He raised his bloodied hands only to find that the mint-green hairband he had kept carefully with him was now dyed red.

With trembling fingers, he raised the hairband to his lips. “Don’t die. Please, you can’t die.”

He murmured under his breath as his eyes reddened further.

“You promised you’d pester me forever. You can’t go back on your word now.”

Felipe’s voice shook as he repeated himself, unable to put the panic within him to rest.

Just then, the operating room’s door opened to rev