III
It was already past 7:30 of the evening when Nadia arrived back at her home, the first thing that she did was to go shower and change on her casual clothes as she laid down her bed and took a short nap.
But she woken up when she heard her phone rang beside her, she rubbed her eyes as she drowsily reached her phone. When she opened it she saw that it was already 11:25 of midnight.
"Hello?" She said the moment she pressed answer.
"Did I disturbed you dear?" 
When she heard her grandma's voice, her sleepiness suddenly vanished. She cursed herself when she remembered that she told her grandma that she'll call, but what she did instead is to sleep.
"Nope, sorry I didn't called you, I fell asleep and forgot." She said apologetically.
Her grandma chuckled. "No worries, it's no big deal. I know your tired, sorry I disrupt your sleep."
"No, no, you didn't. So how are you?" 
"I'm fine dear, in fact I feel even more better now. My body no longer feels heavy and I feel so good too, I felt like I'm already healed to be honest." Her grandma said gleefully.
Nadia smiled upon hearing her words. But it's weird, her gut tells her that something's off. She knows best when and where she should listen to her gut and instinct. She wanted to believe her grandma’s words--she really do, but deep inside, she knew better. The closer something feels to normal, the closer it is to breaking apart.
"But still, you should go get some rest and eat more. We can't be complacent so easily just because something already felt good than the usual." She stated, reminding her grandma to still be alerted and careful on her own self.
"I know, I know, you don't need to worry. But no kidding, I really feel different, I also feel like my complexion is starting to return to normal." 
Nadia don't know if she should be relieved or bothered at her words. She knows this, it wasn't just a normal thing. No, normal isn't even the fitting word to be called it.
She’d read about it once—how people at the edge of death sometimes brightened, as if a cruel trick of life gave them one last glimpse of normalcy. Terminal lucidity, they called it. A borrowed breath before the end. And now, hearing her grandma’s voice so alive, so hopeful… she didn’t know if she should be relieved, or afraid.
She wanted to smile, to believe it was a sign of recovery. But in her heart, she knew better—life never gave gifts this kind without a price.
Nadia sighed deeply. "That's a good thing to hear... I guess."
Her grandma hummed in agreement before she spoke once more. "Oh and Nadia..."
"Hmm?"
"Do you know that when you left earlier, the glass at the bedside table suddenly fell and broke even though I didn't even moved it. It was so sudden and scary, like those of a horror movies. I even thought that maybe there's a ghost in here." 
Nadia froze. A broken glass… she didn’t need anyone to spell out what that meant. Fragility. An ending. Her chest tightened, but she forced a small laugh—pretending it was nothing, even as the omen gnawed at her gut.
"W-Wow, how uncanny can it be?"
"I know right dear, it's kind of scary but then I can't even see ghosts so it's fine." Followed by a soft chuckle.
"But then the said ghost manage to make its presence known to you." Nadia retorted, teasing her grandma.
"Oh come on now dear, don't scare your grandma."
Nadia chuckled, yet the heaviness on her heart still cling to her. The whole phone call went on as Nadia kept asking her grandma if she still feel uncomfortable or maybe that she might feel off somewhere in her body. But everytime she ask, her grandma immediately cut her off, telling that she's completely fine now and all.
"Well then, it's getting late and I'm already sleepy--and you too need to sleep now... goodbye Nadia." 
Nadia frowned on her grandma's last words. Why would she say goodbye instead of goodnight?
Nadia’s chest tightened. Goodbye. Not goodnight, something's off about it. She opened her mouth, panic rising in her throat.
“Wait grandma—”
But the call immediately died as her grandma hung up. Unknown creeps suddenly crept up on her body, she felt her whole system ran cold. Ever since she left the hospital, she had already felt as if something isn't right. She felt that something scary will happen. Something that she will never like.
She immediately dialed one of her grandma's nurses that she frequently asked regarding of her situation. Every ringing of the phone felt heavier. Each unanswered ring clawed at her chest. What if she was already too late? No, she shouldn't jump on conclusions yet.
But thankfully, the nurse picked it up in an instant.
"Ms. Agresté, you called." Greeted by the nurse at the other line.
"Ah yes, I'm sorry if I called you late at night but I just want to ask you a favor about my grandma if you don't mind." Her words tumbled out too fast, her voice trembling despite her attempt to sound calm.
"Is that so, sure since it's my break time I guess I can do so. What is it anyways?"
"Well umm, can you check my grandma for me? You see we're talking in a call earlier but she suddenly hung up when she's usually the last one to do so, it's just weird. So please can you check on her? See if she's okay?" Nadia asked almost pleading as she desperately needed to know what's up with her grandma.
