Sails of Destiny

Crossing the Line

The next morning, Amira woke to troubling news—Belle had crossed the town line and, in doing so, had forgotten everyone. The weight of the information settled heavily on her chest, knowing what that meant for Belle and the people who cared about her. But before she had time to process it fully, her phone rang.

It was Dr. Whale.

"Amira," he began, his voice unusually tense. "You need to come to the hospital. It's about your fiancé."

Her heart lurched at the words, dread filling her chest. Without wasting a second, Amira grabbed her things and headed straight for the hospital, her thoughts racing.

When she arrived, she was greeted by Emma in the hallway. The sheriff's expression was grim, her eyes filled with both concern and frustration. Amira slowed as she approached Emma, already sensing that whatever she was about to hear wouldn't be good.

"Emma, what happened?" Amira asked, her voice tight with worry.

Emma hesitated, her gaze flickering to the hospital doors before she spoke. "It's Killian," she began, her tone measured. "He shot Belle... over the town line."

The world seemed to stop for a moment. Amira's breath caught in her throat as Emma's words sunk in. "He... what?" she whispered, disbelief washing over her.

Emma sighed, crossing her arms as she explained. "Belle was shot and pushed over the town line. She doesn't remember anyone anymore—not Rumple, not anyone in town. It's like she never knew us."

Amira's fists clenched at her sides as a surge of anger coursed through her. Her mind raced with thoughts of what Killian had done, and she could feel the fury bubbling up. How could he have gone this far? After everything they'd been through, after everything they'd talked about... he had still gone after Belle.

But as quickly as the anger flared, Amira forced herself to calm down. She placed a hand over her stomach, taking a deep breath. Liam. She couldn't let this anger consume her, not when their child needed her to stay focused and strong.

"I'll deal with him," Amira said quietly, her voice cold but controlled. "He'll face his punishment soon enough."

Emma nodded, her expression softening as she gave Amira a sympathetic look. "He's in room 203," she said, gesturing down the hallway.

Amira walked toward the room, her heart heavy with both anger and sorrow. When she entered, she found Killian lying in the hospital bed, handcuffed to the railing. He looked worn, his face pale and bruised, but when his eyes met hers, they were filled with remorse.

"Amira," Killian said softly, his voice thick with guilt. "I... I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt Belle, or make her forget."

Amira crossed her arms, shaking her head as she stared at him. "Stop lying to me, Killian," she said, her voice sharp. "You knew what would happen. You knew the consequences, and you still did it."

Killian looked away, his jaw tightening as he struggled with his own shame. "I know," he admitted quietly. "But it wasn't supposed to go like that. I got hit... by some kind of strange moving contraption. I didn't see it coming."

Amira raised an eyebrow, her tone incredulous. "You got hit by a car, Killian."

Killian blinked, clearly unfamiliar with the term. "A... car?"

Amira let out a small, humorless laugh. "Yes, a car. Welcome to this world."

Killian's shoulders slumped, and he looked at her, the weight of his actions clear in his eyes. "I messed up, love," he whispered. "I know that. But I didn't want it to end this way."