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CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
THE next few days passed in a blur for Curioss. The hospital released her, physically mended, but her soul felt hollow. Everything felt cold and distant, as if she was stuck in some kind of fog. Her friends and family hovered around her, checking in constantly, but none of it filled the empty space Saint had left behind. The streets felt different now, too. What used to feel like a dangerous game they were all playing now felt like a looming trap, ready to consume her, just as it had Saint.
Curioss spent most of her time in their house, staring at the engagement ring still on her finger, the symbol of everything they had promised each other. She couldn't bring herself to take it off. It felt like the last connection to him, a reminder that once, they had dreamed of a life away from all this chaos.
One evening, as the sun set, casting the room in a dim orange light, there was a soft knock at her door. She ignored it at first, too lost in her own grief to care. But the knock persisted, gentle but insistent.
"Curioss, open up, it's Reina." Her sister's voice filtered through the door, filled with concern.
Sighing, Curioss slowly stood up and opened the door, her body feeling heavy with exhaustion and sadness. Reina stepped inside, looking at her sister with a deep sadness, but also determination.
"Baby girl, you can't keep doing this," Reina said softly, her eyes scanning the room cluttered with half-finished bottles of water, untouched food, and Saint's jacket, still hanging on the back of a chair like he was coming home any minute. "You been locked up in here for days. You gotta get out of here, gotta take a step forward."
"I can't," Curioss whispered, her voice broken. "I don't know how to move on without him, Reina. I feel like I can't breathe, like I'm just... stuck."
Reina walked over to her and gently pulled her into a hug, the warmth of her sister's arms the first comfort Curioss had felt in days. "I know it hurts. I know it's hard. But you still have yo life to live, Curioss. Saint wouldn't want you to give up like this. You know that."
Curioss squeezed her eyes shut, the pain tightening in her chest. She knew Reina was right. Saint had always wanted more for her, always dreamed of getting out of the game, of leaving the streets behind. And now she had the chance to do what he couldn't. But how was she supposed to find the strength when the weight of his absence was so crushing?
"He loved you so much," Reina whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "And I know, deep down, he would want you to be okay. He'd want you to keep living, to keep going."
Curioss nodded against her sister's shoulder, her tears silently falling. "It's just... I feel like if I move on, I'm leaving him behind."
"You'll never leave him behind," Reina said, pulling back and looking her in the eyes. "Saint's always gonna be with you. But you can't let his death be the end of you too. He didn't get out, Curioss, but you can. You have to. For him. For yourself."