The nurse was silent for a moment as if she's trying to analyze the whole situation. The silence stretched, and Nadia’s grip on the phone tightened until her knuckles whitened.
"Alright I'll go, but I'll hang up first and then when I'm already at you grandmother's room I'll send you a picture of her, okay?" The nurse’s voice dropped a little, softer, as if she didn’t want to imagine what might be wrong.
"Yes that'll do, thank you."
"No problem, I'll send you the picture later, I'll go hung up now." The nurse said followed by the beeping of the phone as the call ended.
Nadia stood up and started walking back and forth as she idly but her thumb nail in distress and anxiousness. Dark thoughts spiraled—what if the call was her last goodbye, what if she’d already missed it? She felt like every seconds that passed by is the time that she's losing with her grandma.
But she was instantly pulled back to her senses, when her phone vibrated on her hand. She hurriedly opened it and saw that the nurse sent her a message. She tapped it and was relieved when she saw a picture of her grandma, peacefully sleeping by her bed. Her grandma lay peacefully on the bed, too still, as if carved into the sheets.
'Your grandma's fine, she's already sleeping now.' as she read the message below the picture.
Her fingers trembled as she typed 'thank you,' a fragile prayer disguised as two simple words.
She sat down on her bed as she heaved a deep breath of relief. For a second, she really thought that something's really wrong. Guess her gut was wrong this time, for the very first.
Yes, her gut was wrong--her gut was wrong? No—it couldn’t be. Her gut had never failed her, not once. If it was wrong now, then what else could betray her?
No, it's not yet done. She can't be complacent yet. Something's not adding right, Something was off. She could feel it crawling just beneath the silence, waiting to show its teeth.
Her chest tightened, her fingers twitching against the phone screen as though gripping tight on an evidence.
She opened her phone once more and went back on the picture that was sent to her, she analyzed it. From the dimly lit room, to the apparatus, down to her grandma who's sleeping so comfortably.
But out of those, her eye were glued on on thing. The crimson writing, glowing every letters and numbers so scarily. 
Suddenly, Her breath caught. At first, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. She blinked once, twice—but it was still it, she isn't imagining. She had finally noticed what was really off. Her grandma's originally due is at June 29th XX of 11:59 pm. But now... it changed.
04-25-XX |3:00 am
Tuberculosis 
3:00 am. Less than an hours from now on. That was all the time her grandmother had left. Fifty-five minutes. That was all she had. Fifty-five minutes before death arrived, punctual and merciless.
Her knees suddenly weakened as she fell down the floor, her eyes slightly widened while staring nowhere. Her whole surrounding suddenly went blur both on her sight and hearing, she feel as if she's floating away.
Her lips trembled open, but no sound came out—only air. When her voice finally broke through, it was a rasping whisper, cracked and desperate.
"No... no... no... no... why? This can't be--why did it change?... what's happening?" 
All her life, she had trusted what her eyes showed her. Now, even that betrayed her—rewriting fate before her very eyes.
No, she can't be weak right now. She needed to chase the time.
Nadia quickly raised her hand and slapped her cheek as strong as she can to pull herself together. She stood up, grabbed both her phone and money as she rushed through the door.
She ran outside, despite the heavy rain pouring, she didn't mind it. Only wearing a sweater and above the knee fitted dress really did have a chilling goosebumps on her, given that she's absolutely drenched as she ran so fast at the dark and empty road.
She tried to look for any taxi or cab in hopes that she could ride one to take a fast route, but unfortunately not even a single one shows up. She frustratedly breathed at started to ran once more. The adrenaline rush made her ran as if she's in a marathon, having a dangerous game of race with death.
Her breath tore out in ragged bursts, lungs burning with every inhale. Rain blinded her eyes, each drop like needles, but she kept pushing—because to stop was to surrender her grandmother to death.
She ran and ran until she was about to cross the road, but an unforseen event happened. In the blink of an eye, Nadia found herself laying on the ground, her knees screamed, her vision doubled, the storm dripping red where her skin had split.
A deafening horn. Headlights like twin suns swallowing her. Then—impact. Her body crumpled against steel before the world spun and slammed her onto the wet asphalt, pain detonating through her leg.
She was just hit by a fucking car. Just what luck does she even have?
"Miss are you okay?!" The driver asked as he went out from his car in panic.
But Nadia had no time for any of this right now, she stood up despite the pain and her vision spiraling. She was about to start running again but she thought of a bright idea to get her at the hospital.
She quickly turned to the driver and pleaded. "Sir please take me to the St. Theresa Hospital, I need to go there now." 
