they got him into the van, the rain pounding against the windshield as Big D started the engine. Morgana climbed in beside Sid, pressing her jacket against his wound.

"Hold this! Harder!"

Big D shouted, speeding down the cracked road.

"I'm trying!"

Morgana sobbed, her hands slick with blood.

"Oh God, I shouldn't have let him climb! If he didn't get hurt protecting me back then— if I hadn't—"

"Stop it!"

Big D barked, his voice breaking.

"Now's not the time for guilt! You hear me? He's a fighter! Just keep him awake!"

By the time they reached the hospital, the staff were already waiting outside. Morgana screamed for help as nurses rushed toward them with a stretcher. Sid's head hung loosely to the side, his breathing shallow and uneven. His face had gone pale under the pulsing red of the emergency lights.

They wheeled him through the double doors as doctors shouted codes and nurses cut open his torn clothes. Morgana and Big D tried to follow, but a nurse stepped in front of them, firm but gentle.

"I'm sorry, you can't go in. Please wait outside."

Morgana pushed forward anyway, her voice breaking.

"Let me go with him! Please, let me just—"

Big D caught her by the arm, holding her back. His usual cheer was gone, his voice trembling.

"Morgs, stop. Let them do their job."

She sank to the floor, covering her face with both hands.

"This is my fault… he took that knife for me… he got that wound because of me…"

Her sobs echoed through the sterile hallway. Big D sat beside her in silence, his hands shaking, tears running down his face. Hours passed. The "IN OPERATION" light stayed red. The hallway grew cold and quiet.

Finally, the door opened. A nurse stepped out, her mask spotted with faint traces of blood

"He made it through the surgery," she said softly. "He's in recovery now. You can see him soon."

Morgana's knees buckled. The breath she'd been holding for hours escaped in a broken gasp of relief.

When Sid opened his eyes again, the first thing he heard was the slow, steady beep of machines beside his bed. The ceiling lights were dim, their glow soft against the sterile white of the hospital room. His body felt heavy like every muscle had been torn apart and stitched back together.

Bandages wrapped his arms and torso, wires connected him to monitors, and his right knee was… locked tightly in a brace. The sight of it made his chest tighten. His breath quickened as everything replayed in his mind— the tower, the wind, the snap of the rung, and the sickening fall. His chest rose and fell in short, shallow bursts.

"No… no, no—"

His eyes darted around, searching for the ladder that wasn't there. The room shifted violently, the beeping sped up, and panic clawed through him like fire. He tried to sit up, but pain exploded through his ribs and leg.

"The platform— it broke— I fell— I can't— I can't move—!"

Morgana jolted awake beside him, her head snapping up from the side of the bed.

"Sid! Hey— hey, calm down!"

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