During the funeral, a raven landed on the girl’s coffin. A second later, everyone present went SPEAK…

“We don’t know yet. She passed out. They’re taking her to the hospital now. We called you right away.”

“I’m on my way,” Emily said, hanging up. Her hands shook, her vision blurred. She grabbed her bag and ran out the door, dialing Owen as she went.

At the hospital, Emily’s heart pounded with fear. She spotted Owen leaning against a wall, his face a mask of confusion and pain, fists clenched. “Owen!” she cried, running to him. “What happened? How is she?”

He hugged her tightly, his voice hollow with fear. “I don’t know, Emily. They haven’t told us anything.”

They sat in the hospital corridor, waiting for news. Time crawled, each minute fueling their dread. Emily gripped Owen’s hand, her fingers digging into his palm, seeking any comfort. The silence was suffocating.

Finally, a doctor emerged from the ICU, his face unreadable. Owen stood first, Emily clutching his arm. “Doctor, how is she? What’s wrong with our baby?” Owen’s voice cracked with panic.

The doctor’s eyes softened, his tone gentle, as if to cushion the blow. “We did everything we could. I’m so sorry—she didn’t make it.”

Lightning seemed to strike Emily. Her body went numb, unable to process the words. She stumbled back, her vision unfocused. “How?” she gasped. “How is this possible? She was healthy!”

“It can’t be!” Owen grabbed her shoulders, steadying her. Emily couldn’t accept the doctor’s words, couldn’t grasp the cruelty of it.

She sank onto a bench, covering her face as sobs tore through her. Owen stood beside her, stunned, his own heart breaking. “How could this happen? Why her?” Emily looked up at the doctor, desperation in her voice.

The doctor’s expression was heavy. “We’ll need further tests to determine the cause. We’re not ruling out poisoning. An investigation is underway.”

Emily and Owen exchanged a glance. “Poisoning?” Emily whispered. “That’s impossible! Who would do this to our daughter? Why?”

As the investigation began, Emily sat in a detective’s office, struggling to focus on his words. They washed over her like water, distant and meaningless. Talk of finding the culprit felt irrelevant. She couldn’t think about who or why—only the loss consumed her…