In panic and fear, the driver answered. "H-Huh? A-Ah yes yes, hop on I'll drive you there."
The moment they went in, the car started moving fast. The car lurched forward, tires splashing water into the night. Streetlights smeared into streaks of gold and red as they sped, the storm swallowing every sound but the roar of the engine and Nadia’s pounding heartbeat.
She suddenly frowned when she felt something Warmth slid down her temple, thick and sticky. When her palm came away red, her breath hitched. Her skull throbbed with each heartbeat, but she gritted her teeth. Damn, the impact from earlier really did made her some damages.
She could bleed later—her grandma couldn’t wait. 
She opened her phone and wiped the rain droplets on the screen, she cussed when she saw what time already it is.
2:36 am. Damn, just minutes left. Why the hell does the time flies so fast when you don't want it too?
"Can you drive more faster please, it's an emergency and I needed to get there fast." She asked desperately.
"A-Ah sure, hold on tight." The man said as he stepped on the gas pedal.
Nadia nearly rolled off of her seat when the car went so fast, right now they're already beating all red lights in the street. 
The engine roared, the tires hissed against the wet asphalt, and the city lights smeared into streaks of red and white. Every bump rattled through her bones, but she kept her eyes on the glowing numbers of her phone screen—2:36… 2:37…
Each second was a nail in her coffin—no, in her grandmother’s. The faster the car moved, the slower it felt, as though time itself mocked her desperation.
When they've finally arrived in front of the hospital, Nadia suddenly rushed out of the car without any word. Despite the man calling her multiple times, Nadia didn't turned back and hurriedly entered.
The pain and aching of her body suddenly numbed as she ran fast, instead of stopping at the front desk, she quickly turned and went to the elevator.
"Wait miss! You need to--miss!"
Nadia relentlessly pushed the elevator's button again and again but she wasn't patience enough to wait, when it didn't open she turned her heels and started heading towards the stairs.
"Fuck this shit!" She cussed as she strided each steps of the stairs.
Despite the heaviness and ache that she felt on her chest, and the blood slowly drips on every steps. Nadia didn't gave up, she ran and ran like a horse, surpassing ever floor levels like a wind.
Her shoes slapped against the stairs, each echo chasing her like a ticking clock. The fluorescent lights above flickered as though mocking her urgency, while the metallic taste of blood slid down her throat. Every landing felt like a lifetime, every flight of stairs a battlefield. Her vision blurred, but she kept climbing, clawing at the rails like a drowning woman gasping for air.
2:52 am. Eight minutes left. She pushed harder, her breath ripping out of her chest in jagged gasps.
The moment she arrived at her grandma's floor, she nearly fell down as her knees buckled, and for a terrifying second she thought she would crumple right there. She caught herself against the pillar, fingers clawing the cold concrete as if it were her last anchor to reality.
She pants as she tried to catch her breath before she pushed herself up and ran, her sight started to ga hazy and groggy but she fought it. 
The heavy rain and loud thunder and lightning outside didn't helped the fear inside her, it even made it more worse. Thunder cracked like a warning shot, lightning flashing white-hot against the hospital windows. Even the sky seemed to scream at her that she was running out of time.
2:56 am. Four minutes left.
Every steps that she made became heavier, as her heart beats more loudly as if it wanted to rush out of her chest. 
When she had finally found her grandma's room, she grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open.
"Grandma--"
Her body froze, her words stuck at her throat as she was both confused and scared on what she's seeing.
The bright lightning cracked at the skies, litting the whole room dim bright.
There she saw an unfamiliar tall man dressed in black, standing in front of her grandma's bed, staring so focused and eeriely grim. His presence felt too sharp for the room, a shadow that didn’t belong to the storm, eyes fixed not on Nadia, but solely on her grandmother.
It’s so strange… why did it feel like she knew this man? His presence was foreign, yet the weight of his gaze tugged at something deep in her memory, something she couldn’t name.
Her grandmother sat upright, shoulders relaxed, as if she’d been expecting him all along. Not a flicker of fear crossed her face—only a serenity that made Nadia’s chest tighten with dread.
3:00 am. The time has come.
"Rafaella Agresté, your time has already ended. It's time for you to succumb to death now." The sound of his voice wasn’t just heard—it crawled beneath her skin, anchoring ice into her bones.
Out of the shadows, metal gleamed into existence, a long blackened scythe that seemed to drink the very light around it.
"DON'T YOU DARE!" 
Her legs moved before her mind caught up. She threw herself in front of her grandmother, arms spread wide, heart pounding so violently she thought it would burst through her chest.
"Oh, what's this? A living mortal, how can you see me?" She can vividly see how the man's onyx eyes glow in a strange way.
Those eyes — they carried something close to nostalgia. A misty memory, a face she felt she had already known, long before she ever saw it.
Who is he?
"You can't take her."
The man stared at her in silence before he spoke. "That's not something a mortal like you can decide."
The air thickened, pressing against her chest like a vice. It felt as though time itself was waiting for his command.
He slowly raised his hands towards her, as if he's going to do something. She shut her eyes tightly and waited for it to happen. But seconds had passed, she felt nothing.
She slowly opened her eyes, and shock ate her system when she saw her grandma standing in front of her, shielding her against the man.
"You came for me then deal me, but leave my granddaughter alone." She said protectively and firmly. 
Her frail frame stood impossibly tall, her thin shoulders squared as though she carried centuries of strength.
"But first, please give me minutes to bid my granddaughter a goodbye."
"...alright, I'll let but after that you'll come with me." He said in finality.
"Grandma..." 
Her grandma slowly turned to her and cupped her cheeks before she smiled warmly as her tears fell down.
"I'm sorry dear, seems like it will be our last time..."
"No, no, no, I-I can still fix this! I can still--"
"Nadia..."
"Didn't I told you, I wish for you to be happy and do not intervene with things that you couldn't handle..." She brushed Nadia's hair in a comforting way.
"So please, for me, let fate do it's thing. And besides, I'm too old and this illness of mine is too painful now, I want to end this."
Outside, thunder growled as if the heavens themselves mourned with her. The storm bled against the windows, drowning out the sound of her heartbeat breaking.
Nadia dropped her head low as she started sobbing silently, tears pooled in her eyes as she bit her lower lip. But her grandma gently held her chin and raised her head before she wiped her tears away with a trembling hands.
She knows. She knows that even if her grandma already accepted such fate, it doesn't mean she's not scared. No she is, she's deeply scared. Scared for the fact that she'll be leaving her dearest granddaughter all alone in this world now.
"Remember what I always say, even if I'm no longer here, I'll always still be with you. In your heart, and in your mind."
She turned to face the man after giving Nadia her last smile. It wasn’t a smile of denial, nor of false reassurance—it was a smile of surrender, the kind only the dying could give, both an ending and a gift.
"I'm ready now."
Nadia knows, she can't do anything now. So instead, she stood and let the fate do it's thing. The man raised his scythe and aimed at her grandma, he swinged it so fast that the next thing Nadia knew is that her grandma's lifeless body is now laying at the cold ground, while her soul is still standing on its spot.
"Let's go." The man as he turned around and started walking, suddenly, a black smokes appeared and enveloped them.
Her grandma started following behind the man, as Nadia watched them with a heavy heart. But before her grandma could even enter the black door, she turned to Nadia for the last time.
"Remember Nadia, understand what your eyes can see, not what you want to see. Always remember, open your eyes..."
Tears swelled down her grandma's eyes as she smiled so peacefully. 
"...I always love you, my dearest Nadia."
And with that, her grandma walked through the door and disappeared completely. Moments of silence reigned before she fell down on her knees and turned to her grandma's body.
She took her grandma's body and cradled it as she hugged the body tightly. Her soul vanished light as air, but the body in Nadia’s arms felt unbearably heavy, as though all the weight of the world had sunk into it.
"G-Grandma... grandma..." She sobbed uncontrollably.
The room felt empty despite the voices, a hollow ringing in her ears. She was still kneeling, but inside it felt like she had already fallen.
"Miss Agresté, you didn't--OH MY GOD! CALL THE DOCTOR! THE PATIENT IN ROOM 204 HAD COLLAPSED!"
Nurses and doctors appeared and flocked inside as they checked both her grandma and Nadia's state, she watch as they analyze her body but minutes later they all look at each other and shook their head.
"Let's--"
"She died at 3:00 am." Nadia said.
The doctors briefly nodded. Nadia watched as they covered her grandma's body and started pushing it out the room to deliver at the morgue. While she on the other hand was brought at the clinic to have her wounds and bruises checked and taken care off. Her body ached, her skin stung, but none of it compared to the hollow cavity gnawing in her chest.
She turned her head and stared at the fading figures of the doctors, nurses, and the bed where her grandma's body is laying. 
She felt half of her will and reasons to continue living had disappeared alongside her grandma, both her mind, body and soul felt extremely tired and heavy. Her heart heavy and hollow.
"Even if I opened my eyes, still..." She muttered lowly, almost as if whisper.
"...death has come."